Bit of a ramble following another shutdown...

Yet again I have had another shutdown at work and have been sent home.

I was off work before Christmas due to the shutdowns and started to feel better after a few weeks.  I have only been back at work for just over 3 days and I have had another one.

As a result, I am now worrying about my security in my job and the prospect of finding another job in a similar role.  Since my shutdowns have become worse, the director of my department no longer speaks to me and I have yet to see the follow-up from occupational health.  My boss appears to be supportive, but I am aware I am bringing little value to the company at the moment.

My confidence is currently really low and I am frustrated I can't manage things better.  There seems to be no help and support as I am considered to be very HF and so don't qualify for adjustments, support, guidance etc.

I was wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation and whether you manage to get the help and support you need?

I am worried about my employment as I have a hefty mortgage to pay with no financial support from family etc.  I can't afford to lose my job as I have been down this route before and ended up being homeless.

Sorry for ramblings and lack of cohesion, my anxiety is very high and I still haven't recovered properly.

Parents
  • I work for a very bad employer and they say they want to support at the same time as threatening with capability proceedings (unfounded).

    Shutdown is one of those things that happen to autistic people which are not understood at all by neurotypicals. 

    Don't think because you are so-called high functioning you don't qualify for support.  I don't know your circumstances, but what did your diagnosis say your difficulties were if you are diagnosed?.  You obviously have something that led you or, if diagosed, your psychologist/psychiatrist to the conclusion you were autistic.  I have said before that I consider the labels high and low functioning, mild and severe autism as misleading and unhelpful.  High functioning/mild autistic people have their needs not catered for, low functioning/severe autistic people have their abilities undervalued.

    Access to work were an initial great help to me.  As well as their usual function of suggesting physical things that may help in the workplace, they also can suggest what reasonable adjustments are needed for you in the workplace.  And it has to be borne in mind that there has not been a case where their recommendations have been overturned in an industrial tribunal.  They can also give a grant to pay in full for training of workplace colleagues to explain how autism affects you, and also for a support worker (however much you feel you don't need one, your support worker can help explain things to your employer when you do have difficulties such as meltdown/shutdown.  The purpose of Access to Work is to keep you in a job so they will be fully on your side, I know it was all a great help to me. 

    Make sure your employer is aware you have an impairment as defined in the Equality Act - once again this will be a lot easier with Access to Work.  Have you a local autism charity where you live who provide help under Access to Work?  To refer to Access to Work, just go to the website and there is an online form.  It is quite quick to get them to provide you with the help you need and it could save your job.  And you do not have to be diagnosed to seek their help.

  • That’s good to know Trainspotter. I know when I was working as a social worker it would have been different if I had had support. However, I wasn’t even thinking about autism at that time. It wasn’t on the radar. Now I intend to work for myself and I’m glad things turned out the way they did, but I’m equally glad that access to work are doing such a great job. It’s vital that we get support and I would have benefited from a support worker to speak to my boss on days I just couldn’t go to work as well as in other ways. Just because we ‘can’ perform well in our work, it doesn’t mean we don’t need support. We can do it but at a high cost. We very much deserve support, and we’re entitled to it by law. 

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  • That’s good to know Trainspotter. I know when I was working as a social worker it would have been different if I had had support. However, I wasn’t even thinking about autism at that time. It wasn’t on the radar. Now I intend to work for myself and I’m glad things turned out the way they did, but I’m equally glad that access to work are doing such a great job. It’s vital that we get support and I would have benefited from a support worker to speak to my boss on days I just couldn’t go to work as well as in other ways. Just because we ‘can’ perform well in our work, it doesn’t mean we don’t need support. We can do it but at a high cost. We very much deserve support, and we’re entitled to it by law. 

Children
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