“So, what do you do?” – An Asperger’s Job Story

“So, what do you do?

It’s one of the first questions one adult asks another when they meet.  What do you do for a living?  What’s your job?

If you’re an adult with Asperger Syndrome, you may not be able to give the answer you want.  While people with Asperger Syndrome can be very knowledgeable and highly skilled, steady employment is often a challenge.

I learned a lot about this over the last nine months as my wife and I produced a DVD about finding and keeping a job when you have Asperger Syndrome.

As part of our research, we interviewed six people with Asperger Syndrome who have good jobs, and also talked with their bosses, coworkers and job coaches.

What are their secrets to success?”

To find out these secrets to success, you’ll need to read the rest of this article “Asperger Syndrome Job Success Stories” by Dan Coulter of Coulter Video (click here to read it.)

Dan and Julie Coulter write and produce original videos that specialize in programs about special needs. They have a daughter with cystic fibrosis and a son who was diagnosed with Asperger’s at the age of 14. Most of their videos focus on Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorders, but they also sell a manners video they say is appropriate for all kids.

Coulter Video was a part-time business for awhile, but in 2003 Dan left his job as a public relations manager for a telecommunications company to concentrate on their video business. (Read the complete About.com article on how Dan and Julie started Coulter Video here.)

A twist to the Coulter’s story is that Dan himself was diagnosed with Asperger’s this year. He compares the overwhelming support he received from his former co-workers when he told them about his diagnosis to the skepticism he received when his son was diagnosed twelve years ago in the article, “An Asperger Syndrome Diagnosis and Reality” (click here to read the full article.

Now that’s an Asperger’s Syndrome job success story.