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Disclosure stories

AnnieBo

Soooo...recently diagnosed...really pleased...validation..lots has clicked into place...relief etc etc...I'm wondering if I've had my head so deeply embedded in the autism world I forgot that some people aren't quite on the same wavelength.

me to friend: I've got some big news! I've just been diagnosed with autism

friend: **silence..mouth open..little bit of a "poor you" face** ...something happens in the room which diverts the conversation {hmmm, convenient}.

friend days later actually picks up conversation rather cautiously and finally says all the right things {"you're stil you..etc etc"}

other friend: still not addressed it but sends me links to random things they know i like {I'll just wait here and make it awkward}

This is so NOT how I expected it to go. I'm having a pause on the disclosures while I have a think! Anyone got a story to share?

Parents

  • I'm absolutely sure, if I get diagnosed I will not disclose it to my family (parents and siblings) and hardly to anyone. In my opinion the diagnosis should be for me to get information and support. Otherwise I would treat it as private as my underwears. At work it's a different situation,  my manager suggested I might have mental health issues,  later I told him my therapist suspects autism. He was absolutely fine with it. We have more people with disabilities. For me and my manager this information is important, because he previously wanted to make me his assistant and it actually happened,  but I can't keep up with all this, struggle to shift between tasks etc. So I still have my tasks and my manager is happy with my work, but this information helped shape the role i fit best. I was actually very surprised how simply he reacted, saying its nothing bad, if I have any problems, I can speak to him. And others don't know, they laugh sometimes that im weird, but I'm used to it. I can say I'm lucky in this situation. I think I shared some info with him, because he mentioned that i might have mental health issues, which, as people say, is pretty visible. If I get diagnosed with something else instead of autism, then I will update. My manager is training another colleague to be his assistant and I'm happy with this choice because it's not me and because I think the colleague is a good fit for this position. 

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  • I'm absolutely sure, if I get diagnosed I will not disclose it to my family (parents and siblings) and hardly to anyone. In my opinion the diagnosis should be for me to get information and support. Otherwise I would treat it as private as my underwears. At work it's a different situation,  my manager suggested I might have mental health issues,  later I told him my therapist suspects autism. He was absolutely fine with it. We have more people with disabilities. For me and my manager this information is important, because he previously wanted to make me his assistant and it actually happened,  but I can't keep up with all this, struggle to shift between tasks etc. So I still have my tasks and my manager is happy with my work, but this information helped shape the role i fit best. I was actually very surprised how simply he reacted, saying its nothing bad, if I have any problems, I can speak to him. And others don't know, they laugh sometimes that im weird, but I'm used to it. I can say I'm lucky in this situation. I think I shared some info with him, because he mentioned that i might have mental health issues, which, as people say, is pretty visible. If I get diagnosed with something else instead of autism, then I will update. My manager is training another colleague to be his assistant and I'm happy with this choice because it's not me and because I think the colleague is a good fit for this position. 

Children
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