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?
It;'s a tricky one. I'm in the same boat as you. I've been working for one company ever since graduating in 1987 and had several stress related problem and been signed off twice in the last twenty years. In fact my social anxiety and general anxiety has been getting steadily worse resulting in a few "meltdowns" over nothing. Of course this has all been taken negatively by my management to the point I have been told that my managers, manager wants me out of the group!! To this end I saw my GP, wrote a whole stack of notes and after nothing being done waiting 6 months for NHS help, went private. I was told by the Physiatrist that he was 95% sure I had Aspergers. I explained the problems I had been having at work and he said that they should have been more proactive in finding out why my behaviour was "erratic". Alas, although he said he was happy to give me a formal diagnosis, to make it official (especially if required for work problems) I would need another assessment - which I am now waiting for.
Luckily, I am in the Unite union, and my union rep said that I am not alone and many others at our company suffer from mental health issues - laughingly our company is about to have a Wellbeing awareness 2 weeks !! I was advised to fo and see our Occupational Health, But I haven't because like, you I haven't said anything to anyone until I get an official diagnosis - to be honest I still don't quite believe it myself.
However, events might take over and I will have to explain my mental health situation before I get the official diagnosis - you like me probably won't have much choice.
BTW what are stages 1 & 2 ?? How likely is it that the stage 2 will overturn stage 1??????
It's like me how likely is it that the second assessment with a mental health nurse and Psychologist will over turn the 95% certain diagnosis I have received from the Psychiatrist I saw??
Thanks JohnS,
Looking back, I think I had what would be called a meltdown a few times at work. My manager sent me home after one of them but I just thought I was being over-sensitive and struggling to get used to the job.
Unfortunately I’m not in a union so it’s hard to know where to turn, though ACAS have been helpful.
My Stage 1 was an interview where I could have taken someone with me who knew me as a child. I didn’t have anyone so went alone. They just asked questions and looked over the forms I had sent back in advance of the meeting.
I have been told Stage 2 is more practical in nature. They don’t have to invite you back for this one if at the first one they didn’t think ASD was likely.