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Doctor stated that Autism is not a medical condition.

asrcool

Hi.

I have Aspergers and yesterday an occupational health doctor stated to me that Autism is not a medical condition and as such does not warrant any workplace adjustments.

I am outraged by this and very confused, can anybody clarify if this is correct? 

Remploy have asked for a few minor adjustments at work, given my difficulties, however my workplace referred me to the occupational health doctor for clarification and the doctor just played down any difficulty that I had.

He is writing a report to my workplace stating these things and I am most upset about it.

Can anybody tell me if this is correct and if it is not, can anybody point me in the direction of a website/information that clearly proves the doctor wrong? I am currently getting a letter together to send to him/his manager to complain.

Thanks.

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  • Former Member
    Former Member

    Hi Hope,

    I think, in practice, a diagnosis means that you are covered by the equality act. There isn't a piece of legislation that makes it so. I think you could theoretically go to the doctor for a diagnosis out of curiosity but you might not want to go the extra step and ask for a declaration with respect to the equality act.

    Personally I lived with the condition for 56 years without realising it. I could have got through my whole life without needing the protection of the equality act but I have ended up working for a firm that was so hostile to people like me that I had to get a diagnosis and declaration for my own protection.

    It is totally weird for me to think of myself as "disabled". I don't know what to make of it as I am the same person that managed (albeit with a few scrapes and a few major upsets) in other contexts to survive without this label. I'm not just slightly autistic but scored highly in the tests and the doctor had no hesitation in making the diagnosis. It is a significant condition but I do prefer to think of myself as "different" rather than catastrophically and irredeemably pole-axed by the diagnosis.

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  • Former Member
    Former Member

    Hi Hope,

    I think, in practice, a diagnosis means that you are covered by the equality act. There isn't a piece of legislation that makes it so. I think you could theoretically go to the doctor for a diagnosis out of curiosity but you might not want to go the extra step and ask for a declaration with respect to the equality act.

    Personally I lived with the condition for 56 years without realising it. I could have got through my whole life without needing the protection of the equality act but I have ended up working for a firm that was so hostile to people like me that I had to get a diagnosis and declaration for my own protection.

    It is totally weird for me to think of myself as "disabled". I don't know what to make of it as I am the same person that managed (albeit with a few scrapes and a few major upsets) in other contexts to survive without this label. I'm not just slightly autistic but scored highly in the tests and the doctor had no hesitation in making the diagnosis. It is a significant condition but I do prefer to think of myself as "different" rather than catastrophically and irredeemably pole-axed by the diagnosis.

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