This article aims to help you, or the person you support, to reflect about existing strengths and preferences, and training needs and challenges to help you decide on suitable career options.
An important factor influencing career choices is the profile of the employability skills they demand. It may not be a good idea to decide to be a jockey if you are over 6 feet tall and you do not like horses. For this reason, it is important to identify your existing strengths and preferences, any training needs you may have and any challenges that are best avoided. This can be a tricky task as it is difficult to know where to start.
A commonly used way to start the process is to think about what you, or the person you support, enjoy and are good at. By thinking along these two dimensions you can categorise existing skills and preferences into four categories:
By categorising your individual strengths and preferences, and what you may need to improve, you are one step closer to finding the right choice for you.
You can find many resources listing ideal jobs for people on the Autism Spectrum based on autistic strengths such as attention to detail. However, research consistently shows that every person on the Autism Spectrum is different and while many may have exceptional attention to detail, others do not. Some autistic people, like Temple Grandin, are excellent visual thinkers, but some others, like Donna Williams, are excellent writers. So, when choosing between career choices, you cannot rely on generic beliefs about autism, as they may not apply to you. For instance, not every person on the Autism Spectrum likes computers. So in finding the right career for you, it is crucial that you work out what you, or the person you support, enjoy and are confident doing, regardless of your autism diagnosis.
Some people on the Autism Spectrum, due to past negative experiences, may lack confidence. This often results in them underestimating their employability skills. Surprisingly, it is not rare to find that a graduate on the Autism Spectrum, for example, rate their written communication skills quite low despite having successfully completed numerous written assignments during their university degree. Therefore, you may want to consider asking others, such as family, friends or teachers, to help you with this task. You may also want to look for evidence of any skills you have acquired in the past in school (e.g., oral presentations, numeracy) or through hobbies (e.g., initiative in organising a society event) and work experience (e.g., completing tasks on time).
You may want to complete the following exercise to help you identify your skills profile:
You have now identified where your skills fall. You can use these as a guide to choose what sort of career or jobs you may enjoy, but also are likely to excel.
The National Autistic Society digital Workbook provides excellent advice on how to prepare for work, identifying strengths and challenges. You can download this workbook here. There is a useful activity to identify strengths and challenges in pages 27-28 and 46-48.
Adapted from Lantz, C., Croucher, K., & Duncan, A. (2012). Psychology student employability guide.