All About Autism

[phtthp]

12mum:

Not everyone with a disability is able to find a job let alone hold on to it.


Know someone who is blind and unable to find a job for years.

If have physical disability, in a way they are disadvantaged, somehow.

Last time my friend worked as a programmer in a local bank.
She is not 100 % totally deaf, but can't hear properly.
She need a hearing aid, and during meetings, sometimes she can't hear properly what her colleagues were discussing about work issue.
She told me her salary as a IT programmer, was lower than what the market rate was paying, then.
Sometimes, her supervisor had to repeat a few times, the programming requirements to her.

[mashy]

phtthp:

12mum:

Not everyone with a disability is able to find a job let alone hold on to it.


Know someone who is blind and unable to find a job for years.

If have physical disability, in a way they are disadvantaged, somehow.

Last time my friend worked as a programmer in a local bank.
She is not 100 % totally deaf, but can't hear properly.
She need a hearing aid, and during meetings, sometimes she can't hear properly what her colleagues were discussing about work issue.
She told me her salary as a IT programmer, was lower than what the market rate was paying, then.
Sometimes, her supervisor had to repeat a few times, the programming requirements to her.

See, here's proof already that they are paid lower because of disability. But high functioning autism can still possibly hide. Quirky behaviors can be attributed to just being quirky. There are plenty out there like that. Don't some of us had some weird colleagues before? Don't think it affects salary unless they piss off the boss. And if you don't declare, who knows?

If physically disability like can't walk, maybe salary and promotion won't be as affected? I had a colleague who is managerial level and he goes around in a wheel chair. He has celebral palsy.

Medical insurance is definitely affected. So in order not to suffer from it, buy all the necessary insurance like hospital, education, life etc before diagnosis. Coz in insurance, they don't care if you are high functioning or low functioning, all considered same risk.

[phtthp]

If apply for private sector jobs -

Yes, can omit primary school attended.

But if apply for government sector jobs -
the application forms are very detailed & specific.

They asked for primary school, secondary school attended previously, etc. sometimes when you submit the application form back to them, the admin officer preparing candidates for interview in the waiting room, will check the application form detail that you had submitted, plus request photostated certificates of results, to be submitted. Sometimes, after checking, she can come back and ask why you did not fill up this column or that section ?

[tyeogh]

mashy:

For an employer, they will always find an excuse to give u a lower wage. It doesn't matter even if u are not autistic.

I do not know how the discussion evolved to this. This is probably a one sided view. Usually employers seek to pay a fair wage. It is common knowledge that if one pays too low, the employee will leave and it is disruptive to work. In today's environment, there is a manpower crunch and every employer values his employee. Of course, communications to hiring managers will never be perfect so the execution is not perfect. Even if well communicated, you will be amazed at how some will get personal and stubbornly refuse to play ball.

I think you folks are gazing too far into the crystal ball. By the time our kids go to work, it will be a different world with a different setting. My simple mind tells me if a child is sick, go get help and not worry about stigmas.

[sharonkhoo]

tyeogh:

I think you folks are gazing too far into the crystal ball. By the time our kids go to work, it will be a different world with a different setting. My simple mind tells me if a child is sick, go get help and not worry about stigmas.

I agree with this. I feel there is little point in worrying about what may be the repercussions 20+yrs in the future when there is a need to be met now. Today's concerns are enough for today.

[mashy]

slmkhoo:

tyeogh:

I think you folks are gazing too far into the crystal ball. By the time our kids go to work, it will be a different world with a different setting. My simple mind tells me if a child is sick, go get help and not worry about stigmas.

I agree with this. I feel there is little point in worrying about what may be the repercussions 20+yrs in the future when there is a need to be met now. Today's concerns are enough for today.

Agree. I think it's more important to address whatever that's needed for the child now than to worry abut future employment or stigma. If a diagnosis can help, you should go and get it and not worry about the future unknown implications.

[Double E]

Couragemom:

Hi Mashy,


Great to see you post on the thread again! You MIA for awhile and I thought I won't 'see' you here again.

Hi parents,

So happy to announce that my son can properly hold a cup and drink from it without spilling and choking on the water. Haiz... Happy with tinge of sadness about how something we take for granted for our NT kid become a milestone celebration for our special darlings.

My next target - getting my son to rinse and spit out the water during brush teeth time. He tried to imitate his sister but he cannot spit out but swallow the water instead. Any advice?

Couragemum
My son couldn't spit out the water until he is close to 4 years old I think. So your son is not too slow. But agree with some of the methods that mummies here provided, I also got my son to look at something in the basin and ask him to spit on it. Somehow, is easier for them when they have a target.

[optrex80]

My boy is 5 and was previously diagnosed with very mild ASD.

Wish to know if any parents here can share with me their experiences on how ASD child enrolling into mainstream primary school adapt well in there.

[belachanbabe]

Hi Optrex80


Hope my sharing will help in your preparation. I have twin boys, one is pri1 mainstream and the other in Pathlight foundation. We made the decision to split them up due to their differing levels of ASD and so far we haven’t regretted the decision. However it wasn’t an easy ride for the one in mainstream.

