Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello all. I’m new here and hoped someone may be able to help me, or whether anyone has experience with this. I have searched the forum but couldn’t find anything quite like the issue I have.
I have been in continuous employment at one company for the last 7 years. I am a female in my 30s.
I am currently going through the autism diagnostic process with the NHS. I have completed Stage 1 and have been invited back for Stage 2, though I don’t have a date for this yet.
I do intend to tell work if a diagnosis is confirmed, however something has come up and I may need to disclose this earlier than anticipated.
Has anyone been in a situation like this before? Is it worth telling them even though I don’t know if it will be confirmed?
I personally would think very carefully about disclosure at all.
I'm sorry if this sounds incredibly negative but my personal experience is that I am autistic and have told no one. I still get the same respect and opportunities.
A "friend" who is incredibly open about being autistic definitely doesn't not get the same respect and the same opportunities.
Of course, we are not the same person, we have different personalities and skills. However, my advice remains that I would be very carefully considering all the factors before disclosing anything at all.
I don't know your exact circumstances but do the benefits of disclosing definitely outweigh the potential cost of disclosing? Some people are met by very understanding employers and colleagues but this is definitely not the case for all.
The exception for my thinking on this matter is when you initially are offered a job and go through the occupational health screening. At that point you must disclose any condition that may impact your ability to work but that information can be kept entirely confidential and never given to the people you work with directly. You could still potentially go through occupational health to "disclose" though I don't have experience of exactly how that would work.
Thanks for your input. I will certainly bear this in mind.