Whats Autism classed as?

[Hopinghonestly]

Just been diagnosed with Autism..(very late in life)

What is it classed as? Like its not mental health, not learning disability? What is it under? I'm filling out my online forms and i am confused what tick box you tick.

Not funny.

my daughter is autistic, it’s definitely not a mental illness and I would never refer to it as that way too much stigma around MI. I say she is disabled or has learning difficulties (I know people will disagree but I was fed up with the judgement from telling people she is autistic)

Excuse me?

This is just not true.

I have Autism. I dont have any areas of low intelligence.

I dont see or feel things like a NT person would but that doesnt make those areas low intelligence.

A learning disability does not mean low intelligence.

Look up the social model of disability

You're only 'disabled' as society is set up by and for neurotypical people. If autistic people were the majority you wouldn't struggle at all.

You can be discriminated against due to autism or other disability if you do not declare it. So if your communication at interview was poor due to your autism and they counted against you for this, they could not be found guilty of discrimination unless you had declared it as a disability. This is why it can sometimes be important to declare any disability.

What sort of quirks? If it won't affect you doing your job role, do you need to mention it at all?

I'm sorry you feel you had to get diagnosed to please others.

Yes it does, that is its definition.

Mild learning disability (disorder of intellectual development): IQ 50 to 70
Moderate learning disability: IQ 35-49
Severe learning disability: IQ 20-34
Profound learning disability: IQ below 20

Though ‘intellectual disability’ is used internationally and ‘mental retardation’ was also used until replaced in DSM V. IQ measures have also been criticised but this still the basis for this definition.

Given many autistic people develop special interests and the nature of PhDs, it wouldn’t surprise me if the prevalence of autism amongst those with PhDs was much higher than in the rest of the population.

It’s a neurological disorder, not a learning disability (lowIQ) or a Learning difficulty (Eg dyslexia). If you have autism you are disabled as being disabled by your condition is I think part of the criteria (or at least was).

As an aside organisations like the Environment Agency, MI6 and other areas of government are putting lots of effort into being inclusive with a particular focus on Neurodivergence and are worth a look.

It is common for people with ASD to have a spiky profile, that doesn't mean that they have low intelligence,, just some areas are lower than the others. My DDs cognitive tests showed her as extremely gifted in 3/5 areas and 'just' high average in the others.

My DD feels that her ASD does disable her in that she can't do what her friends do despite having pretty low support needs, the amount of time to destress after masking all day means she misses out on after school activities etc. Despite being incredibly clever she struggles to answer a question when put on the spot even though she knows the answer and goes mute or starts to tic if under extreme stress not to mention shutdowns and burnouts that can last a long time. All of those are disabling compared to what a 13 year old should be able to do.

As an adult your ASD may impact you in a similar way but you don't identify your experience as disability because for years disability (wrongly) conjured up images of those reliant on wheelchairs rather that the large range of visible and invisible disability that we have awareness of nowadays.

That’s nonsense. Not being able to understand language, to speak, to make yourself a sandwich are not ‘society’ just not accepting you. As usual, most people here are talking about a new ‘autism’ that is not recognisable to for the majority who are being more and more hidden literally without a voice.

This.

I think it used to be Neurodevelopmental disorder but has rightly been updated.

I think there is value in the social model in highlighting the barriers society can place to participation. But I also think it is wrong to say it is only society that disables someone. Providing a wheelchair and ensuring everywhere was wheelchair accessible would certainly reduce the impact of being quadriplegic but someone in this situation is clearly still disabled. It is not just physical spaces that needs changing, that individual relies on non-quadriplegic members of society to survive.

I'm well aware of the different models of disability.
I don't notice I'm too hot until I'm unconsolable in tears. Pretty sure that's disabling whatever society I live in. A very trivial example and not the most disabling aspect of my autism by any stretch, but still, not a pleasant experience even if I lived in a society where that happened to everyone.
Similarly, a totally wheelchair accessible world would be wonderful for me. But I'd still be in pain and too fatigued to leave the house most days. So I'd still be disabled. No one "model" of disability works on its own, precisely because they are merely models. They are each useful to consider in conjunction with one another.

Few reasons, people would get wound up by how i have to question or pharaphrase them a lot to understand what they are getting at. I am not wven sure where i go wrong, i will think a conversation went really well and that i have made a friend and when i get home i am blocked 😂 sometimes they would feel bad about themselves if they misunderstand me or if they take a dislike to me and dont know why, when they know its Autism they feel better.

I am very prone to being singledout and picked on. (I dont notice it so it escaltes so on occasion other people have to step in)

Also i dont eat out anymore as i have ARFID from Autism, so disect my food and have weird habits that piss people off, all of this although it wont matter with work, it does with relationships with colleagues..

I get very bad anxiety due to people as i now panic so much about offending people or how I respond, that i over think and analyse each interaction trying to predict each possible response and tangent in small talk. Its all way to stressful haha

OP "Few reasons, people would get wound up by how i have to question or pharaphrase them a lot to understand what they are getting at. I am not wven sure where i go wrong, i will think a conversation went really well and that i have made a friend and when i get home i am blocked 😂 sometimes they would feel bad about themselves if they misunderstand me or if they take a dislike to me and dont know why, when they know its Autism they feel better."

it sounds like you need to declare it for these reasons

but how have you found other jobs, were there any issues there?

Yes, i got pushed out eventually. In one work place bullying happened and HR had to get involved. In others it got so awkward with the team i left :( the ones that went well was when i was a lone worker running the office or working remote. :(

So it does upset me, i have always got on really well with boss or managers as work itself was great and smashing targets. Since I have been diagnosed i have been reading up on Autism in workplace and I have identified a few things i didnt realise I did in social work settings. (Being completely oblivious around the weird protocol around something so simple as tea and not realising in work place banter your meant to join in or acknowledge jokes) i feel obviously it cant just be that to end up with being hated so much, but it indicated to me that if i fall flat on what appears so basic, then other matters i must be messing up in too.

do jobs have to interview those who declare disability?
they do in NHS
with reasonable adjustments
so it might help your cause?

No. You still have to fulfil the basic requirements for the role. So the nhs would not have to interview someone without a medical degree to be a doctor just because they are disabled. And certain disabilities could preclude you from a job if it prevented you carrying out the role. But employers need to be very careful that the basic requirements for the role are actually requirements and not just preferred. For example having a driving license is often listed in job profiles but not actually a requirement (eg they could use taxis, public transport or not need to travel) so you could be discriminating against disabilities if you require one. You also must not discriminate in the recruitment process itself. Interviewing every disabled applicant who fulfills the basic job requirements and erring on the side of those who might possibly do so, is a way the nhs try to ensure they are not discriminating.

Unlike other protected characteristics, the Equality Act allows you to treat those with disabilities more favourably than other applicant/employees.

Whether to declares a disability is really a question of weighing up your need for reasonably adjustments vs the assumptions people often make about your disability and whether you might be discriminated against because of it. Just because you can take an employer to tribunal does not mean you want to. Even if you win at tribunal, the process of getting to that point means you lose out overall and even with compensation may still be very out of pocket.

Autism is a neurological developmental disability

Those who are autistic are more likely to suffer with poor mental health, but it isn't a mental health condition in itself.

Don't ever disclose it until you have been offered a job and have started work. Then if you feel comfortable opening up about it and need adjustments you can take it from there.

I don't trust potential employers not to discriminate so I refuse to hand them a sheet of paper giving them time to think of excuses not to interview me .

I wouldnt disclose it unless you are desperate and gave good reason to trust them.

They will discriminate against you if they can get away with it which they almost always do.