Autism

[Muddyroads]

do they know? i doubt it. Teachers and schools offer so much support when they can. If they dont know, they cant help

Don’t know he’s autistic or don’t know he’s coming to us for work experience? Pretty certain they know both facts.
It doesn’t bother me that he has some kind of condition, in fact I think it’s good for all of us to be exposed to as wide a selection of people as possible and he’ll be treated exactly as anyone else would. One thing I love about TFF is the range of knowledge and experience that so many on here have.

 

[Longlowdog]

It may be a minefield of litigation to take a child with known difficulties in to an adult workplace without all the ducks in a row. As much as I have loved working with with various different groups of socially and mentally disadvantaged people throughout my life I would not do so going in blind. Those days are long gone. Written parental consent after they have read your risk assessment ( you've got one pertinent to the kid yeah???) and the written lead in/guidance statement from the education authorities would be my base level of contentment to proceed.
I'd tell the school that you can't formulate a risk assessment without their guidance statement.

 

[Pilatus]

Don’t have a young person on the farm without it sorted. There are specific legal requirements for under 16(?)s, and you don’t want to fall foul of the law.

Especially when trying to help someone who is not as fortunate as most of us. But great to hear you are trying to help someone, good luck to you and the young lad.

 

[fgc325j]

Autism covers such a wide range of ability/ disability that everyone could probably be assessed to be somewhere on the spectrum.
Many people are very successful due to their autistic tendency to be exact and obsessive but there are many 'average' people with autism as well.
My experience is with those for whom their autism has been disabling as their behaviours were such that they could not live without assistance and their inability to understand casual social interaction made public interaction hazardous. Even those who were most disadvantaged were wonderful people but it was fascinating how society can't cope with people that can't cope with society.

Mmmm!- if a characteristic of Autism is being obsessive about something, then quite a lot of farmer's" who can talk the hind leg off a donkey",
when it comes to tractors, means that there are quite a few in the farming community !!

 

[unlacedgecko]

I find it all very interesting, it can help us understand ourselves as well. It can be argued the opposite end of the spectrum to autism may be schizophrenia which can be a terrible affliction. People with schizotypal personalities can be 'big picture' thinkers, thrive in unpredictable environments and can make connections between areas that are usually unrelated. They can be highly sociable, thrill seeking and bursting with new thoughts and ideas. Makes you realise it takes all sorts and there is (or ought to be) a place for everyone where they can enjoy a fulfilling life.

Apart from being highly sociable, that sounds like me.

I'm best in a crisis and exist in a constant state of chaos.

 

[Princess Pooper]

Good comments from many others. As has been said, everyone slightly different but the relatives and others that I know that are at the mild end of the spectrum have some or all of these traits:

Not good at dealing with people - might have a very formal, stilted language, avoid eye contact, struggle with empathy & building relationships.

Often a very good eye for detail - sometimes photographic memory. One relative in NHS was a theatre assistant - perfect for someone who if he counted 4 swabs being put inside, would insist on seeing 4 swabs taken back out again.

Might tip over into OCD type behaviour / rituals.

Tend to like order and routine so want to know what the plan is in advance and want to stick to it. Good punctuality and reliability.

Fixation on certain topics/hobbies - the archetypal train spotter, but could make a great agronomist or livestock breeding advisor.

Can talk about their hobby in tiny detail, not picking up non-verbal symbols or subtle verbal hints that the other party is bored stiff.

General anxiety about strange/new situations, communication issues can be part of this. Often interpret things literally 'I could kill for a decent pint of beer' might be seriously interpreted as you are a murderer.

However, many of these traits can be advantageous rather than detrimental to a good worker and many high-functioning people on the autistic spectrum are highly intelligent and talented.

The mildly autistic vet student we had last year kept the parlour spotless and I have never seen someone have such an organised and systematic approach to hand-mucking out of calf pens, did a perfectly good job and didn't mind getting dirty, just kept it meticulously tidy as she did it, without it seeming to slow her down! She was quite up front about her autistic/OCD tendencies so I tried to give her jobs that would embrace it.

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

Good comments from many others. As has been said, everyone slightly different but the relatives and others that I know that are at the mild end of the spectrum have some or all of these traits:

Not good at dealing with people - might have a very formal, stilted language, avoid eye contact, struggle with empathy & building relationships.

Often a very good eye for detail - sometimes photographic memory. One relative in NHS was a theatre assistant - perfect for someone who if he counted 4 swabs being put inside, would insist on seeing 4 swabs taken back out again.

Might tip over into OCD type behaviour / rituals.

Tend to like order and routine so want to know what the plan is in advance and want to stick to it. Good punctuality and reliability.

Fixation on certain topics/hobbies - the archetypal train spotter, but could make a great agronomist or livestock breeding advisor.

Can talk about their hobby in tiny detail, not picking up non-verbal symbols or subtle verbal hints that the other party is bored stiff.

General anxiety about strange/new situations, communication issues can be part of this. Often interpret things literally 'I could kill for a decent pint of beer' might be seriously interpreted as you are a murderer.

However, many of these traits can be advantageous rather than detrimental to a good worker and many high-functioning people on the autistic spectrum are highly intelligent and talented.

The mildly autistic vet student we had last year kept the parlour spotless and I have never seen someone have such an organised and systematic approach to hand-mucking out of calf pens, did a perfectly good job and didn't mind getting dirty, just kept it meticulously tidy as she did it, without it seeming to slow her down! She was quite up front about her autistic/OCD tendencies so I tried to give her jobs that would embrace it.

From what I've been told by Mrs BnG this is spot on but one thing I remember her saying is that they never know when they are full when eating so if you think crikey they've got a good appetite and keep offering More they may well be bursting at the seams but won't refuse more
As I said before could be the most reliable staff member you may ever have