Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm currently working on a publication about autism and employment. As someone who was diagnosed at age 7,
it was upsetting to read that 86% of autistic adults in the UK are not in full time work.
If anyone who's had (or has) a job would care to share some of their past experiences, here are my questions:
1) how was the interview process for you? by which i mean to say, were any elements of it particularly stress full,
and did you feel the need to disclose your autism?
2) have you been harassed in the workplace as a result of your autism before? if so, what kind of things have people said or done to you?
3) what particular aspects of working (if any) are stress full? are there any particular conventions or formalities that confused you?
4) if an employer asked you tips on how job interviews could be conducted for individuals with autism, what advise would you give?
My interview for Argos on the 24th of January 2007 was very stressful. Mark (the interviewer) asked me what car i would be if i was a car. I was confused and so told him that if i were a car, i would not be requiring a job at Argos, and furthermore i would not be respirating nor would i be wearing clothes or talking or drinking Lemsip. Mark laughed and said we would get on just fine. I still don't understand if that was an invitation to become friends or not.