Employment

Teenagers dealing with TS/TS+ may benefit from some coaching and assistance when trying to land and keep a job. In addition to a possible deficit in social skills, your teenager may also feel at a disadvantage because of his/her tics and other symptoms.

Employers are bound by laws that are intended to prevent discrimination. When your teenager applies for a job, he/she should be judged on his/her skills and ability to do the job. Employers are not allowed to ask a number of things, including a list of disabilities, limitations, or health problems. They also cannot ask whether an applicant is seeing a doctor or other medical professional. Disabilities, limitations, and healthy problems are relevant to the ability of a person to do a job only if they threaten the safety of property of others or if they prevent the applicant's safe and adequate job performance even when reasonable accommodations are made.

So what do these rules mean when your teenager is looking for a job? Many employers, especially those who are dealing with a small workforce, are not aware of what they are allowed to ask when hiring. Your teenager therefore needs to be prepared. If your teenager is ticking while applying for a job or during an interview, the interviewer may ask for an explanation. One of the best responses is to tell the employer "I have Tourette Syndrome but it does not affect my ability to do this job."

Being able to handle queries about TS/TS+ may not be the only area your teenager needs to work on when looking for a job. These strategies may help your teenager when he is ready to enter the work force:

  • Help your teenager write a résumé. Mention any jobs or volunteer work, including odd jobs done around the neighbourhood such as snow shoveling, yard work, or babysitting. Employers know that teenagers will not have much work experience, but they area looking for initiative and a positive attitude. Another primary component that can assist a teenager is examples that prove a strong "work ethic." Many times people who have strong "work ethic's or habits" will be welcomed because the employer will be able to rely upon these individuals to get the work done. An adult should carefully review the résumé for content, grammar, and spelling.
  • Investing time in volunteer work can help to develop job skills and to build experience.
  • Include a list of club or organizations that the teenager has been involved in - such as Scouts, Girl Guides, etc. This shows commitment and individual contributions by the teenager to prospective employers.
  • Have your teenager talk to people who know him/her well (for example - teachers or scout/guide leaders) who can help identify his/her strengths. They may also be able to help suggesting the types of jobs that would be a good fit. These people may also provide leads on jobs or letters of reference.
  • Because many teenagers with TS/TS+ lag behind their peers in social skills, special attention needs to be paid to the interviewing process. Your teenager can benefit from practicing his/her interview skills. Enlist another adult to conduct a mock interview. If possible, ask someone who has experience interviewing applicants.
  • Cover the basics of social niceties. Make sure your teenager know to make eye contact and to shake hand when he/she meets the interviewer. These skills should be practiced in the mock interview.
  • When the teenager has an interview, make sure that he/she has read the job description thoroughly. He/she needs to know the exact job he/she is interviewing for, and any skills the employer is looking for. Employers are looking for people who come prepared and who have put some effort into finding out about the job and the company.
  • Coach the teenager on how to dress when applying for jobs. A major mistake made by teenagers is to arrive in casual or even grubby clothes to fill out a job application form. Some teenagers mistakenly think that they need to dress up only for the interview. From the employer's perspective, if applicants do not care enough to dress properly when they apply for a job, why should the employer bother event to look at the application. Also, some employers will do an interview on the spot when an applicant fills out an application.
  • Applicant should be encouraged to "do their homework." The Internet is a great resource to research specific companies. Most corporate websites contain full information on the company as well as the mission, vision and/or concept statements. Applicants who are can display basic knowledge for the company will be viewed with a higher level by the interviewer.
  • Coach the teenager on how to dress for the interview. The teenager should dress nicely and appear well groomed. Pay particular attention to having clean hands and clean fingernails. Avoid heavy or glittering makeup, revealing or clinging clothing, short skirts, jeans, shorts, cut-offs, an exposed midriff, visible piercings, extravagant fingernails, huge earrings, wrinkled clothing, t-shirts, platform shies and combat boots. Most employers recommend that applicants dress on the conservative side.
  • Some employers conduct pre-screening tests in the hiring process. Tests are used to determine a number of things, including good fit with the company, job-related knowledge, basic literacy, attitude, verbal ability, problem-solving ability, mechanical aptitude, and inclination of theft. Unfortunately many of these tests are designed for the "average" person; they may not take learning disabilities or neurological disorders into account. Employment candidates can request accommodation for pre-screening testing, including asking for extra time.

The Canadian Human Rights Act requires employers to provide accommodation to a person with disabilities, short of undue hardship. "Undue hardship" is judge by the cost of accommodation and by health and safety factors. Employers are not obligated to accommodate a disability if the cost is so high that it would threaten the survival of their business, or if they would have to change the nature of their business to accommodate a disability if the health and safety of the employee, coworkers, or customers is in jeopardy, even with accommodation.

Keeping a Job

When the teenager starts work he/she is embarking on an aspect of life that is relatively free from parental control. To hold down a job the teen must meet some basic requirements;

  • Report for work on time (time management & responsibility),
  • Learn the requirements of the job, &
  • Meet the job requirements (not just during any probation period but ongoing).

For teenagers with TS and ADHA, showing up on time could be a major challenge. But this challenge needs to be overcome, because not many jobs for teenagers can accommodate tardiness. Good work habits will be required and the teenager will need to understand the consequences related to this with any employer. TS/TS+ cannot be used as a "crutch" and the person with TS/TS+ must take responsibility to overcome any challenges in order to satisfy the requirements of the job.
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