Requirement to state i have Autisim?

Post Reply New Topic

I was wondering is there any sort of law that requires me to state that i have Autism at interviews/on applications? i would prefer not to get a job based on skills and such and i dont know why but i just think that if i put i have Autism (among other things) that it doesnt matter how good or qualified i am i will just get rejected for any jobs.

Though with like 20-30jobs applied for and 1 interview doesnt really help, of course this is more about sending CVs but getting to the interview is insanely hard as it is, i dont really want to risk not getting a job because i told them i have Autism

Of course i would have to tell them if i got the job, but would that then give them the option to instantly sack me or anything?

AFIK you aren't required to disclose any medical condition as long as it doesn't materially impact your work(like you'd want to know if a truck driver candidate had diabetes or a heart condition) but since AS doesn't affect your work, I presume you wouldn't have to disclose it. Again, I'm not a lawyer and my experience is only within the US so your mileage may vary.

No, there is no requirement to disclose autism (or any other disability status) when applying for a job. There is no requirement to tell them once you have the job either, unless you need to ask for some sort of accommodations.

Okay thanks, im pretty sure it would affect my job depending on the job i end up getting though which is where i am wondering - I cant be around too many people as i get too paranoid and just cant concentrate on anything, seeing as i havent had a job before there could be others but the above one is one that i already know about

Just state that you have certain quirks like being around too many people bothers you; don't bring the disability part into it.

On the other hand, I've found that being open about my Tourette Syndrome has made interviewers more trustful of me; they know that I don't have a lot to hide if I can reveal something like that. To be fair though, the Tourette's is far more obvious.

No one will employ you if you are open about it. Aspergers is as toxic as toxic labels get as far as employers are concerned.

I wonder if we could get legislation passed that would require employers to disclose whether or not they were a-holes? I think that would have a greater impact on my performance.

Though I suppose that disclosing that you had aspergers might be a way to determine if they were a-holes. Hmmm.

I just tell employers that I have a very low tolerance for politics and hidden agendas and I tend to be more straightforward than I probably should be. I'm also very family-focused and tend to focus on getting my work done and getting home to them at night. (which gives me an out for any work-related social events)...and finally, I'm used to working in a global environment, so I tend to make extensive use of web meetings and teleconferences instead of face-to-face events. (I also honestly beleive that if any people have to attend remotely, it's better to keep everyone on an even footing. So even when some people can attend in person, I'd rather have *everyone* in person or *everyone* dialed/logged in. None of this half and half thing.)

Of course, now that I've given some of my secrets away, I'll probably never get through another interview.

Check out this list of Asperger advantages if you need more talking points for an interview:

http://www.coachingasperger.com/advantages.htm

I have aspergers AND am deaf, and I don't mention either when it comes to jobs unless its directly asked, and even then I only bring up deafness. Aspergers has been irrelevent to any job I have had, and I have never let it bring me down, never has it been an issue as far as I know. In theory they cannot discriminate, but in practice you never know if they will use it against you, so shut your mouth until you get that job

That's excellent advice, even beyond AS. If it's not directly relevant to the job, try to keep it out of the interview. Just be careful, I've just recently started running into interviewers that are getting sneakier about things like this. (Stupidly, I didn't really clue in until I encountered it a few times. I revealed way too much in an attempt to get the points for being active and I'm sure that in at least one case it killed my chances at the job.)

e.g.:
We have a strong commitment to community service, here. Are you involved in any community, activism or special interest groups? Do you volunteer anywhere?

We support a number of organizations through charitable donations. Maybe we support some groups that you're involved with?

We have a strong commitment to social media and we encourage associates to be involved online. Do you regularly post to any blogs or websites?


Of course, if you answer "no" or refuse to answer any of the questions, it can come across like you're a self-centered jerk. However, if you do answer, they get some information that it's not really legal to ask for. Similarly, if you answer that you'd rather not answer, it comes across like you have something to hide.

I'd recommend that you have some nice neutral stock answers prepared. While you don't have to answer and they can't legally discriminate based on your answers (or lack thereof), they also don't have to hire you. So, you kind of have to play the game.

If you wanted to feel them out, you can always play the "I have a number of friends/children/family members with Asperger Syndrome/ASD/etc. and I'm active in the community" without saying that you're an Aspie yourself. That's kind of dangerous, though. While they can't come right out and ask, they may make the connection that you're also a member of that community. One trick that you can use with the uninformed/uneducated is to say that you're involved in the Autism community. A significant portion of the population will think that functioning in an interview and being autistic are mutually exclusive. You can re-educate them after you get the job, but you can use the ignorance to your advantage. You might be able to get the points for awareness and involvement without the discrimination for "being one".

"If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bulls*"

Positive approach is good. I don't consider AS to be a disability. We're not defective ... just different.

My last job application I didn't mention AS. I got the job as a Municipal Engineer. After that I explained my AS to the people I had to work with so that they would understand me better.

My Human Resources Officer asked why I hadn't mentioned anything in my job application or interview. I replied that it would have given me an unfair advantage.

I applied for a promotion when a more senior vacancy came up a year later. No problem getting that. Having AS doesn't have to result in a disadvantage.