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Work Issues and Autism

Polaris302

Hello.

This is my first post here and I wanted to ask about the issues people on the spectrum can have in the world of work.  I haven't been lucky when it comes to finding long term employment; I graduated with a Masters in Engineering in 2011, but I've only been in a long term job for the last 5 years and, putting it mildly, it's a dead-end.  There's no career progression, I hate my employer more and more each day and in my interview, when I was trying to explain my Autism and the issues it can cause, I was cut off and asked "Are you an angry person?"  If it wasn't for difficulties at home, and the recession making it harder to find work I would have quit years ago.  

- Why do people on the spectrum have difficulties with finding or keeping a job? 

- Does anyone have any advice on explaining what Autism is and how it can affect your work to an employer?   

Parents

  • I think the difficulty of finding a job relates to losing interest in certain activities and wanting to experience something new which is fun and fulfilling. Also, while searching for work, you may have an idea of which job you want but once you read the job description for some reason it doesn't feel right. That is my opinion but I never thought I was on the spectrum until I did some self reflection fairly recently so this is just something I experienced. It was a case of connecting the dots and piecing together the fragments. I thought I was a misunderstood candidate and had the notion that it's the employers loss that they didn't give me a chance.

    My employer doesn't know about my autism but I accepted and embraced it, I was able to tell a close relative, my friends and a work colleague who is also on the spectrum. To answer your second question, you could mention it to a work colleague who you are close to and say you have a certain way that you get tasks done and you don't like change or be flexible but willing to adapt. That question is hard to answer . Unless you want to reveal all, it might be better to just blend in. Only have that one person who you really trust and/or relates to you in the workplace. I might not be the best person for this second question because I have been blending in for a long time without realising it.

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  • I think the difficulty of finding a job relates to losing interest in certain activities and wanting to experience something new which is fun and fulfilling. Also, while searching for work, you may have an idea of which job you want but once you read the job description for some reason it doesn't feel right. That is my opinion but I never thought I was on the spectrum until I did some self reflection fairly recently so this is just something I experienced. It was a case of connecting the dots and piecing together the fragments. I thought I was a misunderstood candidate and had the notion that it's the employers loss that they didn't give me a chance.

    My employer doesn't know about my autism but I accepted and embraced it, I was able to tell a close relative, my friends and a work colleague who is also on the spectrum. To answer your second question, you could mention it to a work colleague who you are close to and say you have a certain way that you get tasks done and you don't like change or be flexible but willing to adapt. That question is hard to answer . Unless you want to reveal all, it might be better to just blend in. Only have that one person who you really trust and/or relates to you in the workplace. I might not be the best person for this second question because I have been blending in for a long time without realising it.

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