Please let me know if this is not an appropriate thread for this forum.
I have done some babysittting, and as I am thinking about it, is it okay that the parent(S) do not know that I am autistic. Would you be alright if a sitter had AS?If willing please include answers to your knoledge of the fact, or your oblivioun.
I wouldn't mention it, if it isn't already obvious to them. Enjoy the solitude, once the kids are asleep!
Please let me know if this is not an appropriate thread for this forum.
I have done some babysittting, and as I am thinking about it, is it okay that the parent(S) do not know that I am autistic. Would you be alright if a sitter had AS?If willing please include answers to your knoledge of the fact, or your oblivioun.
I almost never babysat, and certainly not as a teenager. This was because I was too scatterbrained to be a good babysitter, plus I was scared of kids. If you had some problems like this, it would be better not to be a babysitter, but if the way you are does not in any way interfere with being a good babysitter, why tell? If it has no effect, it may be irrelevant.
Better not tell. It would only put you at risk.
I have AS and I have done babysitting before. The kids are fine...its the parents who I find hard to deal with. :lol:
There is no reason to mention AS if it is not interfering with your performance and the parents are happy with your work.
I think that AS takes a lot of time and patience to learn about. Most people are not motivated enough to learn about something that does not affect them directly. So if you tried to explain AS to them, I worry that parents might not hire you "just to be on the safe side" rather than take the time to learn/understand what AS is and how it manifests in you and if or how that might affect your interaction with their children.
Of course, in a perfect world this would not be so...but I think it is the most likely scenario. Better to just allow them to believe that you have a unique personality or that you're "shy".
If you run into problems with the parents (it is usually over late payments, missed payments and them abusing the agreed upon schedule), if necessary get someone sympathetic to your disability (your spouse, parent, friend, sibling) to help you communicate your concerns effectively to the parents. You could introduce your helper as your "accounts manager", that way it would look like they were just doing an assigned job rather than compensating for any communication difficulties on your part.
If your AS does not affect the quality of your work - why tell and be at risk to be fired?
Sibylle
I don't think there is a need to tell people you have AS, I certainly wouldn't.
Personally I'm not capable of babysitting, if you feel you are then go ahead. For me the issues mostly revolve around forgetting everything around me if i'm focussed on something. Simple tasks my mother gives me when she goes out end up messed up all the time. Ohh and most importantly I don't get along with kids nor do they get along with me!
If writting notes down in a notebook or sticking papers on the wall would help you then try that, I sometimes resort to it. Having a little timer around which you can set every once in awhile is also another idea.
If you are mature, responsible and can handle it then it should be fine and I wish for you the best of success..