Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
I had been to a private psychiatrist who said he thinks I have aspergers. He then wrote to my gp to recommend I be referred to the diagnostic team.
In the meantime I had mentioned this in my review at work as part of the well-being part. Since this I have regretted it. They have brought it up at every review. At present I have been working in my job role for 5 years and recently changed post. So I have managed to get this far.
Now they want to refer me to occ health to see how they can help, but I have already stated that I am enjoying my new post and am finding no issues. I have possibly jumped he gun in telling them. I don’t know what to do now for the referral to me seems pointless. Is this referral a necessary step they have to take when I have told them I’m not having any difficulty? I just feel vulnerable and put in the spotlight.
It annoyed me as well when I was referred to Occupational Health both before diagnosis and post diagnosis.
Pre-diagnosis all that the occupational health doctor said was that I was 'fit for all duties' and that he couldn't comment on any possible autism assessment. No mention of how I might be affected, no recognition that what I had been suffering with at work (severe anxiety and depression) might be partly due to how I was being affected through my autism by changes at work. No mention that my (verbal) communication difficulties might also be affected by my autism. No mention that I might find the way the office was structured (open plan) difficult, no mention of how the noise in the office might affect my work, no mention of the fact that an 'open' kitchen area in the office was sending smells which I found repulsive in my direction. No mention that autism might be the reason I found changing tasks midway or any interruptions extremely difficult. Simply put, this particular Occupational Health doctor had no idea. What no one should forget though is that occupational health are paid for by the employer, they are not there to take the employee's side.
Post diagnosis, I had had the foresight (against the wishes of the manager) to ask for Access to Work to do a workplace assessment. This with a useful report from the psychologist who assessed me were of great use when I was referred to Occupational Health again. This time I also took a union representative into the Occupational Health assessment and it was a great help. Totally different from the pre diagnosis Occ Health assessment. And they recommended all the adjustments plus more to help me.
This wasn't the end of my problems with work, but that is another story which I have gone into in previous posts. To me the referrals to Occupational Health were also pointless, I think that my employer was trying to build up a case so they have enough evidence to not employ me, which once again I have gone into in previous posts over the last eighteen months or so.
I would suggest you write down a list of the ways you think that your possible autism affects you. I would also suggest that you contact Access to Work, with an AQ score (you can do the test online). Access to Work do not require a formal diagnosis although it could be of assistance, and they can recommend some adjustments for you if there is anything in the workplace which might affect you (noise, smells, temperature, busy-ness, overcrowding, interruptions,not getting on well with change, etc.
And simply being autistic is no reason for dismissal and would doubtless fall foul of the equality act if you were dismissed for either being autistic or because you are suspected of being autistic, especially if it had not been noted previously that your work was unsatisfactory.