Perceived slowness, exhibit A was/Re: Re: Questions

[Guest guest]

Hi Nan,

This illustration is represents the challenges of Aspie style processing very

clearly .. and viscerally. I've often thought that if one has a spectrum child,

make sure they get *lots* of education so that they can earn their livelihoods

where their skill set will be appreciated - in the hallowed halls of academia.

In the blue-collar world, not so much

- Helen, 56, self-dx'd AS, dx'd ADD

>

> My husband is very smart, but " works " slow. Or should I say moves like a 90

> year old with mild dementia.

>

> I finally saw this action last week. We volunteered to unload the fund

> raising delivery truck (high end food orders), unpack, sort, inventory and

> pack each order at our child's school.

>

> This is the type of job recovering drug addicts etc gets. It takes minimal

> skill, and should be finished fairly quickly.

>

> *The Salvation Army has the recovering addicts unload their trucks and work

> in the donation centers. This isn't quatum mechanics.

>

> Anyway, Jay has done this job 3 times already. He finished inventory sheet,

> but he just moved slow and didn't look like he knew what he was doing. The

> team leader asked me to " help him out " .

>

> This is dicey with Jay. If I piss him off, he'll never come back. The

> volunteering for the school is the first time he has done anything not work

> or family related in 2 years.

>

> I went over and glanced at his sheet. It was all done correctly. Why Jay

> was still hanging on to it, I do not know. Yelled to the team leader we

> were done and could start packing.

>

> Everything was neat and exact on his sheet. Obviously Jay can do this job,

> but his body movements and facial expressions all conveyed that he was

> cluelessly wandering around.

>

> Jay does not give any feed back. I will inventory a table and pipe up,

> " This ones done. " and move on to the next. The rest of the crew half hears

> it, and we all sort of know how much is left do.

>

> With Jay, I had no clue what he was doing, how far along he was or was he

> confused about something. AND I didn't have time to sneak spot check him.

>

> Jay is very intelligent. He does know quatum mechanics. Working in a team

> like situation were time is medium factor, would probably get him fired.

>

> This also dove tails into why Aspire males have a hard time keeping jobs.

> Most entry level jobs have a manager with a GED or high school diploma.

> (think small manufacturing, store manager etc). They've probably played

> some sort of team sport, where that spur of the moment communication pops

> up all the time.

>

> So imagine Mr GED, over seeing a group of stockers at a grocery store and

> doing paper work for the district manager at the same time. Jay is doing

> his job, but not saying anything to the rest of the crew. Mr GED is

> thinking, " What the hell is that fool doing? " Because all the other

> stockers are yelling things like, " Dairy cases are done. Household's

> done. " Mr GED can do his paperwork and have a rough idea what is happening

> on the floor.

>

> With Jay, the manager will probably stop (which will hack him off), and

> actually go see what Jay is doing since everything (body language etc) is

> saying to the NT manager-this worker is confused about something.

>

> For me, to explain to Jay why he should pipe up small status reports during

> inventory is futile. In the NT world that is almost expected. Jay would

> make that into a two hour ordeal. Why should I do it? When? How often? What

> tone of voice? Why are we considered a team? OH MY GOD I'M DOING SOMETHING

> WRONG. Panic, anxiety, they all hate me. I'm never coming back.

>

> My child, who is 7, understands the " little status report " (don't know what

> else to call it). Does it all the time at home. And seems to know when and

> how often to do it. Jay would have no clue. He believes you do all the work

> specifically given to you, then give a 40 minute thesis. He also has no

> concept of asking if anyone else needs help after he finishes his task.

> That's unless you TELL him to do that.

>

> In short, Mr GED manager probably wouldn't know a process disorder if it

> bit him in the tush, nor does he care. All he knows is Jay " has to be

> checked on " , and that is pissing him off. The first warm body that can fog

> up a mirror, and " look and act " like he " knows " what he is doing will get

> Jay's job.

>

> I'm guessing that is the scenario when an Aspie post on the boards saying,

> " I did my job well, but why did I get fired? " .

>

> My NT two cents worth.

>

> Nan (NT wife)

> Jay (Aspie)

>