Experience with disclosing Asperger to employers

[TheQuiet]

Can anyone share positive experiences of disclosing or not disclosing Asperger in employment?

Is there a winning game plan of getting and keeping jobs for AS individuals?

This is to help an Aspie to weight the pros and cons. Any comments welcome :)

Depends on the employer, to be honest with you. I'm an employer and I am on the autism spectrum, and hire people who are also on the autism spectrum. Works really well. But thanks to the sheer level of ignorance in society there are a fair number of employers who think autism = dangerous or incompetent or a burden and won't touch us.

Employers benefit from seeing a portfolio of what we can do, and really good references to say what our good qualities are. If wanting to disclose, I'd forward those things to them with the application.

I'd also ask for a chance to prove work skills rather than just have an interview. Interviews test social skills, and those are not our strong point. But being allowed to do the job for a day or two might convince them.

I can see what you mean. I asked this question in employement issues and sayd AS is OK, but the local guru told it's not fine for me to speak.

Do you really think one day is enough? An interview is at least structured and predictable. You can prepare. On the first day in the office one usually get shown arround to different people to do small talk. It's a perfect way for the employer to dodge the unwanted candidate and tick the box for diversity

Depends on how the day is structured. I'd insist on it being work-focused with a proper low-sensory environment which you could pre-visit, for example, so that you knew what to expect. The whole meet-the-team thing isn't really relevant for a skills test day.
Interviews are structured, but often contain 'trick questions' and expectations of social excellence in smiles, eye contact and body language. They're not really appropriate for many people on the autism spectrum and I tend not to use them.

A good employer will ask you what you need to demonstrate your skills, and will adapt to that.

If they are not prepared to try, the maximum penalty in law is now £750,000 so it's a heck of a risk for them, too.