While a traditional nine to five corporate setting may not work for your autistic child, this does not mean that he will not be able to find a job that will suit him. Below are just some of the careers that people with autism may excel at -
Taking Care of Animals
While many autistic people have difficulty relating to other people, some of them do not have any qualms about interacting with animals. This makes them perfect for animal oriented jobs as they can channel their love of the animals into something more productive. Some of the jobs that they may be good at includes being a zookeeper, pet sitter, breeder, animal curator, etc. Aiming to be a veterinarian may be a bit difficult but it is certainly not impossible.
Working on their Passion
Some autistic people have a passion for a specific topic or object. They like to learn about their passion and they demonstrate a high level of knowledge regarding this. For these people, it is a good idea to use this passion as a springboard for their careers. They will not only love what they do but they will definitely excel in it too. For example, if they are interested in a particular artifact, they can explore being a museum professional, a researcher, a writer or even an archeologist. If they are interested in plants, they can become a gardener, landscape artist or a horticulturalist.
Military
The military might be a good place for autistic people who enjoy having rules as well as a rigid structure. The military environment has absolute rules which everyone are expected to follow and as such, autistic people who like to follow the rules at all costs will be a perfect fit. The military also tend to have a set schedule which the autistic person may find comfort in.
Industrial Design / CAD Designer
Some people who have been diagnosed with autism tend to think better in pictures rather than in words. They have no difficulty envisioning pictures and designs in their head. Some autistic people even have the capability to look at a two dimensional object and imagine it as a three dimensional object. Given the right training, people who have this particular skill would do well in jobs such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) design, exhibit prototyping, architectural model construction, etc.
Lilian Cespedes July 13,2011 at 4:32
hi, my son is autistic, he is 20 years he almost finish his school (2012),
all is difficult for me, I want for my son some opportunities; he likes to draw, paint,computers, My son WENCESLAO wants to get a job, independence too, make money and pay his taxes. We live in New York. Thanks a lot for some information. God bless you.
I am a single parent with a son who is autistic, and finding some kind of employment sound all rosey with your ideas and suggestions. Unfortunately that dosent work inreality, recent cutback in funding and inability to present himself to an interviewer make it virtually impossible to find work of any kind. My son is no child, he is 24 years old, and i am running out of ideas. He is collecting soc. sec. but thats not what i want for my son. He would make some employer a good worker if they just gave him the chance.
Hi Michael, my son is also 24 years old and it has been a challenge finding employment. I am not sure where you live however Walmart is a willing employer. My son was a greeter there for almost a year he had a job coach that helped him greet, attend and direct customers within the store. Starbucks (individually owned/operated) meaning the manager has to be on board with what you are trying to do, my son performd light custodial work and finally I saw a piece on 60 min several years ago a Walgreen CEO has an autistic son and from there he developed a program where the majority of his warehouse work force was disabled. Hope this helps!
I am right where you are Michael. My step son is 21 and he is kind and sweet and loyal. He is into computers but there hasn’t been a career I can find for him. Did you have any luck yet?