Why might I choose self employment ?
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Some people have difficulty switching tasks but are very good at doing a particular thing.
Some can work on one track but can't combine others into a single task.
Some people need to choose their own workload from week to week.
Some people may prefer to work on a voluntary basis or set a fee that best reflects their skill.
Some people have a form of work that is usually done on a 'freelance' (self employed) or only casual basis.
Some people don't cope with having one employer and work better feeling in control of their own business or sensory/social/communication environment.
Some people only feel socially safe working for or with Autie-friendly people in Autie-friendly environments and feel that as a self employed person they can more easily choose a social/sensory or communication environment that works best for their productivity and at their own pace.
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How much would I charge ?
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Wages, fees, charges are set depending on:
- reliability
- availability
- quality
- whether things are done in reasonable space of time
- the level of experience of the worker
- sometimes on the multi-tasking capacity of the worker (some jobs require little or no multi-tasking).
You may decide your work is worth the same fee as any non-autistic person would charge for the same thing.
You may also find that by charging a bit less than others you get more work.
Its your choice.
However,
- If you are not always reliable
- If you need to take much longer with things than someone else would
- If your best effort isn't the same quality as someone who is paid more
- If you can't multi-task but can do individual tasks
- If you are still gathering experience in your area of work
Then you can still be very employable.
However, you can reflect all this in what you charge.
This means you can decide to charge less than someone else might charge.
This doesn't have to be a bad thing because it can also mean that people find you more affordable than other people.
If you become better at your skill, you can also put your fee up accordingly.
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What if I can't switch tasks or multi-track at all?
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Some work doesn't involve switching tasks or multi-tracking.
Promotions work involving drawing attention to a shop by walking around in a chicken costume, for example, would be a pretty mono-track form of self employment. In that case they could work out a fee per hour for their service (or volunteer if they prefered).
People can also have some employable skills without having all the skills normally under a particular job title.
For example they may be great at washing dogs but unable to brush them or clip their nails.
In a case like this they might not have consistent work but could still charge on a per-wash basis, charging per task rather than per hour.
This kind of flexibility is one of the advantages of self employment.
And being very 'mono-track' and unable to multi-task or switch tasks shouldn't stop someone being employable.
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What if I'm afraid of the non-autistic world ?
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Many of us have developed nervousness of the non-autistic world because its sensory environments, social style or communication methods don't work for us.
Many of us process information differently. Some of us can't keep up well with words or verbally communicate, others struggle to learn visually but can learn a physical skill through doing it.
Some of us can keep up with meaning and others learn through pattern only.
So some of us will be happy to get work from the non-autistic world and others will be ok with that as long as they can work on their own terms.
Some will only want to work with or for other people on the autistic spectrum, their families or professionals with experience of autism spectrum conditions... and that's ok too. There are others on the spectrum, autism friendly individuals, autism societies, autism conferences and autism services which need all kinds of workers and sometimes employ people on the spectrum. Many of these places may not have full time or even part time jobs for us but they may have specific work tasks that they may be happy to pay a self employed person to do. As a self employed person you are welcome to specify they type of work or work environments you are open to.
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Can I work alongside someone else ?
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If you work best with someone else and they are happy to work with you, there is no problem at all in working as a team.
If you have a support person who can't always work with you you can also try and team up with someone else on the spectrum or auti-friendly who might, like you, prefer to work alongside someone else.
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What if I'm so called 'low functioning' ?
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On Auties.Org we've got sections for people with ALL kinds of unusual skills at ALL levels of functioning.
Don't ever cancel yourself out.
Some extremely talented and inspirational people are on the autistic spectrum and some of them are so called 'low functioning'.
There are also occupations where many aspects of functioning are completely irrelevant to the job.
If you think Auties.Org is only for high-functioning people you are wrong.
Its for everybody on the spectrum.
We have a category for advertising/promotions for anyone who likes to dress up in a chicken suit and stand outside a shop!
If people mow or sweep or dust but don't do the whole gardening/cleaning thing we want to list you.
If they shred paper they can go under 'recycling'!
People who don't write books but want to sell poems or articles can go under 'authors'.
Those who use FC and wish to inspire others can go under 'communication'.
Those whose greatest skill is running, skating or trampolining could even list themselves under 'Sport' and use their skill to raise money for causes they believe in... its still an occupation!
If you like to spin things to the point of this being a circus or entertainment skill why not put yourself under 'Entertainment and Performing'?
There's also a work experience section for those seeking experience leading to work.
You can choose to work voluntarily if you don't have the confidence to charge, you can ask for payment by donation if you don't feel ready to charge, you can charge per task or per hour. It's your life, you choose.
It doesn't matter if they work only on their block or own suburb or only on Fridays and 3 o'clock.
With self-employment its all up to you.
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If I have no website will I be disadvantaged ?
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Websites can be more easily checked to verify information. With email contact only we can't easily verify the accuracy of information and identity supplied to us. So if you supply email address only there are certain service areas we may not be able to list you on due to security reasons unless we can personally verify your identity and qualifications. These areas include those which are likely to have direct interpersonal contact with children and vulnerable people on the Autistic Spectrum such as advocates & consultants, care services & education & training.
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Would a website help ?
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A website is like having a 'shop' on the internet.
People can come to your website and look around.
There are ways they can shop on your website and pay for things you do or sell.
A website can be a way to 'show your wares'.
But you don't have to have a website.
If you only have an email then people can write to you there and you will be able to explain what you can do.
Remember that people will have to register to get your email address so the public won't see it unless they register.
Unregistered people will be able to see your website so you might get more visitors.
If you want to create a website, there are autie-spectrum website designers listed as well as autie-friendly ones who can help you.
This is their work so they will charge a fee to make you a 'shop front' like this.
They all have different fees and some will be very affordable.