My Autistic Perspective on Earning my Forklift Certification
This accomplishment truly forklifted my spirits.
"I once saw a forklift lift a crate of forks. And it was way too literal for me." - Mitch Hedberg
Well, this past year sure was a roller coaster ride! I began attending a weekly social group for those with special needs, flew out to BC with my parents to attend my younger cousin's wedding, got super sick alongside my parents on our return flight home, reconnected with my love of drawing, sold a couple of my paintings, began working with an awesome support worker, and attended moonlit chair yoga (no goats, only chairs...and moonlight) with another special needs social group whom I'd hanged out with before. Most of these experiences required me to persevere through my overwhelming social anxiety, which I'm proud to have done. As 2025 draws to a close, I can add one more victory under my belt; attending a forklift training workshop with my support worker and earning my very own forklift certification, which I feel looks great on my resume. What follows is my autistic perspective on the whole forklift experience, beginning with the workshop.
ProTip: Don't operate a forklift this way! When carrying a load, the forks should be no more than six inches from the floor.
Honestly, making it through the entirety of that workshop proved to be a challenge, as there were many attendees, which contributed to my social anxiety metre being pushed to its limit. I can't tell you how hard it is to focus on an in-depth lecture and slideshow when you feel like Mount Vesuvius is erupting in your stomach. Even when calm, I struggle with notetaking, so I had to focus through the physical and psychological discomfort of my anxiety attack (believe me, severe anxiety makes you feel like you're sick with a virus). Thankfully, my support worker was sitting right next to me and had gifted me a squishy Easter egg stress toy to squeeze throughout the worst symptoms of my prolonged anxiety attack. That Easter egg stress toy proved really helpful, as squeezing it allowed me to calm my nerves so that I could absorb the information necessary to pass the written exam. Now, all that stood between me and that coveted forklift certification was a forklift driving test.
Well, here goes!
As an accommodation for my autism, I was permitted to wait indoors while the other attendees lined up outside to get behind the wheel of the forklift. By the time I finally climbed into it myself, the sun was already setting, and my parents had arrived to drive me home, granting them a front row seat to my forklift driving test. Honestly, operating a forklift wasn't nearly as scary or overwhelming as I'd thought it would be. After picking up an empty pallet, driving it around the parking lot for a bit, and then placing it back down, I was finished and had earned my forklift certification! After shaking hands with the instructors, posing for some photos next to the forklift with my certification card, thanking my support worker, and hugging my parents, I was ready to head home for some rest. Now, I'm ready for my next challenge and look forward to improving my skills and, hopefully, getting a job in the field.
Yay, I did it!
Although I experience anxiety when facing new situations, I must say that my mind, heart, and soul were on cloud nine over this major accomplishment. I now look forward to booking some forklift driving lessons to further hone these skills. I'll be sure to share any relevant updates along the way. As always, thanks so much for reading! Do you have any thoughts on this post? If so, feel free to reach out by leaving a comment, dropping me a line, or signing my guestbook to share your opinions on this or any other topic. To receive the latest updates on my work or to directly interact with my content ("likes" or comments), follow me on Neocities. Also, feel free to press the "like" button if you enjoyed this post, as "likes" help me gauge audience interest in the content I post. After all, I don't want to bore anyone, ha-ha. Until next time, love, peace, and chicken grease!
Posted in "Autistic Perspectives" on Thursday, December 4, 2025.