Published on 12, July, 2020
Has anyone who has been here a long time got an answer to this question? We all obviously come here for a reason, but how often does it turn out that it ISN'T autism-related?
I'm planning on disclosing to my employer on Thursday that I am awaiting an assessment and explaining some of the difficulties that I have. I know some people disagree with this approach but I have a challenging and unpredictable job and I've just changed employer, and I feel like I need support from the earliest opportunity even if I'm wrong and my needs are anxiety-related rather than autism.
I am prepared for the fact that I may have quite a wait until I am assessed so it is going to be in the back if my mind that they may consciously or subconsciously treat me differently and then I don't get the outcome I expect. I don't want to feel like a fraud.
Interested in any thoughts people have about this.
I ended up telling my employers as I was struggling. They don't really have a great understanding of mental health, even though they are supposed to take it seriously. I hadn't exactly wanted to say anything until I knew what was going on myself, unfortunately I was dealing with a number of things that just made the situation worse. At one point, I was told that I needed to be mindful about how I come across, that seemed to be the indication that I should say something.
I therefore decided to let them know as at that point, I was aware that this was something that could be related to the Autism. Not much has changed, although I have joined a union and I would highly recommend it to anyone else. I'm currently raising a complaint against the very same managers because of another situation, and also for the lack of support and even consideration in my mental health which has caused me to struggle. I've also contacted a company called Remploy which was recommended to me by a workplace counsellor and will hopefully not only help me to determine the support that I need, but also educate my managers on their role in all this.
I feel that by not disclosing the 'potential' Autism, I could have almost shot myself in the foot. I have an anxiety disorder anyway, however the additional stress of trying to figure out who I am after years of not knowing, has made it more difficult. Had I not told them, they could argue that I wasn't giving them the full picture and therefore not allowing them to make the most appropriate decisions.
I know many say not to disclose, I understand the reasons for it and you'll need to consider the type of employers you have before making your ultimate decision. For me, it was the right decision as it's allowing me to sort out a situation with all the cards on the table. I also now have a union rep to support me so they know they have to tread carefully rather than dismissing my mental health as a 'bad attitude' which is what they were doing before.
Thank you for sharing your experience with me. I'm sorry you are going through such a difficult time too.
I'm in a union and I work in social services so I'd like to think that people will be supportive, but I know that just because people are trained to be empathetic and nondiscriminatory doesn't mean they actually are!
How long have you been waiting for assessment?
G'day Hookaduckduck,
I was referred in April last year. I was told it would be about an 18 month wait but that was right at the beginning of the first lockdown so I don't know how much longer the wait will be in my area.
I think I'm in a slightly different position to others as it was my PTSD Counsellor - Whom I worked with intensely for about six months and therefore got to know me really well - who referred me. She used to work with Autistic children so had a pretty good idea of what she was seeing. There is of course always the niggle that I'll get to the assessment and find I'm not Autistic. I think we all go through that. I'm glad your in a Union. It's better to have that in place early so you can get help if something happens. I have a great rep who works in Mental health as well as the union, but because my issues were ongoing from before I joined, he isn't able to attend meetings with me. (Not that meetings are really happening at the moment!) I find that people tend to do bad things, not through malicious intent, but because they are ignorant or simply can't be bothered to take the time to understand.