My teenage summer jobs were far from my envisioned long-term career, yet they offered invaluable lessons about earning money and the realities of work. I discovered my strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and dislikes. While these experiences are often seen as typical teenage rites of passage, many autistic teenagers miss out on such opportunities. This might seem minor, but as a parent of a child with a disability, our family finds immense joy and gratitude in the milestones others take for granted. My son’s first summer job was a significant family celebration.
Meet Blake
Blake received his autism diagnosis at 21 months. Specialists predicted he might remain non-verbal. As a pediatric speech-language pathologist and teacher for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, I had professional experience with autistic children before Blake. I understood his needs, and as a young child, he received excellent therapists, programs, and medical care. We worked diligently, and he worked even harder. Then, he grew into a teenager.
Planning for Blake’s life post-high school commenced even before middle school. Transition planning discussions began in fifth grade, introducing us to special needs trusts, vocational rehabilitation, and transitional living options. My little boy was becoming a teenager. By high school, we were expected to have a detailed transition plan for our freshman son. How many parents of neurotypical children meticulously plan their child’s post-graduation life at the start of high school? How many face the challenge of their child being unable to express their aspirations? It’s a daunting and overwhelming prospect.
Despite over a decade of dedicated effort to prepare him, we were again confronted with the limitations and missed experiences Blake would face compared to his peers. I shifted my focus to exploring Blake’s abilities and potential. Now 16 and entering his junior year, Blake cherishes his family, school, swimming, iPad, music, and food! He communicates verbally, types proficiently with both hands, and masters fractions and decimals. Blake can read, although comprehension sometimes remains a challenge.
Blake benefits from a specialized high school program for autistic students, designed to help them identify goals and aspirations related to employment, living arrangements, and recreation. We learned Blake’s understanding of work was limited and that he preferred to live at home. We were encouraged to take a proactive approach to finding a good program or career path for him.
At a disability employment conference, I discovered that securing employment post-graduation is significantly harder for individuals with disabilities without prior paid work experience. My ambition for Blake extended beyond just finding a job; I wanted a job that would motivate and inspire him, offering genuine fulfillment. To reach this goal, he needed resume-building experience to guide him toward his dream career. Finding a summer job for him became our family’s summer mission.
Community Support
Blake’s exceptional high school teachers helped us pinpoint his preferences and aversions. We started there. He enjoys cooking, computer work, seated tasks, indoor environments, and social interaction. He dislikes custodial work, outdoor jobs, language-intensive tasks, and unpredictable routines. Unfortunately, custodial and landscaping roles are often the most accessible for individuals with disabilities, yet these were not aligned with Blake’s strengths. We considered options like sous chef, car detailer, data entry, computer-based work, or animal care. However, finding a paid summer job in these areas proved challenging.
So, I turned to social media, seeking referrals in hopes of reaching business owners or hiring managers in our community. Hiring Blake would promote workplace inclusivity and provide them with a dedicated and honest worker with a positive attitude. I was overwhelmed with supportive responses and resources from family and friends.
Fortunately, our county boasts an excellent employment program with proactive case management. Due to Blake’s waiver type, on-the-job instructional support or assistance from his personal aides (PAs) was not permitted. However, we could access Boone County Family Resources’ home and life specialist. She assisted Blake in creating a resume, attending interviews, answering questions, securing a job, obtaining his food handler’s card, and modifying the job with checklists and staff training. Her role, however, did not extend to direct, ongoing job coaching.
Blake was fortunate to land his first job at our local Texas Roadhouse. Legal restrictions prevented kitchen work, but a restaurant prep role involving silverware rolling and other tasks served as an excellent initial step toward future restaurant employment. The restaurant welcomed him, offered support, and showed kindness and patience. Coworkers naturally included Blake, creating a truly inclusive environment. Blake was happy to have a job and enjoyed Texas Roadhouse, even if the work itself wasn’t his passion. When asked about his motivation for working, Blake simply stated, “to buy snacks.” He would sometimes list the snacks he planned to purchase with his earnings – a perfectly relatable teenage boy motivation to work.
Learning and Growing
When summer concluded, so did Blake’s first summer job. Blake, our family, and his support network gained valuable insights. Blake learned about sustained effort in a job, the purpose of earning money for needs and wants, and the importance of uniform cleanliness and job readiness. He successfully generalized his skills to a new setting. His case managers and specialists recognized the complexity and confusion surrounding employment options. I requested a comprehensive list of employment programs, which they created to assist other parents navigating similar paths toward finding a good program or career for their autistic children.
We reaffirmed Blake’s excellent task memory, his ability to follow directions, his quick learning, his adherence to concrete rules, his functional workplace communication, his friendliness, and his positive coworker relationships. We recognized the need for improved coworker training about Blake in future roles and his struggles with sustained focus on highly repetitive tasks. We discovered that while routine is essential, some variation is needed to maintain his engagement. He thrives with clear completion expectations and encouragement to use full sentences. We also observed his challenges with critical thinking and changes in routine. I learned to persist in advocating for him, to be creative and resourceful, and felt immense pride in his willingness to try something new.
Expanding Horizons
Blake plans to volunteer during the school year and explore a different work placement next summer. He will qualify for a different program next summer, allowing for a new job with increased upfront support, potentially opening doors to a wider range of career options. Summer jobs, for many, are crucial for discovering career paths and preferences. Many autistic children are denied this chance to learn through experience, often expected to choose careers based on limited observations in unrelated contexts. As adults, we often take employment for granted, sometimes complaining about work and wishing we didn’t have to. We possess the physical and cognitive capacity for independence, earning our own living and reducing reliance on others. It’s easy to overlook that many individuals cannot work or are not given the opportunity.
Many autistic children aspire to transition from high school directly into employment. To facilitate meaningful work opportunities and find a good program or career, parents must advocate for earlier work experiences, potential employers need to increase support and opportunities, and service providers must simplify the process for families. Children like Blake need part-time and summer job experiences – they have less time to experiment, learn, and succeed in identifying their dream job. While this first job may not be his ultimate career, it was a remarkable beginning.
This summer, we celebrated Blake’s numerous milestones. He created his first resume with assistance, completed his first job applications, attended his first interviews, obtained his ID and food handler’s card, and secured his first summer job. And he gained his first taste of financial independence, earning his own money to buy snacks.
