Jobs for young people with disability, autism or ADHD

Getting started on jobs for young people with disability, autism or ADHD

As your child moves through the teenage years, you and your child might start to think about jobs and employment.

If you and your child aren’t sure what kind of work they’re interested in, you could start by looking at the following things:

Strengths – for example, is your child creative or empathetic? Are they good at solving problems, coding, talking to people or keeping things tidy?
Interests – for example, your child might be keen on computer games, graphic design, maths, writing or animals.
Needs – for example, does your child have sensory needs, or will they need support in the workplace?
Motivations – for example, does your child want a job so they can help people, earn money, feel independent and so on?

It’s also a good idea to speak to teachers or visit the careers adviser at your child’s school. These people can help you and your child identify these things.

When you and your child understand these things, you’ve got a great basis for setting your child’s job goals – what your child hopes to do and what they might succeed at in their working life.

If your child has disability or ADHD, is autistic, or has other additional needs, it might help to know that there are many agencies and services that specialise in helping people with additional needs prepare for and find work. Get links and contacts for these services in our guide to employment services and resources for young people with disability, autism or other additional needs.

How to set your child’s job goals

1. Work out long-term job goals

This is about understanding the work that your child might like to do in the future. Your child’s goals might be:

specific – for example, working at the local supermarket, being a teacher or vet, or running a dog grooming business
general – for example, working in IT, with people or animals, or outside.

2. Break down long-term goals into short-term goals

Short-term goals can help your child understand the steps they need to take to achieve long-term goals. They can also make long-term goals seem less overwhelming.

Examples of short-term goals include:

finding people who can help, like a careers adviser
writing a resumé
signing up to a Disability Employment Service
getting further education or training
finding an apprenticeship, internship or work experience.

Tips to help with setting job goals

Keep your child’s goals positive. For example, ‘I want to work outside’ rather than ‘I don’t want to be stuck inside’.
Encourage your child to set realistic short-term goals. For example, ‘I want to get a job at the local garden centre’ rather than ‘I want to be a head gardener’.
If your child’s goals seem unrealistic, encourage them to break them down into smaller goals.
Use visual aids to make your child’s list of goals more engaging. For example, a picture of your child weeding your garden could be a positive and helpful reminder of their goals.

If your child doesn’t know what they want to do, that’s OK. They could look for volunteer work or part-time work while they’re still at school to help them figure it out. For example, your child could join a volunteer bush regeneration program to find out whether they’re interested in gardening.

People who can help your child find a job

A support network can help your child with setting employment goals and working towards them.

Your child’s support network might include the following people:

Mentor – this person could be a family friend, a professional who works with your child or someone from a disability support organisation. They can help by giving advice, being a role model and helping your child work out what they want to do. It’s great if you can find a mentor who understands your child’s needs.
School teacher – if your child has a good connection with a teacher, this person can also be a mentor.
Careers adviser at school – this person should be able to help your child set goals and work out what they need to do to achieve them.

How your child can get job skills, experience and qualifications

Short-term goals often include gaining skills, experience and qualifications for jobs. Or they might include developing communication, social and organisational skills for the workplace.

Ways for your child to build skills, experience and qualifications

Work experience, volunteer work or an internship
A university or technical and further education (TAFE) course
A vocational education and training (VET) course
A training program run by a disability support agency
A self-employment support service, like the Australian Government’s New Business Assistance Program
Club or other organised activity to help with building skills like teamwork, problem-solving and social skills
Support and advice from a mentor

If your child applies for an internship or work experience, make sure it’s clear how long the internship will last. For an internship or work experience that might become an ongoing position, it’s best to ask for a contract that allows a review at the end of an agreed time. This can stop an employer taking advantage of your child by not paying them for work in the longer term or by keeping them on as an intern when paid positions are available.

How to help your child with job applications and resumés

Your child will need to write a resumé to apply for jobs. They’ll also need to write covering letters and applications.

You might need to help your child with their resumé and job applications. Your child’s careers adviser or a Disability Employment Service might also be able to help. Or you might know someone who hires people regularly. Perhaps they could help your child or give some feedback on your child’s resumé.

There are many online resources that can help your child with preparing a resumé and writing job applications. The Australian Government’s Job Access site could be a good place to start. Its tips for creating a good resumé and writing job applications are tailored for people with additional needs. AI tools can also be helpful for brainstorming and checking ideas.

How your child can prepare for job interviews

Your child will probably go to job interviews. There are many things your child can do to prepare.

Think about communication and other needs

Your child might want to tell the employer about their communication needs before the interview. For example, if your child types to communicate or uses augmentative communication, they have the right to communicate this way in interviews. Your child could also ask for more time to respond to questions or ask to take a communication support person to the interview. But it’s also worth thinking about whether the employer will make unfair assumptions about your child’s ability as a result.

Practise non-verbal communication

Role-play at home is a good way for your child to practise non-verbal communication like handshakes and smiles. These are important aspects of traditional job interviews.

Practise interviews

Mock interviews with people outside your immediate family can help your child practise talking to other people about their skills and experience. These people can give constructive feedback and help your child feel more comfortable. You could ask a family friend, the school careers adviser or your child’s DES consultant.

Prepare responses to questions

Employers are likely to ask questions like ‘Tell me about yourself’, ‘What are you good at?’, ‘What are your challenges?’ and ‘What contribution could you make to our organisation?’ Your child can prepare and practise answers to standard questions like these. Your child also has the right to ask for interview questions to be provided several days before the interview, so they can prepare answers to specific questions too. Your child might find it helpful to use AI to come up with potential interview questions based on the job description, which they can then practise answering.

Research the organisation

If your child researches employers, they can prepare questions that show interest in the jobs and organisations they’re interviewing for. Make sure these aren’t questions that could be easily answered by looking at the organisation’s website. Your child might like to try using AI as a research tool. It might come up with questions based on the position description that your child hasn't thought of.

Read interview tips

Your child can go online to get tips on preparing for interviews. You could start with Job Access’s interview preparation tips.

Employers and recruiters often look at personal social media pages, like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn as part of their selection processes. It’s a good idea to remind your child to check their privacy settings. You can also talk about how social media posts might give employers an inaccurate or unwanted impression of your child.