I think a work colleague has autism

[LavendersBlue32]

Hi,

I work in mental health and one of my colleagues is showing very clear signs of Aspergers Syndrome and it is having a seriously negative impact on their work.

This colleague has already been given spoken to by senior management regarding issues raised by staff (attitude and patient care)

Aspergers runs in the individuals family and when I say this person ticks every symptom box, I mean every box.

I have a good professional relationship with them and would hate to see them lose their job, which is the direction they are heading. I have been considering having a very informal chat over it and suggesting it's something they look into however I don't know if it's my place?

I'm not performing an armchair diagnosis, I work closely with this person 36-48 hours per week and I have genuine concern for them.

I sincerely apologise if my terminology has offended you, or anyone else on this post. It absolutely wasn't my intention.

I would like to add, you say you'd hate to work with someone like me and that I am prejudice and judgemental. That is simply untrue, unlike most people in my unit, I actually think there is underlying reason why this man behaves as he does and I haven't tarred him with the brush everyone else has.

So what treatment do you suggest for him?

I couldn't possibly suggest a treatment without a proper diagnosis. I also know there is no cure or one size fits all treatment, however there is behavioral management therapy and begnitive behavior therapy that could be worth a try should a diagnosis be confirmed?

He is quite possibly autistic. It's quite common, and lots of autistic people have jobs.

But it's not your job to performance manage him.

If you're asked for team feedback, you can honestly and objectively give that feedback.

If he's autistic, he needs to request the reasonable adjustments needed himself, via occy health. His brain is not your business.

It doesn’t really matter what he has or doesn’t have. The issue is he’s providing an unacceptable level of care for vulnerable patients who are directly suffering as a result. Don’t get in the way if they are trying to manage him out as he clearly isn’t suited to the job. Your duty of care is to the patients not your colleague.

Sorry that should say cognitive behavioural therapy. My screen protector is damaged please forgive any spelling mistakes!!!

You're right. The thing is, I know he's unsuited to the job in his current frame of mind but as I sit here I realise he's just too far gone now. There have been countless incidents where patients have directly suffered as result of his outbursts and poor care.

Maybe learn about autism before you suggest someone has it and can have therapy to treat it. Ye gods.

Exactly this. The poor patients in your unit deserve much better care than your colleague is giving. He needs performance managing out and if you have a good enough relationship outside of work to discuss it with him at that point then do so. If you don’t then you’re not friends and it was never your place (given nor are you his line manager)

And this too! There is no ‘cure’ because it’s not a disease (nor a mental health condition, as you seem to be referring to it as).

Erm, you can't cbt yourself out of a neurodiversity.

Not the right environment. Not something that can be fixed.

Maybe do some learning about ND issues, will be helpful for you.

You're absolutely right, I don't know enough about ND issues. It's massively misunderstood and stigmatised, and I'd like apologise again to anyone who I may have offended. You can be rest assured that it's something I'm going to look into more for a personal understanding.

Good for you, OP.

You sound kind. But just now, you need to use that kindness to stop him harming patients. He has to do him.

I would discuss your concerns in supervision.

I’m an RMN in an inpatient setting. I have a couple of colleagues diagnosed with ASD. Each colleague is very different in how they present and how they manage their quirks. None of them provide care that is inappropriate or poor.

LavendersBlue32

You're absolutely right, I don't know enough about ND issues…You can be rest assured that it's something I'm going to look into more for a personal understanding.

Please just don’t read anymore. The little bit you think you know has you armchair diagnosing a peer wondering whether to tell them and suggesting therapy to ‘cure’ them. Fuck knows what horrors a little more knowledge will unleash.

Being Autistic is hard enough without people like you

@StillNotAGirl Not necessary. OP has taken people quite bluntly pointing out her failings on the chin, and resolved to do better.

She's also, I think, coming from a good place, of thinking her colleague should have reasonable adjustments made. However, it's not her place to sort this, or advocate for him, but I suspect OP is a nice person. From your post, I suspect you may not be.

If you work in Mental health you should know that springing a 'you look like you have autism' to someone you may not even know has it is not the way to go. Even if they did have it, it's not your place and it is insulting.

Some people are just bad with people. Not everyone who has certain distasteful quirks is autistic... This really bothers me. My sister is autistic, has a lot of empathy (too much probably) and is on the medium-low side of functioning (she is currently unable to work). I know your heart is in the right place but seriously I'm so fed up with armchair diagnosis' on mumsnet. Someone's a bit weird - autism! Naughty nasty kid? Autism! It's not always bloody autism, and even if it is, it's not something to just throw about as an explanation for every awful quirk or behaviour.

It's a tricky situation, I've no advice and I'd hate to be in your shoes right now.

Just in case you haven't heard this before, though I appreciate that you probably have since it's the reason that the term was removed from the DSM:

Hans Asperger was a WW2 German scientist who experimented on autistic children. The highly intelligent children were deemed useful and Hans named this sub category after himself. All the other autistic kids who were of average or below average intelligence were murdered as he deemed them useless. That's why people find the term so offensive.

Two things… A diagnosis is unlikely to change this person’s behaviours or reactions.
You might have to accept that this is not the right person for the job. Maybe have an informal chat with his line manager.

"Hi ladies" 🤣 cringe

Actually I'm going to go against the grain here and say that if he does not have a diagnosis of ASD, but it is your sincere belief that he does, then it would be appropriate to bring it up with HIS line manager for several reasons. 1. Is because for me, having a diagnosis was life changing for me, it was a light bulb moment of all becoming clear. And I finally understood so much about my early life. 2. It may be helpful to this work colleague to know that an issue has been raised and his behaviour needs tempering. 3. With a diagnosis his employer knows reasonable adjustments should be made to enable the continuing employment.

For the person who took offence at op saying CBT does not cure asd, I don't think op was saying that. What CBT and counselling can do is help the patient to a better understanding of why they react the way they do to certain situations. Knowing triggers are triggers is actually exceptionally helpful to asd sufferers because then you can start to manage those triggers in a better or more effective way by using headphones to cut out noise, avoiding busy areas, be moved into a role where physical distance can be maintained etc etc.

I'm a social welfare lawyer and first suspected I was on the spectrum after acting for several clients with asd in benefit appeals. It is helpful to have a diagnosis for most people.

@StillNotAGirl just so that you are not in any doubt your post is inappropriately nasty.

New to mumsnet, sorry I made you cringe. I won't use ladies again.