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Autism/Successful Career Choices for College Student with PDD-NOS

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Expert: - 7/19/2006


Question
My son is 20 yrs. old, was diagnosed at age 5 with PDD-NOS and received Special Education services throughout school.  He has now completed his first year of college, and is having difficulty choosing his major.  He continues to live at home, does not have friends that he hangs out with.  He has expressed some interest in police work, or in the field of computers.  He is disciplined, works hard in school, but has limited social skills outside of our family.  What are some good career choices for people who are high functioning and have autisim?

Answer
Hi Laurel,

Choosing a major can be difficult for many students regardless of their "normality." If he's doing well in general classes, be happy and encourage him to explore. He may not need to declare a major until the end of his sophomore year. That may mean he'll need an extra year to complete his degree, but that is time well spent in learning and maturing.

I would not recommend "on the street" law enforcement for anyone who is not very socially skilled. It is, by nature, confrontational and very stressful.

However, there is much forensic work to be done in law enforcement. If he enjoys research, he might find investigative police work very successful. Also specialists, like entomologists (insect scientists) play important roles in murder investigations.

Computer science has been a haven for those on the autistic spectrum from the beginning. I believe it will continue to be so.

I ran onto a good book you may find useful: "Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism" by Temple Grandin, Kate Duffy, and Tony Attwood  

In general, encourage him to follow his passions. Most people on spectrum have an intense interest in a particular topic. He's probably an expert about something. Many of those "obsessions" can grow into careers.

Go to Amazon.com and input "autism" and "career". You will find many books and tapes. (Buy them wherever you please, I just love their search capabilities)

Best wishes to you and your son.
Catherine

Autism

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Catherine Ridenour

Expertise

I can answer your questions about parenting your High Functioning Autisic or Asperger`s Syndrome child. In particular, questions about family life, discipline, siblings, finding resources, and working with (sometimes opposing) the educational system are welcome.

Experience

I am the parent of an Asperger's Syndrome child who is now 22 years old. She went undiagnosed for 14 years of her life, so I have done extensive reading and Internet research into the possible cause of her difficulties. Even a short 8 years ago, A.S. was practically unheard of by the public educational system.

We fumbled our way through her childhood and early adolescence without any effective outside support. In some ways, that may have been a blessing as we were focused on her abilities rather than a label for her disability. However, I can think of many times when knowing WHY would have been comforting.

Had we known very early on, some social skills interventions might have made her life in school easier. At this point, I like her for who she is so I do not regret how things have turned out. More importantly, she likes herself.

Education/Credentials
I have a Bachelor of Science in Education.

I have worked to educate myself about Autism in general and HFA/AS in particular.

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