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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

  • This is a prolonged debate, with no sign of resolution in sight.

    If NAS is true to their claim then yes - an autism diagnosis should amount to a disability.

    However the uncertainty applies across most disabilities.

    With autism what seems to happen is that you are only disabled if you need support - whether that's benefits or PPI, a carer, special housing etc. Often intervention is because of comorbid conditions - depression, anxiety, ocd - rather than the autism symptoms themselves.

    There are many people out there with autistic spectrum conditions who are managing to earn a living whose 'disability' seems not to count.

    Indeed we readily encounter on this forum debates about whether an NHS or a private diagnosis are equal (some people with private diagnosis don't seem able to access services). Some people cannot get a diagnosis (it is widely recognised to be a postcode lottery).

    Then there's all this stuff about if you manage to struggle through life without intervention and able to be self sufficient you dont really have autism? Or the notion that there are people out there with "designer autism" - because it is supposedly 'cool' to have it?

    So I guess the question might be: should NAS assert that a diagnosis means you have a disability. If so, why all the debates?

    My feeling is NAS understates the issues at the abler end.

Reply

  • This is a prolonged debate, with no sign of resolution in sight.

    If NAS is true to their claim then yes - an autism diagnosis should amount to a disability.

    However the uncertainty applies across most disabilities.

    With autism what seems to happen is that you are only disabled if you need support - whether that's benefits or PPI, a carer, special housing etc. Often intervention is because of comorbid conditions - depression, anxiety, ocd - rather than the autism symptoms themselves.

    There are many people out there with autistic spectrum conditions who are managing to earn a living whose 'disability' seems not to count.

    Indeed we readily encounter on this forum debates about whether an NHS or a private diagnosis are equal (some people with private diagnosis don't seem able to access services). Some people cannot get a diagnosis (it is widely recognised to be a postcode lottery).

    Then there's all this stuff about if you manage to struggle through life without intervention and able to be self sufficient you dont really have autism? Or the notion that there are people out there with "designer autism" - because it is supposedly 'cool' to have it?

    So I guess the question might be: should NAS assert that a diagnosis means you have a disability. If so, why all the debates?

    My feeling is NAS understates the issues at the abler end.

Children
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