Like neurotypical teens, most of our autistic teens are trying to decide what to do after high school. College? Job? Trade school? Certification program? It is disheartening when I look at the statistics for employment and autistic adults. The rate of unemployment is so high. I don’t want my son J to be among those statistics. Therefore, I have been taking many steps to help him determine his future career path and doing everything I can to support him. How can you do the same for our autistic teen and help them determine their future career path?
Broad range of capabilities for those with autism
First, I want to acknowledge that autism spectrum disorder has a broad range of capabilities. I realize that for those who have more severe, or profound, autism that they most likely will never be able to have a job or live independently. I know some autistic adults who live with family or in community homes with others who have disabilities. If your autistic teen is among those, then determining how to help them live their best life within their capabilities is so important.
Yet, there are a lot of autistic adults who have the capability to learn and hold a job. The type of education and jobs they will hold are broad range too and are based on what their skills and abilities are.
What do they want to be when they grow up?
When we are young, we have all sorts of ideas of what we want to be when we grow up. Some children stick with the same ambition for years while others change almost weekly. For our autistic children, my guess is that most of those ideas change and follow their special interests. I know it did for my son J. He has wanted to work on garbage trucks, be a meteorologist and pursue being a videographer over the years.
I think asking your child about what they want to do as a career when they grow up becomes increasingly important as they get older. It allows you to help them explore those ideas and think about the good and not-so-good parts of particular jobs.
Career path tools
In this age of the Internet, you have access to so many online tools and information to help your autistic teen find out more about specific careers and what might be a good fit for them.
One way to get started is to have your teen take a couple of different free career assessment tests or personality tests to give them a direction to look into for potential future careers. Your teen’s school may also have additional ones available they can take. The idea isn’t to get a final answer. Instead, it’s to better understand what careers might be a good fit with your teen’s personality traits and skills.
For my son J, taking these types of assessments showed him that he really wants to help people. Then, he loves music (it’s his special interest), so he is exploring music therapy as a career.
Here are a few free assessments to consider taking:
My Next Move: Interest Profiler (from the U.S. Department of Labor)
Understand your teen’s strengths and weaknesses
A key to finding a future career or job that will fit your autistic teen is to take an honest look at their strengths and weaknesses. Does a particular job fit their strengths? Can they overcome certain weaknesses to be able to do a job well?
There are many assessments available online to help, but a recommended one that I came across from psychologists is the Signature Strength Questionnaire (SSQ-72). It helps determine what strengths a person has and is especially helpful for teenagers. It is available for free on the University of Toronto’s website.
How to support your autistic teen’s career interests
So what can you do now to support your autistic teen’s quest to determine their future career path? Here are some recommendations.
1. Help them explore different career options
Once your teen has identified a potential career or a couple of them, help your teen find out more about it by checking out books about it from the library and researching it online together. It’s good to understand what type of education or training is needed, job responsibilities, character traits that make a person a good fit for it, potential salary, local employers, and more.
2. Identify any local programs that offer teens ways to become involved
Does your teen’s interest fit a type of career that Exploring, Junior Achievement, GetMyFuture or another local program for teens who are interested in pursuing it? My younger son participates in Exploring for science careers and has really enjoyed learning about the career options available for future scientists of all kinds.
3. Look for volunteer opportunities in your teen’s area of career interest
A great way to build their resume and get experience in the area of their career interest is for your teen to volunteer for different organizations or events. VolunteerMatch is a website that can provide a list of local opportunities in your area.
4. Contact a local company or organization and ask if your teen could do a half-day or one-day job shadow
For J’s senior capstone project, he did two days of job shadow with a board-certified music therapist because that is the career he is interested in pursuing. It was a wonderful experience for him because he was able to view the job from a music therapist perspective instead of a client perspective. (J took music therapy for three years himself, and it was definitely one of the best therapies he had over the years.) Job shadows provide a realistic experience of what the job entails and whether your teen would enjoy it as a potential career.
5. Find a mentor for your autistic teen for their career interest
Know someone who has the job your teen is interested in? Reach out to see if they would be willing to mentor your teen. You also could ask the guidance counselor at your teen’s high school to see if they know anyone who would be interested in serving as a mentor. For example, if your teen is interested in culinary arts, is there a local chef who may be willing to mentor them?
6. Consider a job coach for your teen through Vocational Rehabilitation or local employment services agency
If your older autistic teen is primarily focused on finding a job after high school, consider applying to your state’s Vocational Rehabilitation program or go directly to a local employment services agency that works with those with disabilities. The job coach will take your autistic teen through the discovery process to find a job that fits well with their interests, skills and personality traits.
What other ways can you think of to support your autistic teen and their pursuit to determine their career path? Leave a comment below so that we can share and encourage one another on this journey!
Additional resources
Want more information on this topic? Check out these resources available.
Teens’ Guide to College & Career Planning (affiliate link)
Career Planning for Teens: Discover The Proven Path to Finding a Successful Career That’s Right for You! (affiliate link)
What Color Is Your Parachute? for Teens, Third Edition: Discover Yourself, Design Your Future, and Plan for Your Dream Job (affiliate link)
The ASD Independence Workbook: Transition Skills for Teens and Young Adults with Autism (affiliate link)
Planning Your Career Through Intense Interests (affiliate link)
