• Replies 23 replies
  • Subscribers 28 subscribers
  • Views 4153 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

How many with autism really want to work or are able to?

ClaireHig

Hi,

I just received an email from the national autistic society as many of you probably have also. It is asking us to sign a petition to put pressure on the government for us to get 'jobs we deserve'.

It claims:

But 77% of unemployed autistic adults, or people responding on their behalf, told us they want to work.


This got me thinking. How many of those responding were only doing so on behalf of those with autism, without stating how the autistic person really felt. For example if you ask my mother, she would say I do want to work. Stating I can & should want to work. She will then quote her Christian beliefs to say it's an order. But personally I don't wish to work because I know it leaves me suicidal etc, no matter how much support I were to have.

Obviously I'm not signing the petition. But it could still be signed by those such as my mother, on behalf of those with autism. Making it of benefit to the economy, but of little benefit to many with autism.

The state already tries to force us to work & refuses to acknowledge that many of us can't. It stops our benefit, leaving us with nothing to live on, pay bills with nor council tax (which many are now forced to pay). I view my council tax, as a tax on me having autism! All this seems against human rights & even migrants here don't have to tolerate this. This petition could give a very dangerous get out of jail free card to government, to do even worse.

Parents

  • I too am disappointed with the NAS camapign around adults and work.

    Firstly I found the campaign video just baffling and I don't think a neurotypical person would make any more sense of it. Also it reinforces the idea that we are unstable and prone to outbursts in public places. Not something likely to attract employers so why has the NAS portrayed us in this light? I  would have found it more informative to  have two autistic people discussing the problems they've faced at job interviews.

    Secondly its not getting a job that many of us find hard, its keeping it and keeping our sanity. Almost every autistic person who has worked has experience of unhelpful managers, office politics and horrible work environments that resulted in stress and poor health. Requests made for reasonable adjustments under the Equalties Act are routinely refused by ill-informed managers and employers would rather we left than make the effort to integrate us into the workforce.

    And not all of us can work even if we would like to.

    At GCHQ, where a high proportion of staff are autistic, there are specialist support systems in place to make sure they get the best out of their talented and skilled neurodiverse workforce. This is what we need NAS, not videos of us having public meltdowns. I would just hate my manager to see that video.

Reply

  • I too am disappointed with the NAS camapign around adults and work.

    Firstly I found the campaign video just baffling and I don't think a neurotypical person would make any more sense of it. Also it reinforces the idea that we are unstable and prone to outbursts in public places. Not something likely to attract employers so why has the NAS portrayed us in this light? I  would have found it more informative to  have two autistic people discussing the problems they've faced at job interviews.

    Secondly its not getting a job that many of us find hard, its keeping it and keeping our sanity. Almost every autistic person who has worked has experience of unhelpful managers, office politics and horrible work environments that resulted in stress and poor health. Requests made for reasonable adjustments under the Equalties Act are routinely refused by ill-informed managers and employers would rather we left than make the effort to integrate us into the workforce.

    And not all of us can work even if we would like to.

    At GCHQ, where a high proportion of staff are autistic, there are specialist support systems in place to make sure they get the best out of their talented and skilled neurodiverse workforce. This is what we need NAS, not videos of us having public meltdowns. I would just hate my manager to see that video.

Children
No Data