Published on 12, July, 2020
I am a 23 year old with Asperger's syndrome trying to find work (and have been for some time) and always have the dilemma of whether I should disclose my Aspergers on my job application,wait until during the interview, after the interview if i get the job or not at all. At the moment I usually mention it in the equlity monitoring part of the application form and at the interview if a question is relevant (for example if they ask to explain a difficulty I had to overcome)
my dad is now advised me to keep quiet about the Asperger's as he feels its none of the employers business and I have no legal obligation to do so. However my mother advises me to declare it to them as she feels it is important that they know.
Am I best to tell employers or keep quiet about it?
If i don't tell employers am I liable to be sued or dismissed etc further down the line if they found out?
A lot of good advice from other posters already. I have had good experience with some agents and have found my current job through an agent that I had disclosed to. You don't need to bring it up at interview - they are looking for someone with skills, having a disability is not a selling point in most situations.
One very important thing to emphasise is that some employers are incapable and unwilling to make an autistic friendly workplace. In an interview, you should try and interview them as much as they are interviewing you. Avoid firms where there are constantly changing priorities and unrealistic deadlines. Look for places where people work in a collaborative or collegiate manner rather than in a top-down hierarchy.
It is quite likely that you will find yourself in a bad firm at some point and I would advise that you don't try and fix it but just move on. It is also important to understand that you need to make an effort to fit in and understand how you are different and may appear to be difficult to work with. I have worked with other autistic people and it is not hard to see how irritating we can be!
There can be no standard advice that works for everyone though. We are all different and some people will manage to do different things and some are more or less affected by autism.