Obsession into Profession
June 8, 2006 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
22-year-old Melissa Shlanger, who has autism, has started her own beauty business in her family’s home. Esthetics by Melissa offers “manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing, threading, aromatherapy massage and hot stone aromatherapy.” Melissa’s mother Rhonda notes that “the people that come to her, they don’t think of Melissa having autism. They see her as an esthetician,” according to an article in today’s Toronto Star.
A summer day camp funded by The Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund, Autism Society Kids Camp, helped Melissa to inestimably: “I learned more about autism and understanding it,” she says. “I came a long way.” Melissa’s parents enrolled her in a six-month esthetician program after hearing “a motivational speaker extol the idea of turning your obsession into your profession.”
I don’t think cosmetology is Charlie’s calling but one never knows….
Hmmm….I wonder how to turn Ryan’s love of NASCAR into a career. I can’t imagine him every having a license.
He could learn to fix the cars and then work on a maintenance team. Assuming he doesn’t become one of the announcers for the races.
Charlie could work in a restaurant kitchen but it would be a bit of a task to teach him not to eat the customers’ orders!
I was once informed that – being autistic, dyslexic and dyspraxic – I would never have a hope in hell of becoming a psychologist (by an official in the University of Helsinki).
Looks like UK universities are a lot more open-minded about this sort of thing….
I was also reading that Cambridge (I might have the university reference wrong) has a counselor just for students with Asperger’s Syndrome. Something much needed here.