• Replies 6 replies
  • Subscribers 79 subscribers
  • Views 1874 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

disclosure to new employer

belles12345

I am currently employed, and am considering applying for another job that may be better suited to me.  I have recently found out about my AS traits and am realising how much they affect me in my position (communication issues, anxiety, social difficulties).  I am fairly sure some of my colleagues are aware of my difficulties, as well as my manager.  I am currently successful in the technical aspects of my job, however also I am aware of various tricky situations that have arisen due to communication difficulties, as well as general difficulties like time management.  

I am nervous to apply to a new job in the knowledge that I have difficulties without disclosing anything.  If would feel like lying to a potential employer- I can seem very chatty and ok at interview as I learn scripts for this and also very interested in my work- it's after this that the difficulties start, and I have a history of unsuccessful jobs due to social difficulties/bullying and being let go without an understandable reason.  However I am also aware that in my field this will be viewed as a negative, and it does disadvantage me in several ways as my job requires a fair amount of time working with people.  I also worry any disclosure may not be taken seriously as I think I can seem fairly NT (if a bit odd) on the surface.

I think I have answered my own question through writing this, and that is that I shouldn't mention anything, especially without a diagnosis.  However it makes me very worried about applying for another position.  Any advice?  Feel like I am going round in circles with this!  Thanks for your help in advance.

Parents

  • Thanks for your very interesting comments longman.  I agree with the perception of mental health and also of autism (actually I recently watched a video by Nick Walker on YouTube about 'neurodiversity' which talked about all of these developmental - or mental health???- differences as being neurodivergent).

    Do you know, are all people with an ASC technically disabled?  I notice that 'severity' is part of the disability criteria.  Is someone with 'mild' aspergers technically disabled?  I am currently going for an assessment so I suppose this would make a difference if I were to be diagnosed (thanks for the very useful perspective).

    re. the over-simplification of autism, on the NAS website at the following address re. AS:

    www.autism.org.uk/.../what-is-asperger-syndrome.aspx

    I think this is an ok overview of the triad...?  If a little brief as to how this manifests in people.  On the next page where it discusses characteristics, I agree that it does not go into enough detail here, particularly regarding girls/women.  For example the routines/rituals part for me was very subtle (and resulted in further heightening of internal anxiety rather than an obvious external expression) and I am only realising now how this affects me.  Whereas for some people this is much more marked, and so more obviously autistic.  This difficulty with change/routine is hard to understand myself in a rational way, let alone try to explain it to anyone.  This is an interesting subject for discussion too.  How do you measure severity?

Reply

  • Thanks for your very interesting comments longman.  I agree with the perception of mental health and also of autism (actually I recently watched a video by Nick Walker on YouTube about 'neurodiversity' which talked about all of these developmental - or mental health???- differences as being neurodivergent).

    Do you know, are all people with an ASC technically disabled?  I notice that 'severity' is part of the disability criteria.  Is someone with 'mild' aspergers technically disabled?  I am currently going for an assessment so I suppose this would make a difference if I were to be diagnosed (thanks for the very useful perspective).

    re. the over-simplification of autism, on the NAS website at the following address re. AS:

    www.autism.org.uk/.../what-is-asperger-syndrome.aspx

    I think this is an ok overview of the triad...?  If a little brief as to how this manifests in people.  On the next page where it discusses characteristics, I agree that it does not go into enough detail here, particularly regarding girls/women.  For example the routines/rituals part for me was very subtle (and resulted in further heightening of internal anxiety rather than an obvious external expression) and I am only realising now how this affects me.  Whereas for some people this is much more marked, and so more obviously autistic.  This difficulty with change/routine is hard to understand myself in a rational way, let alone try to explain it to anyone.  This is an interesting subject for discussion too.  How do you measure severity?

Children
No Data