Advice needed on draft diagnostic report

I'm a little bit late seeing this post and putting my sixpence worth in, but I will share some of my thoughts with you.

First, you seem to think it would be improper to make suggestions as to what you would like in the report.  The psychologist who diagnosed me made it very clear that the person who knows best how things affect me was me myself.  He was more than willing to add things to the report using my suggestions and clarify things so there was no misunderstanding.  So I would suggest that you tell your psychologist/psychiatrist of your problems at work and ask for a small appendix to help explain your problems in the workplace and any suggestions to alleviate these. I don't see anything wrong with you making a draft of this yourself and sending as an example of what you would like to see.  I am sure that there would be something positive come from doing this.

I think a lot of us 'play down' our so-called inadequacies, and our need for help.  We look on ourselves as 'normal' (I know I do) and do not want to be put in the spotlight as needing special treatment.  And this is all to the good in some cases.

However, from my experience, I know there is a bit of a raging monster somewhere inside me that is waiting to get out and show itself at certain times, and when it does I have little or no control over it.  There is also a very meek individual inside, who wants to hide away from the world at other times, who wants to be left alone to do things he knows best how to do.  And I do know a lot of time the circumstances that will trigger these different persona and the way to help prevent their manifestations what has to be done, what adjustments should be made.

My psychologist included several appendices, one of which was what he considered to be workplace practices which antagonised my autism and the adjustments which could be made to help me.  Besides anything else, this helped me considerably in my visit to Occupational Health, who on two previous occasions (pre diagnosis) had taken little notice of the fact I was suffering from extreme stress, anxiety and depression because of my workplace practices.  And immediately I informed my employer of my diagnosis (before I had the report) I was referred to Occupational Health which I managed to defer until I had received the appendix to the report.  The way Occupational Health then behaved was totally different, saying I was disabled under the Equality Act and suggesting that all the adjustments recommended by the psychologist were implemented.  (I should add that two years later I only had the final one of the adjustments put in place and I am now so much happier at work.)  Remember that failure to implement reasonable adjustments is against the Equality Act, and is grounds for a grievance and can also act as evidence in an Employment Tribunal should the need arise.

Part of the spiel in the Appendix was that I should be involved in meaningful consultation in any changes needed to my work, and my views should be considered seriously. 

Sunflower said:

My main difficulties at work have been changes to timetables and office accommodation, resulting in increased workload, limited access to information, and nowhere quiet to retreat to at break times. There was huge uncertainty over the changes being introduced and the impact they would have. 

This was one of my problems at work as well.  It was not only the changes, but the lack of control I had, things being put into place that I was not even asked about how I would feel about them.  A reasonable adjustment should be to give you frequent breaks and the permission to retreat somewhere quiet for short periods to prevent stress.

Sunflower said:

A better way of approaching this may be via an Access to Woek assessment which I applied for today.

I could not speak too highly of my experience with Access to Work.  They suggested adjustments, funded a support worker for two sessions a month (one with my manager and one as a general chat about not just work but anything and everything else as a means of helping my well-being) and funded some training for the managers and work colleagues about autism and how it affected me.  I must add though that the managers did not take what they said seriously and once again this would help in a grievance and ultimately in a case to an Employment Tribunal.  Do not forget that the purpose of Access to Work is to keep you in your job, and their suggestions are invariably upheld in cases at an Employment Tribunal.

There should be consideration given by your employer to adjusting your working day, including your preferred arrangements for lunch breaks at a meeting - this is not a big thing to organise and it is part of autism that a structured day helps prevent problems.

Sunflower said:

'The Union want me to submit a grievance but I don't feel I have the energy to do this currently. I think I might have to ultimately as without a formal complaint nothing is being done to resolve matters.

My expectation is that if I do complain I will probably end up having to leave. I am not sure that my manager would be open to mediation - funny isn't it as we are supposed to be the ones who lack insight and are inflexible! '

Unfortunately, grinding someone down is all part of many a manager's or company's method of preventing trouble.  And employment laws unfortunately often favour the employer.  But remember there are probably time limits for grievances in your firms grievance procedure but these could be relaxed.  The only other sanction you would have is via the Employment Tribunal which is a very long process with strict time limits for applying and can be a very stressful period with the employer in the meantime.  So that is something that should be avoided if possible, although I ended up going down that route ... and I may add that it eventually did sort everything out and I kept my job, something I felt at many points along the route would not happen.

If you feel that your manager is not giving you adjustments, send an email asking if they consider you to be disabled as under the Equality Act and if not why not.  Their reply could be the one thing that incriminates them!  Keep all emails and even keep a diary of problems and the thoughts you have (if you do this electronically do it in the form of an email to yourself which you keep adding to, that way the dates will automatically be added and it could be used in evidence at a grievance.)

I do hope everything works out for you and in a far smaller timescale than for me.  Good luck.

