If autistic people are not getting hired, why not keep doing things that make them no different from work?
Autistic people keep saying they are unemployed and they need help. Often they are not able to do full-time jobs nor getting the pay needed to pay bills. They may build experience in having a job by volunteering in animal shelters, schools or even charity organizations, but they don’t come every day and they often don’t pay much.
Families often get frustrated and angry that autistic people are lazy and troublesome people. I think autistic people need help in paying bills and not doing a job.
The outcome of having a job or anything else is to pay the bills and do something good all the time, so they autistic people should focus on doing anything that pays the bills.
Even without considering autism, rational people will only work when working brings about a better outcomes, brings a marked improvement in life, than not working. Autistic people are human beings too. They are every bit as human as the others, for better or for worse. There is an inherent goodness in all human beings just as there is a common weakness, and we are subject to the tendency to not do anything without a reward. Therefore I can totally understand why autistic people often tend not to ‘work harder than the other people’ when they need it, even if they may need to work three times harder than the next person.
When working is demeaning, does not bring extra life experience, skills and pay, why work? Do something else enjoyable. There is nothing autistic people can lose. Autistic people have no opportunity cost because there is nothing to lose.
I would go on further and say, for all of us, autistic or not: within our budgets, monetize our joy, monetize our pleasures! Also, expand on our dreams, scale up our desires.
If we like photos, when we see something, shoot them. Share them.
If we like writing, even if it’s giberrish, note it down. And publish them somewhere.
If we like playing games, no matter how atrocious or modded it is, livestream them. Talk or write about it.
And allow us to be honest with ourselves.
How can we connect with other people with our interests?
It is difficult, but without an ounce of honesty, we may not know why we starve. Our lives will remain miserable.