• Replies 9 replies
  • Subscribers 81 subscribers
  • Views 3084 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

What to tell employer about recent diagnosis?

Zomted

Hello? I’m new here! Can anyone help? I finally received an ASD diagnosis last week (in my 40s, but think that’s far from unusual for women). It’s a massive relief and pretty much explains everything. But the issue:

So I told my boss, and they’d like some info about ASD in women to help them understand? I’m a bit stumped because I can’t find something concise that sums it up - and explains the positives as well as the challenges. I’m quite ken they get both sides obviously. I have loads of info (I may have got a little obsessive about this recently... ) but I can hardly give them a whole pile of books! Also because I’ve been pretty good at masking (hence all my mental health problems...) I think they do need female specific info.

Does anyone have any ideas? 

Thanks so much for your help 

Parents

  • When I was in a similar position of sharing information about my hearing loss with colleagues I condensed the vast amount of information I had gathered and been given by clinicians into a 2 page summary. In this I provided some information about my hearing loss, emphasised actions I was taking to help myself (lip reading / hearing loss support) and identified ways in which my colleagues could help me to hear better. Maura Campbell has written a lovely piece about autism in the workplace which Identifies quite a few autistic strengths. This is one of the resources I will draw on once I get my ASD diagnosis (I've just started the process) and have the opportunity to share information with my colleagues. http://www.spectrumwomen.com/employment/autism-in-the-workplace-maura-campbell/

  • in reply to Sunflower

    Yes, that’s brilliant. Sums it up really well for me too. She’s even used the same analogy that I use about being a Mac in a world of pcs!

    Treat a mac right and it does amazing things, sometimes it does stuff better than a PC. Try and use windows commands though and it crashes horribly!

Reply Children
  • in reply to Zomted

    It's a real challenge trying to find ways of communicating better at work. I face similar but slightly different challenges because of high frequency hearing loss. It is now becoming apparent that some of my hearing issues may actually be due to autism and cognitive processing differences. So important to focus on abilities and strengths and to work somewhere where you can flourish, grow and be yourself.