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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.

Parents

  • The Equality Act should certainly cover all people with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum by dint of the fact that autism is a recognised disability. It could be argued that autism is a difference, but I do not think that 'difference' adequately captures the problems people on the spectrum face. I am struggling to understand why people do not consider themselves disabled by autism. What is wrong with the word 'disabled'? Are you not 'disabled' by the fact you find it hard to make friends, read other people, struggle to process information and experience anxiety because of this? Even those few people with Asperger's who have careers and relationships are surely disabled compared to their neurotypical peers?

    Autism is surely both a difference (conceived positively or negatively according to personal bias) and a disability.

    Another problem is that the public are hardly going to take our cause seriously if they get told that autism is not really that big a deal, simply a difference that ought to be accomodated. Are we not all different they might quite rightly say?

Reply

  • The Equality Act should certainly cover all people with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum by dint of the fact that autism is a recognised disability. It could be argued that autism is a difference, but I do not think that 'difference' adequately captures the problems people on the spectrum face. I am struggling to understand why people do not consider themselves disabled by autism. What is wrong with the word 'disabled'? Are you not 'disabled' by the fact you find it hard to make friends, read other people, struggle to process information and experience anxiety because of this? Even those few people with Asperger's who have careers and relationships are surely disabled compared to their neurotypical peers?

    Autism is surely both a difference (conceived positively or negatively according to personal bias) and a disability.

    Another problem is that the public are hardly going to take our cause seriously if they get told that autism is not really that big a deal, simply a difference that ought to be accomodated. Are we not all different they might quite rightly say?

Children
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