I'm a little bit late seeing this post and putting my sixpence worth in, but I will share some of my thoughts with you.

First, you seem to think it would be improper to make suggestions as to what you would like in the report.  The psychologist who diagnosed me made it very clear that the person who knows best how things affect me was me myself.  He was more than willing to add things to the report using my suggestions and clarify things so there was no misunderstanding.  So I would suggest that you tell your psychologist/psychiatrist of your problems at work and ask for a small appendix to help explain your problems in the workplace and any suggestions to alleviate these. I don't see anything wrong with you making a draft of this yourself and sending as an example of what you would like to see.  I am sure that there would be something positive come from doing this.

I think a lot of us 'play down' our so-called inadequacies, and our need for help.  We look on ourselves as 'normal' (I know I do) and do not want to be put in the spotlight as needing special treatment.  And this is all to the good in some cases.

However, from my experience, I know there is a bit of a raging monster somewhere inside me that is waiting to get out and show itself at certain times, and when it does I have little or no control over it.  There is also a very meek individual inside, who wants to hide away from the world at other times, who wants to be left alone to do things he knows best how to do.  And I do know a lot of time the circumstances that will trigger these different persona and the way to help prevent their manifestations what has to be done, what adjustments should be made.

My psychologist included several appendices, one of which was what he considered to be workplace practices which antagonised my autism and the adjustments which could be made to help me.  Besides anything else, this helped me considerably in my visit to Occupational Health, who on two previous occasions (pre diagnosis) had taken little notice of the fact I was suffering from extreme stress, anxiety and depression because of my workplace practices.  And immediately I informed my employer of my diagnosis (before I had the report) I was referred to Occupational Health which I managed to defer until I had received the appendix to the report.  The way Occupational Health then behaved was totally different, saying I was disabled under the Equality Act and suggesting that all the adjustments recommended by the psychologist were implemented.  (I should add that two years later I only had the final one of the adjustments put in place and I am now so much happier at work.)  Remember that failure to implement reasonable adjustments is against the Equality Act, and is grounds for a grievance and can also act as evidence in an Employment Tribunal should the need arise.

Part of the spiel in the Appendix was that I should be involved in meaningful consultation in any changes needed to my work, and my views should be considered seriously. 

Sunflower said:

My main difficulties at work have been changes to timetables and office accommodation, resulting in increased workload, limited access to information, and nowhere quiet to retreat to at break times. There was huge uncertainty over the changes being introduced and the impact they would have. 

This was one of my problems at work as well.  It was not only the changes, but the lack of control I had, things being put into place that I was not even asked about how I would feel about them.  A reasonable adjustment should be to give you frequent breaks and the permission to retreat somewhere quiet for short periods to prevent stress.

Sunflower said:

A better way of approaching this may be via an Access to Woek assessment which I applied for today.

I could not speak too highly of my experience with Access to Work.  They suggested adjustments, funded a support worker for two sessions a month (one with my manager and one as a general chat about not just work but anything and everything else as a means of helping my well-being) and funded some training for the managers and work colleagues about autism and how it affected me.  I must add though that the managers did not take what they said seriously and once again this would help in a grievance and ultimately in a case to an Employment Tribunal.  Do not forget that the purpose of Access to Work is to keep you in your job, and their suggestions are invariably upheld in cases at an Employment Tribunal.

There should be consideration given by your employer to adjusting your working day, including your preferred arrangements for lunch breaks at a meeting - this is not a big thing to organise and it is part of autism that a structured day helps prevent problems.

Sunflower said:

'The Union want me to submit a grievance but I don't feel I have the energy to do this currently. I think I might have to ultimately as without a formal complaint nothing is being done to resolve matters.

My expectation is that if I do complain I will probably end up having to leave. I am not sure that my manager would be open to mediation - funny isn't it as we are supposed to be the ones who lack insight and are inflexible! '

Unfortunately, grinding someone down is all part of many a manager's or company's method of preventing trouble.  And employment laws unfortunately often favour the employer.  But remember there are probably time limits for grievances in your firms grievance procedure but these could be relaxed.  The only other sanction you would have is via the Employment Tribunal which is a very long process with strict time limits for applying and can be a very stressful period with the employer in the meantime.  So that is something that should be avoided if possible, although I ended up going down that route ... and I may add that it eventually did sort everything out and I kept my job, something I felt at many points along the route would not happen.

If you feel that your manager is not giving you adjustments, send an email asking if they consider you to be disabled as under the Equality Act and if not why not.  Their reply could be the one thing that incriminates them!  Keep all emails and even keep a diary of problems and the thoughts you have (if you do this electronically do it in the form of an email to yourself which you keep adding to, that way the dates will automatically be added and it could be used in evidence at a grievance.)

I do hope everything works out for you and in a far smaller timescale than for me.  Good luck.