Struggling to help son with asking for a job

Angllama

hi I’m new my son has just left school he is socially awkward has limited facial expression and quite rigid in thoughts .we have always known Leon has ASD but he refused an assessment and because he’s high functioning and been ok at school and with his group of friends we have let him make that choice .however now he’s just left school and wants a job before starting a plumbing course in September and after observing I’m struggling to work out what to say what to ask and his thought processing with watching him try to ask someone for a job it’s becoming more apparent that he has ASD .however do I help him accept he may need support in this area ?

Mary_Scope

Hi @Angllama and a warm welcome to the community!

It may be helpful to start with acknowledging how hard job hunting can be in general and asking how your son how he is feeling about it. For example, maybe something like “I can see you’re putting in effort into finding a job and I know this isn’t easy (maybe a similiar story from yourself or a family member to relate) is there anything I can do to help?"

If Leon is open to it maybe activities such as practicing conversations about asking for a job/being in an interview, writing simple scripts so he always has something to start with etc or maybe even how he can calm his nerves if he says he gets anxious or nervous. This the shifts the focus from autism directly and instead hopefully gives him practical tools to build his confidence.

If he doesn't want help, then that’s okay because you have still let him know he has you in his corner to help and support and over time, he may become more open to understanding himself better which may include possibly revisiting an autism assessment.

There is Learn at Scope which is a free, interactive eLearning platform that offers employment support courses such as CV writing, interview tips and prep and making a positive impression. There is also Scope Support to Work which free is an online and telephone support programme for disabled people who are looking for paid work that may be helpful too😊