Joining the British Army with Aspergers

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.

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.