I wanna ask for some advice, but I’m not really sure how so I’ll try to explain and I’ll let you jump in however you feel is suitable.
To preface I’m on the autism spectrum - high functioning, but not without struggles.
I’ve lost a lot of jobs because of the side effects, because of people’s biases, or because of my own misunderstandings, and that’s exhausting and incredibly disheartening.
I’m tired of it. Tired of not being able to provide for my family tired of feeling like I’m being rejected every time I try something tired of not understanding. I really really want to do something on my own. I want to be my own boss. But at the same time, I’m terrified because I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know where to begin legally I don’t know how to find customers. I don’t know how I would fund myself. I don’t even know what idea to choose.
What I do know is that I cannot keep looking to other people to help me succeed, I need to do that on my own, but I can’t do that without some guidance. I have a lot of ideas. I’m incredibly bright. And I’ve tried before, and I’ve been taken advantage of over and over again.
Really all I want is freedom. To not have to be worried that I won’t understand, or that someone won’t make the effort to accommodate me. I want to be able to support myself, and my family.
It’s been really hard for me to figure this out. Even just to find a place where I feel I remotely belong, much less a place. I’m not terrified I’ll be forced out of. It’s time to stop thinking about it and just do something about it. If you have any suggestions, please don’t hesitate to offer them.
I am Canadian by the way if that makes a difference. I have a really varied work background because of this and don’t know where to go from here.
I appreciate your advice
I'd know where to direct you if in the USA. If you live & work in Canada, I'm not knowledgeable there.
US has the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act signed into law by Pres. George H.W. Bush. Believe diagnosis of Autism may qualify as a "disability" under this Act (I taught Entrepreneurship to HS students, had many with disabilities).
If CA has similar protections, a vocational, technical, career school/college would have that knowledge.
Hope this helps in you search.
@Gladari great suggestions I am Canadian though. You’d be shocked how many businesses have no idea that they need to accommodate for people with disabilities. I was fired from several jobs for request requesting that they provide even the most basic accommodations, and I don’t have the financial assets to pursue legal recourse
@Gladari yeah we’re supposed to have that too. I don’t recall if I mentioned in my initial post but previous times I’ve tried that they’ve not been any more helpful than me applying on my own.
Some may be better than others - my county Senior Center is so much better than the adjacent county! My disables son uses ours instead of the one where he lives.
@tiaugn
Here we have advocates for that. They help with workplace issues.
I did a google search for "List organizations that advocate for people with disabilities in the workplace" and got 24 different agencies that do just that. Perhaps some are specialized in what aspects they address.
Hope you have some success getting this assistance information where you live.