ID and teenage workplace issues

Some days things just happen and things go wrong. When this happens we need to be ready to manage it. You will have had times at school and at home when things have gone wrong. How did you manage those situations, what advice did people give and what strategies did you practice to help you in the event that the same situation happens again?

So lots of things can go wrong, let’s think about a few and find some solutions:

  • You don’t understand the work task you are told to do- ask your boss or another worker to show you what to do and explain it to you
  • You miss your bus to work- catch the next one, check to see if this will make you late, if not this is okay. If it will make you late, phone your boss and let them know you have missed the bus and you are catching the next one but will be a bit late
  • You forget to bring your phone to work and you need to contact your parents or a friend- ask your boss to use the work phone
  • You are having trouble organising work and school responsibilities- plan out your homework requirements and your work shifts to make sure you can do it all. If you can’t manage it all, ask your boss if you can reduce your shifts
  • You have an argument with a work colleague over something that is said- ask to speak to them after work so you can discuss it and find a solution.

As you can see there are many things that can go wrong but there are also many solutions. It is normal for things to go wrong because we live in a busy world with lots of people and lots of things happening to people. The important thing to remember is to find a solution or ask for help to find a solution.

If you have an associated disability of Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD)  or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD)  then this along with your ID could make these things more difficult to manage. You then need to be aware of your anxiety levels when things go wrong, your ability to attend to fixing the issue and your behavioural response to the incidents. You need to know yourself  and how best to manage yourself when things go wrong.