Diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome - not allowed back to work

Are you in a union?  You need some help to sort this out with what seems to be a verfy ignorant employer.

I am a union representative and from my point of view there are several issues here.  The first thing is to look at your employers policies, in this case their 'Equality Policy' and their Health and Safety Policy in addition to their sickness policy.  I would also look at their Stress at Work policy if they have one.  Some of these may be incorporated into something else.

Your employer should have some sort of Grievance procedure.  This is why it helps to have a union representative.  You could put in a grievance.

Whether we think of ourselves as 'disabled' or not, we are disabled under the equality act.  But this is to our advantage as it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of their disability. Aspergers/Autism is not a mental health issue as there is no 'cure' anymore than if someone loses an arm they can grow another one.  But there are things an employer could do to help.  These are 'reasonable adjustments'.  Such adjustments would be to negate the issues you have had about the work - and put you in a position where you are using your abilities and strenghts, not weaknesses..  And there would be have to be special reasons for not making the adjustments

The TUC guide may give you some useful information:

https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Autism.pdf

Examples of reasonable adjustments are given in the guide. 

Are the issues of work due to your Aspergers?  You need to find out under what 'Duty of Care' they think there are issues with you being unable to do your job. And all very stressful for you, which could cause anxiety and depression (which is a mental health illness, which is why I suggest you look at the Stress at work policy if they have one) I think a problem is that employers tend to thik all ASD's are all the same and these negative thoughts about the condition cloud their minds. 

And good luck!

Are you in a union?  You need some help to sort this out with what seems to be a verfy ignorant employer.

I am a union representative and from my point of view there are several issues here.  The first thing is to look at your employers policies, in this case their 'Equality Policy' and their Health and Safety Policy in addition to their sickness policy.  I would also look at their Stress at Work policy if they have one.  Some of these may be incorporated into something else.

Your employer should have some sort of Grievance procedure.  This is why it helps to have a union representative.  You could put in a grievance.

Whether we think of ourselves as 'disabled' or not, we are disabled under the equality act.  But this is to our advantage as it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of their disability. Aspergers/Autism is not a mental health issue as there is no 'cure' anymore than if someone loses an arm they can grow another one.  But there are things an employer could do to help.  These are 'reasonable adjustments'.  Such adjustments would be to negate the issues you have had about the work - and put you in a position where you are using your abilities and strenghts, not weaknesses..  And there would be have to be special reasons for not making the adjustments

The TUC guide may give you some useful information:

https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Autism.pdf

Examples of reasonable adjustments are given in the guide. 

Are the issues of work due to your Aspergers?  You need to find out under what 'Duty of Care' they think there are issues with you being unable to do your job. And all very stressful for you, which could cause anxiety and depression (which is a mental health illness, which is why I suggest you look at the Stress at work policy if they have one) I think a problem is that employers tend to thik all ASD's are all the same and these negative thoughts about the condition cloud their minds. 

And good luck!