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Hello

BeaE

Hello!

I am new to the community and recently diagnosed autistic, aged 20, after having suspected it for eight years!

I found the diagnostic process quite distressing and wondered if anyone else had had a similar experience. If so, how did you manage this? I feel as though I'm suddenly more aware of all the 'deficits' I have.

I don't really know what to do now I have the diagnosis. Do I disclose to my employer/university? I've managed pretty well so far thanks to help from my family and carefully managing my routines to avoid burnout, and I am worried that disclosing the diagnosis will be met with stigma rather than support.

My apprenticeship is my biggest interest at the moment, but I'm starting to struggle to balance everything. It's been great in that this route allowed me to avoid the university lifestyle, which I don't think I would have coped with, and entering the workplace young has seemingly worked in my favour, as coming across a bit odd is more expected for us youths. However, the workload and social/sensory aspects are becoming difficult, so any advice is appreciated.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to being part of the community and finding some like-minded people.

Parents

  • Good morning from America, BeaE!

    Congratulations on your diagnosis! I’m sorry to hear that the process has been distressing.

    Now in terms of disclosing to your employer, that’s ultimately up to you. My advice, however, is don’t worry so much about disclosing to your employer unless you know they will receive it well and/or you have a specific need.

    That being said, It’s really nice having at least someone at work that knows and understands. I’m pretty lucky in my current job that all of my coworkers understand because we work with Autistic individuals, so I’ve felt comfortable telling just about everybody. It has helped with situations like I was able to get out of driving downtown in a major city once because my boss understood that would be too difficult for me in particular.

    The sad reality is, though, that while it’s illegal to discriminate based on disability, there are employers out there that do discriminate. It’s best to be careful.

Reply

  • Good morning from America, BeaE!

    Congratulations on your diagnosis! I’m sorry to hear that the process has been distressing.

    Now in terms of disclosing to your employer, that’s ultimately up to you. My advice, however, is don’t worry so much about disclosing to your employer unless you know they will receive it well and/or you have a specific need.

    That being said, It’s really nice having at least someone at work that knows and understands. I’m pretty lucky in my current job that all of my coworkers understand because we work with Autistic individuals, so I’ve felt comfortable telling just about everybody. It has helped with situations like I was able to get out of driving downtown in a major city once because my boss understood that would be too difficult for me in particular.

    The sad reality is, though, that while it’s illegal to discriminate based on disability, there are employers out there that do discriminate. It’s best to be careful.

Children
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