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Adult son with Asperger Syndrome

NAS19307

 After 2 years of my son trying to get a job or even get some work experience, I reluctently agreed to take him to the docters and have him made unfit for work. I was advised by the disabilty work adviser at the job centre to do this to prevent him going on to the work programme which we all agreed he would not be able to cope with.

I had a visit from Gloucester careers who gave me some good advice with completing the ESA paperwork and he is now awaiting an assessment. Social services are due to come and finacially assess him so that he can have vouchers for him to be able to access social events. However i am thinging of cancelling this as he is unlikley to want to go anywhere without me or his dad and he is very protective about giving out financial details.

I have found a local social club for him to attend to try and increase his social skills and am still keen to try and help him access work. Before anyone suggests trying Remploy we aready did and they decided that he was too difficult to place!

any ideas on how to help him gain work in the future would be welcomed

Parents

  • Hi there,

    The NAS office is closed right now, but I can offer two pieces of advice immediately, and refer this thread to staff with more specialised knowledge on Thursday when we return.

    Firstly, while work advisers and other such people may be helpful in some ways, they are not professionally qualified to diagnose autism spectrum conditions, and their opinion as to what is a disability is in no way legally binding. For a diagnosis, you and your son should approach a GP, who can provide a referral to a qualified professional for full diagnosis. There are details on our site here: www.autism.org.uk/.../how-do-i-get-a-diagnosis.aspx

    Secondly, whether or not you are disabled is not dependent on whether you have a condition which is specifically 'recognised' as a disability. Under the Equality Act 2010 (which has superseded the Disability Discrimination Act) you are considered to be disabled if you have a health condition which has a substantial effect on your ability to work or do everyday tasks, and which has lasted, or is reasonably expected to last, more than 12 months. It doesn't matter what the condition is, aside from a few highly specific inclusions and exclusions that don't relate in any way to the autism spectrum.

    For my part, I have an invisible physical disability which has so far not been properly diagnosed. But it can be counted a disability, because although we can't name it, the symptoms fit the description above. The situation with any autism spectrum condition is similar; if it has a substantial impact, then it counts. A GP should know this, but I've had wrong advice from medical professionals before now, so always be prepared to challenge.

    That should be sufficient for qualifiying for an interview under the guaranteed interview scheme, for requesting reasonable adjustments in the workplace, and for the purposes of any action relating to disability discrimination.

    Qualifying for specific disability benefits can require more than just a disability within the meaning of the Equality Act. There are full details on the website here: www.autism.org.uk/.../benefits-for-adults-with-autism.aspx - Again, be prepared to press the point if an official doesn't understand autism.

    I hope this proves useful; I'll be back with further details in the new year.

    Best wishes,

    Alex R (mod)

Reply

  • Hi there,

    The NAS office is closed right now, but I can offer two pieces of advice immediately, and refer this thread to staff with more specialised knowledge on Thursday when we return.

    Firstly, while work advisers and other such people may be helpful in some ways, they are not professionally qualified to diagnose autism spectrum conditions, and their opinion as to what is a disability is in no way legally binding. For a diagnosis, you and your son should approach a GP, who can provide a referral to a qualified professional for full diagnosis. There are details on our site here: www.autism.org.uk/.../how-do-i-get-a-diagnosis.aspx

    Secondly, whether or not you are disabled is not dependent on whether you have a condition which is specifically 'recognised' as a disability. Under the Equality Act 2010 (which has superseded the Disability Discrimination Act) you are considered to be disabled if you have a health condition which has a substantial effect on your ability to work or do everyday tasks, and which has lasted, or is reasonably expected to last, more than 12 months. It doesn't matter what the condition is, aside from a few highly specific inclusions and exclusions that don't relate in any way to the autism spectrum.

    For my part, I have an invisible physical disability which has so far not been properly diagnosed. But it can be counted a disability, because although we can't name it, the symptoms fit the description above. The situation with any autism spectrum condition is similar; if it has a substantial impact, then it counts. A GP should know this, but I've had wrong advice from medical professionals before now, so always be prepared to challenge.

    That should be sufficient for qualifiying for an interview under the guaranteed interview scheme, for requesting reasonable adjustments in the workplace, and for the purposes of any action relating to disability discrimination.

    Qualifying for specific disability benefits can require more than just a disability within the meaning of the Equality Act. There are full details on the website here: www.autism.org.uk/.../benefits-for-adults-with-autism.aspx - Again, be prepared to press the point if an official doesn't understand autism.

    I hope this proves useful; I'll be back with further details in the new year.

    Best wishes,

    Alex R (mod)

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