Employment for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome or Non-Verbal Learning Disability

Stories and Strategies

Yvona Fast

• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Year: 2004
• ISBN:
  9781846420153
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Index: Psychology

Most people with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder (NLD) or Asperger Syndrome (AS) are underemployed. This book sets out to change this. With practical and technical advice on everything from job hunting to interview techniques, from 'fitting in' in the workplace to whether or not to disclose a diagnosis, this book guides people with NLD or AS successfully through the employment mine field. There is also information for employers, agencies and careers counsellors on AS and NLD as 'invisible' disabilities, including an analysis of the typical strengths of somebody with NLD or AS, and how to use these positively in the workplace. Practical information and lists of career resources are supported by numerous case studies to inspire and advise. An essential resource for people with NLD or AS seeking or in employment and their existing or potential employers.

PART I

Career Voices

NLD Voices

AS Voices

NLD Voices

1 I Should Have Listened

Peter

When I was 17, I took interest and ability tests designed to help decide what I should be when I grew up. I scored off the charts on logical ability, very high on mathematical ability and language, and very low on visual thinking.

The recommendations were actuary, psychologist, or university professor. I should have listened, because I wound up getting a PhD in psychometrics, which is sort of in-between actuary and psychologist, and in my job I do some teaching. But I didn’t listen.

Instead, I drifted from job to job. I worked many low-level office jobs during summers in college, and wound up writing and editing for a public relations firm as an associate. I was pretty good at most of it, although I had personality conflicts with some people, and didn’t deal with these in a mature way at all. I am not sure how much of this was caused by NLD issues, how much by my innate contrariness, and how much by the obtuseness of the people I was dealing with.

While visiting my sister, I met a couple with a severely disturbed child. I played with her, and loved it. Since I’d always liked little kids, I decided to become a teacher of children with special needs. One of my own former teachers from the special ed school where I went as a child told me this was a bad idea. I’d gone to this special school because of my learning disabilities. At the time, NLD was unknown. However, my WISC (Wechsler Intelligent Scales for Children) scores match the NLD profile (the subtests range from 60 to 160). She knew me well, and, unlike a lot of well-meaning adults, was not one for saying things like “you can do whatever you want to do”. She knew I couldn’t. I should have listened, but I didn’t.

The coursework for the MA was easy, but I had a lot of trouble with the student teaching. Dealing one-on-one with a child is one thing. Dealing with a bunch at once is something else again, and it is something I am particularly bad at.

Realizing this had been a bad idea, I drifted again. Then, in 1984, my parents and I visited Israel. I loved it, and moved there. One day, I was in my apartment when I heard a knock on the door. It was a friend of my former boss at the public relations firm, asking if I wanted a job as an editor and researcher at the Israel-Diaspora Institute. They were involved in improving democracy in Israel, and in getting Diaspora Jews (Jews who live outside of Israel) involved in Israel in more ways than just writing checks. I accepted the offer, and worked there until I decided to move back to the USA. Although I had a fairly easy time learning to speak Hebrew, I had a tough time learning to read, because of the different alphabet. In general, Israel is a good place for NLD-type people. Israelis tend to be very straightforward and verbal. They say exactly what they think, without relying on a lot of body language. Because there are people from many different cultures living there, they are more used to dealing with differences.

After my return to the USA, I got an editorial position at a company that wrote college texts. While I liked the actual editing, I saw that the publishing world was one where advancement depended on all sorts of social graces and skills which I lacked. So, while keeping that job, I looked around. Soon, I found a position at NYU working for some researchers who worked with special needs kids. I taught myself a bunch of statistics, and took some graduate courses in psychology and statistics. To get ahead in that job, I needed an advanced degree. I considered an MPH (master of public health) and a PhD, and decided on the latter. The background courses seemed more interesting to me, the prerequisites were less daunting, and the good MPH program in New York City is at Columbia, and I had heard bad things about going to graduate school there.

So, I went back to school to get my PhD in psychometrics. While I was getting my PhD, I taught undergraduate statistics, and didn’t have a good experience. Though I can explain things well, I’m not a good motivator.

When almost finished with the PhD, I saw an ad for a job as a data analyst at the place I work now, applied, and got it. When the project I was working on was winding down, I got promoted to the job I have now, which is as an in-house statistical consultant at a non-profit research firm. We research AIDS, drug abuse, violence, and things like that.

When my colleagues have statistical or methodological questions about papers or grants they are writing, they ask me. For example, one woman is working on a grant which involves estimating the number of drug injectors in each of the 96 largest cities in the USA. She has lots of data, but none directly on point, and all the data has considerable errors. We are working together to find the best way to convert the data into some reasonable estimates.

