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Mother of autistic child ... feeling lost
Hey beautiful ladies,
I'm new here , I'm hoping to get some energy back into my soul. I spent ten years in the medical field. Four years ago I became a mom. My child is autistic and I'm her fulltime caregiver. I've been searching for months to find a job I can do from home to support my special needs child. All the positions I've found you need a bachelor's degree which I do not possess.
Erin Beemer
Product Developer | Change Maker | Growth Minded
519
01/06/20 at 3:16PM UTC
Hang in there!! If you are a native English speaker, perhaps you could check out a program that lets you teach English to kids in other countries (like VIP Kids). I know several who do this and the time can be very flexible.
JessicaViolett
117
12/30/19 at 4:45PM UTC (Edited)
Hi Mama! I am so sorry you are struggling. I am also the mother of an autistic son and daughter and I am a Registered Nurse. I am also unemployed with no family, no partner, and currently seeking out a position to fit my needs. I have a bachelors degree, and I also have the ability to work outside of the home which I need to do for my mental sanity. However, even with a My bachelors degree, 6 certifications and I’m a licensed administrator, I don’t have the years of experience that employers want in order to take a 9-5 job. And you know as well as i do, in nursing there is no such thing as 9-5 really. (I will admit that I have turned down offers-because I do not want to work in the capacity that I’m highly recruited for. However, I am blessed enough to be able to be a little selective about the job I am taking, so I am waiting for my unicorn of a job. ( my situation is very unique and I do need to work to get back to work, but I’ve got some time .)
It is a very hard struggle, as If our plates aren’t full enough with autism, we are bombarded with life in general.
Can you tell me what area of the medical profession you are looking in, so I guide you with more resources to look at.
Also, have you applied for SSD/SSI for your Child? That can help take the load off of the finances. ~Jessica
MamaB2015
31
02/03/20 at 4:58PM UTC
Hello !
Sorry I had two surgeries I was recovering from and had placed everything on hold.
First off bless your heart!
I was an EMT and worked at a hospital on the respiratory and head trauma unit for years. Also worked in facilities and home care settings. I'm open to any jobs I can work from home during her therapy hours or in the evening. My husbands skilled trade is dying out in Michigan so he is switching career paths and itll be a huge paycut for 36 months so at this point I'm hoping any job I can do from home
Good luck with your unicorn job I hope everything falls into place for you
AllorynW
42
12/30/19 at 2:34PM UTC
Two resources I use/used are 1) Genuine Jobs, genuinejobs.com and 2) Rat Race Rebellion, ratracerebellion.com. Both will send you daily emails, if you sign up for them. They are both free and post vetted jobs. Not all of Genuine Jobs' postings are for work at home positions, so read the descriptions carefully. Both often have positions which do not require a degree.
Apply to any which sound interesting and for which you are qualified. Even if you haven't worked in the field. Go for it.
I also have a daughter who is special needs. She has a chromosomal anomaly called Prader-Willi Syndrome which comes with a wide range of autistic tendencies. Like you, I am her caregiver. My family can't manage her behavioral stuff without me being close by. (My daughter is now 23, relatively self sufficient, but unable to live independently.) I hate to say this, but the only reason caring for my daughter is easier now is because I'm used to it, LOL. It's always a challenge. I can say 100% things are so much better when I work from home, rather than away and/or in an office.
However, I do not mention anything about my daughter and my reasons for needing to work at home until well into the process. Why? Because employers automatically see my situation as a major detriment to productivity and basic ability to do the work at all. Sad, but true.
This is not to say I never mention it; rather, I mention it when it seems like I need to. Okay, that sounds way ambiguous. Let me clarify. In my opinion, my daughter and our situation is, frankly, not any potential employer's business as it is not work related. It's on a need to know basis.
Focus on work related stuff while going through the interview process. Your skills, experience, and everything that makes you the absolute best person for the job. There will be plenty of time to have a candid, but brief - very brief - discussion later. I say brief because in-depth details aren't necessary. I tend to let my emotions flow a little freely in spite of great effort not to, so I keep it short and to the point. So far, so good.
I'm two weeks into my new job and the only thing I've said is I have a daughter who is special needs, considered mild to moderate, and who can't live independently, but this has minimal affect on my job performance. When my daughter was in various therapies on a schedule, I met with my boss, explained the schedule, and asked how we could accommodate it. We figured out a way which worked for both of us.
Bottom line: while your home life will certainly intrude on your work life at times, you can handle it at that time. When it does, be up front, explain, and come to a solution which works for you and work. If they won't work with you, start looking for a new employer. Work/life balance is a must. The fact that yours is a bit more complicated than average is beyond your control and you seem to be handling it well enough. Other people should be in awe and show you respect. I assure you most people don't believe they could deal with everything you consider just a normal part of life.
Hang in there. Employment that works for you will come your way. I hope it happens sooner than later and I wish you and your daughter the best.
Dr. Renee Pennington, NPHolistic Online Mental Healthcare
104
12/27/19 at 7:34PM UTC
What types of positions have you applied for and how severe is your child’s condition? Meaning how much time during the day do you have to devote - uninterrupted- to a job? That will help narrow down options too.
MamaB2015
31
12/27/19 at 9:25PM UTC
My child is considered moderate/severe. She gets in home therapy Monday through Friday . Which allows a window of time I could work from home during the day and after she gets to bed I would have more down time.
I've applied for multiple positions. Office assistant, marketing, doctor offices. Anything I could possibly do from home. No company will allow me to bring her with me. If by chance i found a company that offers daycare. That would still be hard not many companies train their employees to work with
autistic children. The hardest part is I cant put her in a regular daycare and I dont have any family besides my fiance who works swing shifts and out of town alot. Thank you for reaching out
Nejan Pan
52
12/28/19 at 7:43AM UTC
There is an app called lingo kids it helps autistic kids learn and develop skills ; also to keep the kid busy while you working online .
MamaB2015
31
12/29/19 at 7:11PM UTC
Thank you! I haven't heard about lingo before I will check it out . Thank you again for the app suggestion
Eraina FergusonFounder of My Good Life
629
12/27/19 at 7:11PM UTC
Thanks for posting. Hugs and love to you. I’ve had to be creative over the years as a work from home mom. Apple and Amazon have great work from home jobs. I recommend starting there and also taking a course on becoming a virtual assistant.
Rose Holland
935
12/29/19 at 12:39AM UTC
Hilton also has work from home positions.
MamaB2015
31
12/29/19 at 7:10PM UTC
Hilton hotels ?
MamaB2015
31
12/27/19 at 9:18PM UTC
Thank you for some ideas! I check Amazon's website constantly. I have never looked into Apple. I had no clue you could take a course on virtual assistance. I will look at those options. Thank you for your response I appearicate it very much
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