-Triveni Goswami Vernal
Registered Special Educator (A64010)

Continuing the series on Self-Employment Options for the Neurodiverse, I will be focusing on a two- options today—Baking and Jewellery Making.

I.BAKING: If the individual enjoys exploring various kinds of food, and has shown interest in the processes involved in cooking, BAKING can be an option. Depending on what aspect of cooking, the individual is most interested in, a decision can be made to involve the individual in that particular process.
For example, Baking would roughly involve the following steps—
a) Choosing the ingredients, based on a recipe,
b) Measuring the ingredients (both dry and wet)
c) Mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, either manually or with a machine
d) Kneading the dough
e) Placing the dough in an Oven
f) Monitoring the temperature and the time to be taken, in the Oven
g) Removing the baked item/s from the oven, once cooled.
h) Placing the baked items in a utensil.
i) Packaging it.
j) Labelling it and then getting it ready to sell.
These are some of the main steps involved in the Baking process, but each step can be further divided into multiple, smaller steps, on the basis of a Task Analysis. The idea is to start with the involvement of the individual in one step, till he/she achieves a level of independence and then move on to the next. As with other vocations, this too requires constant guidance and supervision of an expert/parent/caregiver, who can monitor every step, especially regarding the usage of sharp tools such as knives and working with a heat source.

Source: https://freepngimg.com/png/170107-food-bakery-hd-image-free


Resources for Online/Offline Courses:
https://alippo.com/online-courses/baking
https://homebakers.co.in/baking-classes/
https://www.hamstech.com/baking
https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/jobs-and-careers/story/5-institutes-in-india-offering-courses-for-a-career-as-a-bakery-chef-1820322-2021-06-28
https://www.hunarcourses.com/category/baking
https://homebakers.co.in/become-a-home-baker/
Places to buy ingredients from:
https://www.bakewala.com/baking-supplies-ingredients/baking-ingredients
https://allaboutbaking.in/
https://www.bakeshake.co.in/
https://arifeonline.com/collections/baking-tools-accessories
Please Note: To set up a Home Baking business, a FSSAI registration is compulsory, amongst other registrations like Udyog Aadhar.

**DISCLAIMER**
Please do due diligence for all the courses mentioned, before enrolling in any.

II. JEWELLERY MAKING: If the individual shows interests in activities such as stringing beads, crafting, has good fine motor skills and good eye-hand coordination and is able to do pattern matching (in the initial period, before branching out to their own designs), then Jewellery Making is a vocation that can be explored. There are multiple steps involved in Jewellery Making, depending on the product being created. For neckpieces, for example, it would roughly involve:
a) Deciding on a Design.
b) Create a visual pattern card, to follow the design (if required).
c) Choosing the beads, spacers and Pendant, if any.
d) Choosing the stringing material/cord
e) Stringing the Beads
f) Choosing the clasp and initially taking the help of another individual to fix the clasp (This is because clasps not only require working with very small pieces but also require using a pair of jewellery pliers to secure the end well. With continuous practice, an individual may become independent at this).
g) Packaging and labelling the product to sell.

Source: https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/jewelry-making
RESOURCES FOR ONLINE/OFFLINE COURSES AND TUTORIALS:
https://www.hunarcourses.com/category/jewellery-designing
https://www.jewellersacademy.com/free-jewellery-making
https://alippo.com/course/jewellery-making
https://iigindia.com/jewellery-courses-iig-india
https://www.hunarcourses.com/nsdc/beaded-jewellery-making
Places to buy Raw Materials for Jewellery Making:
Craft shops and local bazaars
https://www.satratraders.co.in/
https://www.beadsnfashion.com/
https://madeinindiabeads.com/
https://beadwaala.com/
**DISCLAIMER**
Please do due diligence for all the courses mentioned, before enrolling in any.

To set up a home business, certain registrations, like the Udyog Aadhar are required.
Thus, we see that there are immense possibilities for various kinds of vocations for the neurodiverse population. The focus should be on choosing a vocation that is of interest to the individual and also matches the pre-requisite skills, that are essential for the vocation.
In my next blog, I will write about Art based merchandising and Block Printing.
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Author Triveni Goswami Vernal

Triveni Goswami Vernal is an Autism advocate, registered Special Educator (CRR A64010) and an Independent Researcher. Her areas of interest include Autism, Disability Rights, Gender, Art and Northeast studies. She is a mum to an 12 year old on the Autism Spectrum.

The creative representation for this blog is done by artist Kabir Vernal

“Elmer”
Poster Paints and Brush Pen on Ivory Paper