Don't shortchange yourself. My neighbor has Aspergers Syndrome and he is a brilliant computer programmer. Once he starts coding he REALLY stays focused.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (which subsumed Aspergers) is exactly that: a spectrum. Some ASD individuals need more assistance (ie the "disability" is more of a challenge) than others. My ASD is mild and while I have problems with executive function, this does not deter me from a successful career in federal law enforcement. My boyfriend, although intellectually brilliant, struggles with everyday social interaction and maintaining employment. My niece, a smart and analytical teenager who is a brilliant cook, probably won't be able to live on her own without some assistance. Again, every ASD individual will have different needs. Furthermore, while there are shared traits/behaviors between male and female, there are gender differences with regard to ASD presentation. Unfortunately, this has only been more widely recognised and studied for about the last 10-15 years.
*off soapbox now*
In the case of the original story, that's just f*cked. In addition to getting this young man his back wages, the manager in charge of this fiasco needs to be promptly fired and the chain fined.
and what pisses me off about this is that I work with severly handicapped people and go to their actual job sites where they are performing work matched to their abilities and I think some of them are getting fleeced like the person in the article.
I have a blind guy working as a shrimp peeler for a mexican restaurant and he is very good at it. He has always been paid for his work.
brandywine Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I agree with suing their pants off but, it feels > good to be productive and that guy enjoyed > working.
Absolutely. And like anyone else, he should have been paid for his work. The article essentially says everyone involved, including his Appleby's manager, "didn't know he wasn't being paid." I don't buy it. :)
I agree, the job coaches and the agency they worked for really dropped the ball in this case. So did Applebee's so it's in their best interest to get this sorted out, or they should face a discrimination lawsuit. Not paying someone on the autism spectrum is a type of discrimination because he has a disability. The sad thing is that if they paid him well below minimum wage, it would have been perfectly legal.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2015 06:55PM by adoylelb.
I saw a story a while back about an autistic man that is doing a part time service mission for TSCC. I think he was doing something with genealogy or perhaps organzing things. I wish I could remember. I just know that what he was doing what pretty impressive. I remember thinking as I read it that he shoud be getting paid to do what he was doing. Instead, they pay him nothing and they make it sound like it's wonderful that the church is giving him this opportunity.