Just as an FYI, autism is considered a disability so your employer has to make reasonable accommodations.
Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits
61–70 of 139 posts
Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
Autism is not a mental illness. I am not mentally ill. I was born with a disability which causes social impairments and a host of other symptoms. Being Autistic is beyond my control, and is untreatable other than just trying my damndest to “pass” as neurotypical whereever and however I can. I find it incredibly insulting and damaging to label me as mentally ill.
[flagged]
Autism is a well known disability.
Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits
#63Disclosing a mental illness at work sounds like the worst idea you could ever have. I think it's better not to say anything and, if you wrong someone because of your illness, maybe tell that person in private and apologise. Unfortunately doing that makes it sound like an excuse. I'm not saying I have a better solution. Some people simply aren't apt for the real world. That's sad but it's the truth.
Autism is not a mental illness. I am not mentally ill. I was born with a disability which causes social impairments and a host of other symptoms. Being Autistic is beyond my control, and is untreatable other than just trying my damndest to “pass” as neurotypical whereever and however I can. I find it incredibly insulting and damaging to label me as mentally ill.
It's the same effect though. Regardless of pathology.
Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits
#64I have found it best to not talk about any psychological pathology with anyone that does not understand it(no one really understands but some people understand that they don't understand). You can mention the symptoms, but don't label it, as soon as you insert the word autism, schizophrenia, depression people will apply their own preconceived deeply flawed interpretations of the problem.
Disclosing anything not directly related to the work (i.e. health/future plans/dreams/difficulties/struggles) at work is a terrible idea. Every single person who thinks or advocates otherwise lives in a bubble -- betting on a correct outcome is no difficult than betting on rationality of the market. Remember, market can be irrational for longer than you can remain solvent.
That really depends on what you want out of your workplace.
If all you want is money to fuel the rest of your life then i think you are on point.
Personally i think life is to short/demanding, one needs to find an appropriate balance between work and personal life. I would rather have the people at work be friends than foes.
Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not OP, but hyperfocus springs immediately to mind.
Hyperfocus is not a specific indication of autism. It is also observed in AD(H)D patients, as complementary mode of attention deficits. If it worked such that you cannot focus on anything, ADHD would be very easy to diagnose.
[deleted]
Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
Disclosing anything not directly related to the work (i.e. health/future plans/dreams/difficulties/struggles) at work is a terrible idea. Every single person who thinks or advocates otherwise lives in a bubble -- betting on a correct outcome is no difficult than betting on rationality of the market. Remember, market can be irrational for longer than you can remain solvent.
That really depends on what you want out of your workplace. If all you want is money to fuel the rest of your life then i think you are on point. Personally i think life is to short/demanding, one needs to find an appropriate balance between work and personal life. I would rather have the people at work be friends than foes.
Did you mean “friends”, or am I not getting the pun?
Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits
#67Disclosing a mental illness at work sounds like the worst idea you could ever have. I think it's better not to say anything and, if you wrong someone because of your illness, maybe tell that person in private and apologise. Unfortunately doing that makes it sound like an excuse. I'm not saying I have a better solution. Some people simply aren't apt for the real world. That's sad but it's the truth.
If you work somewhere where that is the situation I would highly recommend trying to find a job that isn't as messed up. In the province of Ontario, employers are specifically needed to allow you to take your sick days for if you are feeling overwhelmed or something else is going on that is bad for your mental health. Asperger's Syndrome isn't considered a mental illness it's considered a neurodevelopmental disorder.…
I'm not sure I understand your analogy to drinking alcohol and insulting people?
I mean, you show up drunk to work and insult people, you get fired - right? What's the analogy to someone on the autistic spectrum?
Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits
#68I'm having difficultly explaining my child has autism and need the time off all the time. Seriously people's expectations versus handling reality are very misaligned. Everyone constantly tells me I look sleepy and I've over heard from some that maybe I drink too much. They don't understand the time it takes to drive a kid to see 3 different specialists every other week, to drive to and from ABA therapy (which doesn't…
For others to suggest you're drinking too much is both strange and absurd... it would be one of the last suggestions I were to brainstorm, but perhaps I'm naive in that regard.
Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits
#69Disclosing a mental illness at work sounds like the worst idea you could ever have. I think it's better not to say anything and, if you wrong someone because of your illness, maybe tell that person in private and apologise. Unfortunately doing that makes it sound like an excuse. I'm not saying I have a better solution. Some people simply aren't apt for the real world. That's sad but it's the truth.
Autism is not a mental illness. I am not mentally ill. I was born with a disability which causes social impairments and a host of other symptoms. Being Autistic is beyond my control, and is untreatable other than just trying my damndest to “pass” as neurotypical whereever and however I can. I find it incredibly insulting and damaging to label me as mentally ill.
The modern discussion whether it's a mental illness or not is just tiptoeing around the issue for non-medical concerns.
Mental illness doesn't mean "crazy person", there's a huge number of such cases, and half the population or more is affected by one or more (20% on any given year).
There's nothing insulting or damaging to call someone as mentally ill (except for types who think it means "crazy person" or some such).
In fact, there shouldn't be anything insulting or damaging about being bodily ill as well!
The bottom lime is that autism is associated with certain impairments that affect our mental states (on the spectrum, have a close relative with another mental illness). It's not some X-men like new state of being that people should aspire too, but it's something we should respect, try to heal if we can, and learn to live with and support.
Re: Disclosure of autism at work holds risks and benefits
#70Disclosing a mental illness at work sounds like the worst idea you could ever have. I think it's better not to say anything and, if you wrong someone because of your illness, maybe tell that person in private and apologise. Unfortunately doing that makes it sound like an excuse. I'm not saying I have a better solution. Some people simply aren't apt for the real world. That's sad but it's the truth.
>Some people simply aren't apt for the real world. That's sad but it's the truth.
Sure, but as civilized people and not savage beasts, we can accommodate them. In fact if we aren't already under some disability ourselves, we are still just an e.g. car accident away from being under one.
Perhaps you wear prescription glasses?