Do you find people understand autism?

[EveryPlanetHasAYorkshire]

More specifically, employers?

Not really sure what to say tbh honest but this is something that has being playing on my mind recently. I had to leave my job in June because I was really struggling and having panic attacks. They also told me that I wasn't communicating effeceintly regarding any issues with working from home. They knew I had autism and they I kept reminding them but they didn't seem to care or even understand.

*efficiently

No, and I work with medics who should know better.

HR are good though.

The fact that I keep having to remind them about my autism (so please don't expect me to show people round, or understand wth you're talking about when you give me the vaguest info possible..)

Yes I hate the vague info thing. Just say what you mean and say it clearly. I have no idea what people are going on about half the time.

The think they're making sense. Half the time j could work it out eventually, but fgs, just spend 10 seconds actually explaining and all will be well.

Well, there are millions of different employers in the Country (if you are in the UK), obviously millions more when you consider this is an international forum now, so, no way of generalising.
Then, of course, every single individual with Autism, is just that - an individual. So what might be an obvious thing to you might not apply to the next person who has autism. There isn't a 'checklist' in terms of 'things people should understand'. Anyone with a disability needs to share how it affects them, and what adjustments make the world of difference to them. A diagnosis of a condition doesn't do that.

I haven’t disclosed. Thought I might have to if I hadn’t been allowed to work away from my usual home (back with relatives).

Is anyone finding it harder or maybe easier if wfh when you are normally face to face. I’m not sure I pick up on nuance in emails or over zoom.

I'm finding it much easier working from home, because I don't have to deal with a noisy open plan office. Communication with my boss could be better, but tbh that's no different really, it's just bad comms over email instead of in person.

@BackforGood

Well, there are millions of different employers in the Country (if you are in the UK), obviously millions more when you consider this is an international forum now, so, no way of generalising. Then, of course, every single individual with Autism, is just that - an individual. So what might be an obvious thing to you might not apply to the next person who has autism. There isn't a 'checklist' in terms of 'things people should understand'. Anyone with a disability needs to share how it affects them, and what adjustments make the world of difference to them. A diagnosis of a condition doesn't do that.

I don't know if I agree with this. All people with autism are different, but there are things that come up time and time again. Clarity of communication, difficulty working in distracting environments, rigid thinking, many more.

Yes, not all apply to all autistic people, but I know a lot of us, and there's a strong general theme

I am doing the course: Cache level 2 Understanding Autism. I don't have ASD myself but hope it will make me a better mum and colleague. I am already learning so much.

No. My colleagues had no idea how to deal with me and the feeling was mutual. See, I hate it when people like Trump get praised for saying what they think, because I say what I think and it’s got me into trouble. I WFH now and I prefer it because I hate office work.

My line manager made me go to a diversity training meeting even though it took place during a shift, I was due to go home at a certain time and spending an extra hour at work would trigger a fibro flare, not to mention the stress of getting more behind. I had to do group work with a colleague I hated and I had a meltdown and walked out in tears. I told my line manager I couldn’t deal with meetings like that and she just said a load of stupid shit about how I wasn’t really disabled and she’d never met an autistic person before and I said, “Now you have.” The NHS pays lip service to diversity. It’s all a lie.

@EveryPlanetHasAYorkshire

Yes I hate the vague info thing. Just say what you mean and say it clearly. I have no idea what people are going on about half the time.

I think my colleagues thought I was thick because I kept asking them stuff. I just wanted to make sure I was doing my job right.

In a nutshell, no.