I also work on my own ideas and papers. I am currently working on a paper discussing the use of statistical graphics to describe interaction; an interaction occurs when the effect of one variable on another variable is different at different levels of a third variable. For instance, the chance of a person having HIV is related to whether they inject drugs; but the relationship between drug injection and HIV is different for homosexuals and heterosexuals.

I organize a statistics support group that meets once a month at lunch-time. Sometimes I or another researcher presents a topic, sometimes we discuss things that have come up, and other times we devote the session to upcoming conferences. I arrange for outside experts to come and speak. Finally, I teach some short courses (mostly in the ten-hour range). Long term, I would like to expand my consulting and teaching so that I’m working in various places doing the sort of work I do now.

This is a very good fit for me. The people are very nice (non-profit work tends to attract such people, I think), the work has some social relevance (we are working on solving social and medical problems), and the general atmosphere suits me. No one cares what I wear; nor do they care what other people wear. There is a high tolerance for different ways of working, thinking, and acting, because the company attracts an eclectic group of people. The staff is very diverse, not just ethnically, but educationally. There are PhDs as well as high-school dropouts, and many in-between; those with advanced degrees have them in a variety of fields. There is also a great deal of variety in terms of what people do. For example, while I sit in the office and work on my computer some of my colleagues are out on the streets interviewing drug dealers.

I have found a spot that does not demand things I cannot supply. For instance, I have very poor spatial and motor skills. But my job demands almost none of these (although I do have trouble finding the fax machine and the color printer in the maze of cubicles).

However, there are some areas of difficulty. For instance, I don’t read body language well at all, and I have told people this at work. Since I deal with a fairly small number of people, I have learned some of their quirks, and how they like to interact. I am not great at dealing with large group situations, and the statistics support group can be big. Fortunately, my work is highly intellectual and doesn’t demand much emotional sense.

I am also not well organized. I have come up with several ways of coping with this. First, I have separate backpacks for work and weekends. That way, I can put work stuff in one place, and other stuff in one place. Second, I keep notes at work on one pad at a time, rather than lots of separate pieces of paper. Third, and perhaps most important, I have a Palm Pilot. This has really helped because it keeps everything in one spot, it can be backed up onto my computer, and I can set it to remind me of things I have to do.

My best advice to NLD people entering the work world is to try to find a spot where you fit well, rather than trying to force yourself into a spot where you don’t fit. We are square pegs, and we need square holes. Depending on how well you know your own abilities, you might be able to benefit from standard job search books like What Color is Your Parachute? (Bolles 2003), take some standard ability tests, or find a career counselor. Once you have found a spot where you fit, or come close to fitting, try to find a person at the job who can help you with issues that you don’t get.

2 The Lawyer

When Sandy was a kid, she decided she was going to be a lawyer. She couldn’t stand blood and had no love for math or science, so she didn’t want to be a doctor. She was never good in art, which was very visual and spatial. Teaching was out because she was shy and didn’t like speaking in front of groups. None of these occupations appealed to her. But a lawyer, that’s a different story. There were no lawyers in her family, and she didn’t know any. But she loved Perry Mason movies, and she knew that was what she wanted to be.

In college, she majored in English literature. She loved books and reading, so that was a logical choice. And there were few math and science requirements in this major. But English lit proved to be harder than she had expected. There were papers to write, and coming up with original ideas to write about was a killer.

The study of literature goes beyond simple comprehension of what is read. The readers must learn to interpret, evaluate, and appreciate literature. In order to draw conclusions, they must understand not only what is said, but what is implied. At first, Sandy found this difficult, but little by little, she got better at it. Her understanding of literature grew, and she became a good writer in her own, dry way. She was best at the research angle, which required putting together others’ ideas rather than coming up with her own.

Sandy’s high scores on the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) and good GPA (Grade Point Average) ensured her acceptance to a good law school. Law was all about reading, understanding, and her favorite: verbal sparring, the art of arguing points back and forth. It was great! Everything was words, and words were everything. No math, no science. Who could ask for anything more?

Most people know law from television court dramas, where courtroom lawyers must make rapid decisions to defend their clients, but the reality is quite different from the stereotype. Much legal work takes place behind the scenes. Parties have a dispute they can’t resolve and hire attorneys to do legal combat. The litigation process involves many steps that occur before, during and after an actual trial. The lawyers prepare the facts supporting their client’s demands, and send papers to the other side. Often, issues are settled by agreement between the contestants, avoiding court. Many lawyers specialize in the research and writing that goes on behind the scenes of litigation. Real estate law, contract law, and tax law are examples of legal fields that rarely require courtroom dealings.

