Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm 20 years old and diagnosed with ASD and really struggling to find a job that is suitable for me, I have been to countless interviews and got jobs but struggled to cope with the busy environment and end up quitting. I tried being self employed and had my own business for a while but I closed it due to not being able to manage as I get to stressed out easily and I don't have any support. And I'm now looking again at getting a job
Has anyone got any advice or guidance on finding a job that will support me into employment with my ASD?
Have you thought about asking employers for Workplace Adjustments? If it is the environment that you find stressful (rather than the work itself) they may be able to make accommodations for you to make things more manageable. If you can identify the aspects of the environment you find difficult to deal with, and suggest alternatives, they might be able to help. (Although probably v dependent on the employer and the type of work.)
I haven't tried it before but I have always told my employers about my autism, would it affect my chances of getting a job if I asked for a workplace adjustment?
Hi Chloe, sorry for the delay in replying to you. You wouldn't necessarily need to disclose autism specifically, and you certainly aren't obliged to disclose at the interview / application stage. I think the language you use when raising any requests for workplace adjustments can help too - employers are legally obliged to make adjustments for you (so far as is possible) so if you make it obvious that you are requesting x/y/z as a 'reasonable adjustment due to an existing condition' they may react differently to than if you make a more general request. Feel free to message me if you want to chat more :-)