We declared his condition to the school so several adjustments were made to accommodate. During the first half of this year, the skool AED officer met him once a week to check on his adjustment socially. She also checks his behavior in class to see if he is able to pay attention and cope academically. My boy also gets to sit on the desk directly in front of the teacher’s desk while the other kids have to rotate. His form teacher is also special needs trained. Even with the class of 30, we feel that she gives a lot of personal attention and care to my boy for which we feel very blessed. He is also in a school care nearby (ya, he had a double whammy adjustment). They initially had some reservations and accepted him on a trial period. In a short time, he managed to somehow charm the center teachers to the point that I get gently told off by them if I am too strict with him.

Those are the plus points, now for the other side of the coin. He had to be on a skool bus that had no bus aunty and the boys were pretty notoriously naughty. Couldn’t change bus as that was the only bus route available. My boy is very talkative and very straight in terms of the black and white so the rest somehow got pissed at his constant nagging. There were a few episodes earlier this year that he rolled onto the bus floor and pushed around by the bigger boys. Initially, we didn’t intervene because we thought that’s how the world works, need to experience toughening up etc. But when it got to the point where he became fearful of taking the bus that I became a tiger mum and threatened the bus company. His form teacher was also very supportive that she counselled the rest of the bus mates. We managed to successfully campaign for a bus aunty now so all is well but am quite sad that my boy had to experience that tough time earlier. He also had a few skirmishes in skool due to his black and white mentality. Like he will never apologize if he doesn’t think he is wrong. Even certain social circumstances which we take for granted to say sorry to close the issue, he will make a fuss. He also had a heartbreaking meltdown when he wasn’t wearing the proper attire for a skool outing. Small things that we don’t think matter, matters a lot to them so my advice is to pay attention to triggers that will set your child off and work on negating such situations.
Socially he doesn’t have close friends and a bit of a loner. He spends his spare time at the skool library these days. But am less worried about that now. How many of us keep in touch with primary skool friends anyway. I’ll probably worry if he is a loner in Sec skool and above coz that’s where more lasting relationships are built. He is also struggling with MT but we are still hopeful that he can cope with his good memory. Will decide on exemption later.

Earlier he broke his arm and had to be in a cast for a month. His classmates took turns to be his buddy to carry his bag and such. Somehow after that incident, my boy toned down a lot in terms of unnecessary talking and his classmates also learnt how to take care of each other in need. Overall, a year of ups and downs but that’s life right? Cannot shelter all the time.

[tyeogh]

belachanbabe:

Hi Optrex80


Hope my sharing will help in your preparation. I have twin boys, one is pri1 mainstream and the other in Pathlight foundation. We made the decision to split them up due to their differing levels of ASD and so far we haven’t regretted the decision. However it wasn’t an easy ride for the one in mainstream.

We declared his condition to the school so several adjustments were made to accommodate. During the first half of this year, the skool AED officer met him once a week to check on his adjustment socially. She also checks his behavior in class to see if he is able to pay attention and cope academically. My boy also gets to sit on the desk directly in front of the teacher’s desk while the other kids have to rotate. His form teacher is also special needs trained. Even with the class of 30, we feel that she gives a lot of personal attention and care to my boy for which we feel very blessed. He is also in a school care nearby (ya, he had a double whammy adjustment). They initially had some reservations and accepted him on a trial period. In a short time, he managed to somehow charm the center teachers to the point that I get gently told off by them if I am too strict with him.

Those are the plus points, now for the other side of the coin. He had to be on a skool bus that had no bus aunty and the boys were pretty notoriously naughty. Couldn’t change bus as that was the only bus route available. My boy is very talkative and very straight in terms of the black and white so the rest somehow got pissed at his constant nagging. There were a few episodes earlier this year that he rolled onto the bus floor and pushed around by the bigger boys. Initially, we didn’t intervene because we thought that’s how the world works, need to experience toughening up etc. But when it got to the point where he became fearful of taking the bus that I became a tiger mum and threatened the bus company. His form teacher was also very supportive that she counselled the rest of the bus mates. We managed to successfully campaign for a bus aunty now so all is well but am quite sad that my boy had to experience that tough time earlier. He also had a few skirmishes in skool due to his black and white mentality. Like he will never apologize if he doesn’t think he is wrong. Even certain social circumstances which we take for granted to say sorry to close the issue, he will make a fuss. He also had a heartbreaking meltdown when he wasn’t wearing the proper attire for a skool outing. Small things that we don’t think matter, matters a lot to them so my advice is to pay attention to triggers that will set your child off and work on negating such situations.
Socially he doesn’t have close friends and a bit of a loner. He spends his spare time at the skool library these days. But am less worried about that now. How many of us keep in touch with primary skool friends anyway. I’ll probably worry if he is a loner in Sec skool and above coz that’s where more lasting relationships are built. He is also struggling with MT but we are still hopeful that he can cope with his good memory. Will decide on exemption later.

Earlier he broke his arm and had to be in a cast for a month. His classmates took turns to be his buddy to carry his bag and such. Somehow after that incident, my boy toned down a lot in terms of unnecessary talking and his classmates also learnt how to take care of each other in need. Overall, a year of ups and downs but that’s life right? Cannot shelter all the time.

:goodpost:

I like the part where you described how you are letting go, and letting him find his own footing. I struggle with that all the time with my ASD child.