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Joining the British Army with Aspergers

NAS78920

My son wants to join the Army, however from what I've read, they generally don't accept people with AS. Apparently they might let you if you have it mildly (which he does), if you can get your GP to say that you'd be OK in the Army, and an Army assessment agrees, but from what I've read, they usually even turn people with mild cases down. My question is, how likely is it that he'll be allowed to join? He only has it mildly and it doesn't really affect him at all. He really wants to join and he'd be very upset if he couldn't. Obviously, I'd rather he didn't, but there's no talking him out of it.

  • Have you seen the latest Autism magazine?  There's a feature by the Navy's head of personnel; a very senior officer talking about his autism and trying to foster a better attitude toward autism in the Navy

  • Army recruit person will want to see his diagnostic report to assess whether he can cope with “everything” as a non autistic recruit? 

    how do you feel about moving to Australia? As they actively recruit ASD persons particularly in cyber security! It is possible your son could directly apply just like thousands do for civilian jobs Blush Australia- it’s worth checking out..imagine if he can get in…all the cheap holidays you will get Blush

  • in reply to AlexSH

    I'm not sure, it might be worth a look.

  • I don't think that the term mild is helpful. As Dawn said, we're either autistic or not. We all share a neurological identity. In terms of joining the armed forces, is there an named contact or helpline that your son can reach out to just to clarify current guidelines on the medical checks they undertake prior to joining? The National Careers Service could be a helpful place to start.

    Good luck to you and your son. 

  • in reply to NAS78920

    Not mentioning it, and it being found out later, could be bad in the army. They do security check you quite deeply if you are doing a technical trade, I'm not so sure about the basic infantry types.

  • in reply to I Sperg

    Someone suggested not mentioning it. Will they check his medical records?

  • I did not know I had ASD when I did my stint in the army. I did know I got remorselessly picked on by a certain type of person, and eventually gave it up as a bad job. In basic training too, the group cohesion seems to depend on those who are a little towards the edge of the bellcurve being identified as legitimate targets within the group of trainees. Think "normie oppression" on steroids...

    I gave as good as I got (pretty much) for a few years but it just got tedious and I got fed up with getting the shitty end of the stick EVERY TIME.

    I thought the army was a great place to get a training in useful skills for me, and find out what I was capable of, but ultimately I was not suited to that life by way of "temperament". I know that now..

  • Personally, I don't think there is any such thing as "mild" ASD. We are autistic or not.

    That said, we all have spiky profiles and are affected in different ways. Some of those ways can cause problems in an army environment, and some can be a big fat plus point.

    Let me put it this way, we know from our family tree that dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism start with my grand dad born 1895 and who served in WW1 (he could not be diagnosed) down though his many grand children and great grand children, many of whom are diagnosed; many others of whom lived their lives with a bunch of traits screaming autism and yet were never diagnosed.

    One had a diagnosis of "childhood schizophrenia" (old language for ASD), had a sh*t life and died young, many of us are university educated, though others are equally bright and yet barely literate. Some need a bit support and some of us have muddled through fine. Some of them served in the forces. My uncle Tom by all accounts was hightly likely to have been on the spectrum. His grand kids are diagnosed. But he had a very successful career in the RAF - he was level headed, logical, intelligent, hyperfocused and hyper organised and dispassionate.  Just what they needed. Didn't connect much socially though and was obstinate as a mule.

    Yet my cousins and I are not a tale of "mild" to "severe". Each has their areas which are problems and each their autistic strengths. Some of those strengths can be exactly what the forces are looking for; others definately not!!!

    I can't see a doctor alone because I may go into melt down, but I am as cool as a cucumber dealing with people in great distress or in elevated anger states. I can care and be compassionate, yet be completely detached; like uncle Tom.

    Some autistic people might be way too prone too melt down under enemy fire for the army. Others might be that one who just focuses and keeps their cool and see that "out of the box solution", better than any neurotypical. It depends how the profile pans out.

    Best bet is just let him apply and let the army evaluate his attributes.