Published on 12, July, 2020
DWP are going to be targetting those with Autism and Aspergers, among other hidden disabilities, to undergo Psychotherapeutic interventions. It is very likely that those refusing to participate will have their benefits sanctioned, as they will be considered to be not taking active steps towards seeking employment.
"The aim of the provision is to provide in depth support to assist claimants focus their minds on the activities and behaviours required to obtain and sustain employment. The claimants, who are in receipt of either Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) or Employment Support Allowance (ESA) will receive a highly personalised, individual, realistic, learning and employability programme, which is structured, focused and tailored to each claimant’s specific needs. This will include tackling complex barriers, as well as worklessness, motivation, interaction, anxiety concerns, and concentration issues."
https://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?NoticeId=1702143
I myself have Aspergers and a First Class Honours Degree in Psychology. Despite my difficulties and concerted effort in seeking work, I only managed to secure my first job aged 32. It always came down to the fact that I was unable to do as well as others in interviews and compete against those without my difficulties. Making employers aware of Aspergers in aplication forms never helped. I only successfully secured a job when an employer was willing to offer unpaid work experience and judge me based on my work performance, rather than interview performance - I had infact just failed to get through an interview at the same employer.
I know the problem is not with people with the types of difficulties described. The problem is employers who are unwilling to see beyond these differences. I welcome any efforts to help people into work. However, I am appalled that this approach blames people for difficulties they never chose to have. Efforts should be directed at employers themselves.
It would be nice to see an official line on this issue from NAS at some point, but I accept this can only be done once all is known. Will try research this issue more later and update this post if necessary.
NAS figures SUGGEST...........where do these figures come from? I suspect (because I cannot actually find the source) that it comes from voluntarily returned questionaires.
The source could be an annual NAS survey, or a questionnaire circulated through a practical surveyable population, most likely via local NAS branches and parents groups - which only accesses people on the spectrum who have parents who are still members of parents groups past transition!
Given the extensive use of these figures to convince Government departments like DWP, they ought to come from a reliable source like Mori, and the source should be stated every time they are used. Every time these figures are repeated in the media the source is given as NAS. But I cannot find how NAS got these figures.
In America parent power goes well beyond transition, into the world of employment, and there is much more positive and productive exploration of the workplace - eg autismspeaks.org employment think tanks.
In the UK parent groups, which underpin NAS, lose members at transition, because they still only really function up to transition. So numbers going to a parents group after a child with autism spectrum has reached 21 is somewhat smaller.
The training offered to employers isn't transparent - its "a pig in a poke" - you get it when you pay for it. That's not good enough.
NAS is letting down thousands of people on the spectrum moving into adulthood because actual knowledge of the needs and issues still hasn't been properly explored.
I cannot comprehend the way NAS flaunts uncorroborated statistics. This issue is far too important to be a "half baked" approach.