Best Jobs for Moms With Special Needs Child

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Bringing up a special needs child requires humongous dedication and hard work, and it is often a challenging task to even go through the seemingly simple tasks in daily life.

Best Jobs for Moms With Special Needs Child

With all these challenges that come with parenting a special needs child, many mothers of ASD children struggle to pursue a career that provides the flexibility required to balance the needs of their family against the needs of their employer.

Especially when you’re a well-educated woman who has worked hard for their career, leaving work for your child‘s benefit can lead to accumulated feelings of resentment and frustration on your part which often leads to negative experiences for your special needs child.

Finding the right career and an employer who is willing to accommodate your requirements is important if you need to break free from the financial distress that piles up on top of an already emotionally drained family.

Here we list out the best jobs for moms with special needs child.

Education Professional

Education is most likely part of your daily routine, how about you convert those skills to earn a living?

Consider teaching at your kid‘s school if possible; that way you can earn a living and pursue a career while still being able to closely monitor your special needs kid and giving them the care and attention required.

You can try getting a job as a preschool teacher in any of the schools nearby your own kid‘s school so that you’ll be able to pop in quickly whenever required.

Another advantage is that you’ll be given health benefits and that can cover your child‘s therapy and treatment. If you work in the same school as a preschool teacher, the school administration might be willing to make reasonable accommodations to grant you flexibility as special needs parent.

Note to aspiring moms: If you aren’t already certified as a teacher, paraprofessional, administrator, or other school professionals, you may need to go through several years of training and education. This involves investing in time and money, and may not be a suitable solution to your situation.

Education Professional

School Counselor

School counselors help students with personal problems, provide guidance on their educational and career options based on their study curriculum and flair for subjects, assist parents and school staff with understanding and resolving issues with students.

As a special needs parent who works as a school counselor, you have the advantage of being near your child(if you manage to get into the same school district), and you have the advantage of enjoying your holidays and breaks together as well.

A school counselor is required to work according to school schedules; this means they get holidays, winter, and spring break when schools are closed.

 

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School Bus Driver

If you can invest some time in gaining the required license, driving a school bus might be a job that provides you the flexibility to work part-time, yet be around your kid during the working hours if you are driving for your kid’s school. You’ll only require to be away from your kid during set shifts, which usually last for few hours each.

Non-Profit Work

When it comes to social work, there are mostly no set work timings to adhere to. You’d be working to make a difference to the community, yet be able to enjoy the benefits of a flexible work schedule.

Fundraising, outreach, membership, and advocacy are just a few of the things they do and you can find a meaningful job that satiates your need to earn and give back to the community.

Non-Profit Work

Another advantage is that many small non-profits and NGOs work with a very limited budget, so they might not have a physical office. In this case, you’ll be able to work from home and spend more time with your special needs child.

Your social work could also be a part-time job in which case you have enough time for child care.

Occupational Therapist

For a child on the autism spectrum, occupational therapy can help them get through simple, everyday tasks like holding a pencil firmly, improve hand-eye coordination to play games, eat their own food, etc.

If you are a special needs mom you can always benefit from knowing what Occupational Therapy entails as you yourself can understand the needs of your special needs child and give them adequate training to overcome their physical disabilities as well as provide a good foundation for enhancing their mental health.

To be an Occupational therapist, you need to have a 4-year bachelor’s degree in a related field (such as biology, psychology, or health science) and a master’s degree from an accredited occupational therapy program.

If you don’t have the requisite qualifications to become an Occupational Therapist, you could aim to become an Occupational therapist assistant by securing an associate’s degree from an accredited OTA program. In this case, you can carry out treatment plans developed by an OT but can’t do patient evaluations.

As a working mom with a special needs child, you could get reasonable accommodations (flexible work timings) for child care and also, can avail financial assistance for the occupational therapy sessions required for your disabled child.

 

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Freelance Opportunities in Photography, Writing, or Design

Technology has evolved so much that it has opened up abundant scope for telecommuting and working from home.

Thanks to the internet you can land a part-time job or full-time gig based on your preference and availability.

Freelance Writing and Editing

If you have flair for writing, all you need to do is find a niche and go with it. Some writers do cover letters and resumes, or college applications. You can even make money blogging, managing a blog for others, contributing to journals, online magazines, etc.

Editors are also much in demand, and you can find gigs for hourly rates as well as on a contractual basis.

The advantage, obviously, is the amount of flexibility available to you. As a parent with a child with autism and developmental delays, the mother is often like a full-time caregiver, teacher, nurse, and friend. In this case, freelance work provides the needed flexibility.

Freelance Writing and Editing

We would like to point out that while freelance writing does provide flexibility, you may initially find some challenges landing profitable clients to work for. Once you establish yourself in the field you wouldn’t have to dedicate too much time to building trust.

If you are a fresher in freelancing, it pays to have an online portfolio where you can showcase your flair for writing in different styles.

 

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Freelance Photography

If you’re handy with a camera and love playing around with different lighting, angles, and subjects, you could get a portfolio online and find clients who are looking for a wedding, baby shower, or any event photography.

You have the option to work how many hours you like, depending on the projects you take up. This makes you free to take your autistic child to appointments or therapy sessions as required.

Freelance Web Designer

Web designers make the visuals of a website, designing navigational elements, creating graphics, choosing fonts and colors, and using HTML code. You would require previous experience and a portfolio to get clients.

Web designers can work from home most of the time and can find a suitable schedule to keep up with the demanding nature of being a parent of a child on the autism spectrum.

Virtual Travel Assistant

As a Virtual Assistant, you’ll manage travel arrangements for various clients. Your clients could be looking for a cruise line, airline, resort, or excursion bookings.

This is a work from home job for moms that could offer perks to the whole family as many big clients offer travel credits to you as well as your family.

In any case, being a virtual assistant means that you will be working from your home, and you can be around to keep an eye on your special needs child, help with their remote learnings sessions if any, and take them to therapy sessions and so on.

Tip for Working Moms: If you are considering a freelance career, it is essential that you be self-motivated and enjoy creative work. Freelance workers don’t have steady employment or paid benefits. Additionally, if you choose to work part-time, you may not make enough money to support your family.

 

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Daycare Provider

If you cherish the time spent with kids and have an autistic or disabled child with developmental delays, chances are you may want to look into securing a childcare provider license.

Running a daycare service means that you can earn money while being in close contact with your own kid and spend time getting around the child‘s disability. Also, your child will be around kids their age, which is great for their own mental health and development.

Also, you don’t have to worry about finding an autism-friendly daycare for your child on the autistic spectrum. This way you save money and time!

We hope that our suggestions have been helpful to you in your search for the best jobs for moms with special needs child. Despite the difficulty of finding a career that allows you to balance your work responsibilities with your child‘s care and treatment, you’ll be able to use your unique strengths to shine as an employee as well as a parent.

Team HelpandWellness wishes you good luck!