Sandy has worked in many different areas of law. Most of her work was in litigation research and transactional law, focusing on commercial contracts. These specialties require strong verbal and research skills, and there’s little need for understanding social cues and nuances, since court isn’t part of the picture. She told me: “I’ve only been in court a couple times early in my career, and barely spoke at those times.” The goal of writing contracts is to be as comprehensive as possible. The lawyer must cover all bases by making sure all the pieces are present and fit well, with no ambiguities in the language. Sandy explained: “It’s one big verbal puzzle, perfect for the NLDer’s wordsmith strengths. This type of work requires lots of reading, writing, thinking, and editing. What’s important is getting a good end product. There’s no need to think on your feet, and people skills are not important.” She adds: “Somehow I chose the legal specialties that work best for me, and I think would work for others with NLD.”

In her first job Sandy worked long hours at a large law firm doing research and writing. She told me: “This was right up my alley. There was no dealing with clients, interviewing witnesses, or anything else that would have required social skills, reading people, or anything like that.”

Sandy did very well at that job. She recalls one incident, however, which was a classic NLD moment: “A female partner at the firm asked me how my wedding plans were going. I took her literally and gave her a complete rundown ofwhat was going on. I didn’t realize that she was just asking to be polite. Later, during my annual performance review, she brought up this incident. She said she hadn’t expected a ‘diatribe.’ This took me by surprise. I didn’t know about NLD back then; with what I know now, it makes perfect sense. I’ve always taken people very literally, always thought in black and white terms, and apparently it’s been obvious to others when it was not to me.”

Because law is a matter of each lawyer trying to gray things up in his or her own way, such black and white thinking can be a problem. Life situations are almost always shades of gray, not black or white. A lawyer needs to be able to look beyond the facts, in order to consider possible gray areas, compromises, alternatives, and middle-ground positions. If a case says the law is X, someone who thinks in black and white terms has a hard time arguing against it, because that person has difficulty finding the nuances behind the literal meaning. Fortunately, Sandy was able to follow the lead of her partners in such situations. She comments: “They would give me a direction, and then my strong research skills would take over.”

A related NLD issue Sandy encounters is the difficulty in seeing the big picture, which often is more than simply the sum of its parts. Ideas don’t always flow logically, and it can be hard to know how and where they fit in the whole. This is another area where working hand in hand with her partners has been helpful. She explains: “Research has been perfect for me. When someone gives me a topic to research, I’m able to focus on the details and don’t have to understand where they fit in the bigger scheme. That’s my partners’ job. My current boss is great at that. He sees the big picture, gives me the pieces to research, then he edits my work and puts it all together into a coherent whole. We’re a great team, because our strengths complement each other.”

Due to the methodical nature of legal research, organizational and executive function issues didn’t arise. Sandy explains: “The work sort of organizes itself. And time isn’t that much of an issue, if you do a good job and are thorough.”

To keep her work organized, Sandy uses post-it notes. She breaks the tasks down into small, specific steps, and uses the stickies as labels. She gives an example: “When I need to write three letters, I’ll write down all the consecutive steps for the job: write each letter, address it, write three envelopes, and so on.” Because of this, each job takes her longer to accomplish than it would the average person. However, this method also ensures that the end product is thorough and accurate, and that’s what counts. To keep up with deadlines, she has to start early and allow for the extra time.

Since her work is one on one or solitary, social skills aren’t a problem. However, during a four-year stint as corporate counsel for a printing company, Sandy worked in a large office where she had to deal with many people, and found office politics stressful. She comments: “That whole office politics scene was beyond me. Often, I didn’t understand what was going on. I just wanted to come to work and do my job well, but everyone else seemed to have an agenda.”

While at that firm, she had an assistant whom she never understood. She recalls: “To this day, I don’t know if she loved me or hated me. She acted like she loved me, but some of the things she did indicated otherwise. Sometimes, I thought she did these things not to hurt me but simply through sheer stupidity. But others would point out that she wasn’t stupid, and that these things couldn’t have been mistakes. For example, one day she purposely made me look bad in front of my boss. But she was always so nice to me, and I was good to her as her boss, so I couldn’t imagine why she wouldn’t like me. Close relationships with colleagues can be so confusing.”

A large competito...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Of related interest
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Part I Career Voices
• Part II Career Strategies
• Part III Resources
• Bibliography
• Subject Index
• Author Index