Board index › General Discussion › General Autism Discussion

UK actively considering autistic military recruits

Page 1 of 1 [ 15 posts ] 

Previous topic | Next topic

ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Posts: 38,085
Location: Long Island, New York

22 Feb 2022, 3:15 pm

Forces.net

Quote:
People with autism could be recruited to the military to aid the UK's response to cyber threats, according to a defence minister.

Leo Docherty told MPs the Government is "actively considering" the proposal after he was challenged in the House of Commons.

Liberal Democrat MP Jamie Stone raised the case of a Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituent who was "keen as mustard" to join the Armed Forces but had been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.

MPs heard the young man "fell at the first hurdle" and was rejected despite Mr Stone's efforts to lobby ministers.

Mr Docherty replied: "We are actively considering recruiting people with neurodiversity because of their capacity for working in the cyber-sphere, so I'm very pleased he raised it and I can confirm we're actively looking at that."

In March 2019, Conservative MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan – now the Trade Secretary – used a Commons debate to warn that Britain's military was losing the opportunity to hire "brilliant minds" due to moves to stop people who are autistic from applying to join


_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity.

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman


kitesandtrainsandcats
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 May 2016
Age: 62
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,965
Location: Missouri

22 Feb 2022, 3:33 pm

As with anything, the people in charge of making that happen might do so wisely or unwisely.
Time will tell.


_________________
"There are a thousand things that can happen when you go light a rocket engine, and only one of them is good."
Tom Mueller of SpaceX, in Air and Space, Jan. 2011


Double Retired
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 31 Jul 2020
Age: 70
Gender: Male
Posts: 6,830
Location: U.S.A.         (Mid-Atlantic)

23 Feb 2022, 10:22 am

I am a U.S. military veteran. I was in computers.

I think if/when the U.S. creates a separate service branch for "cyber" it is likely to rely strongly on "High Functioning" Autistics.


_________________
When diagnosed I bought champagne!
I finally knew why people were strange.


jimmy m
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Jun 2018
Age: 76
Gender: Male
Posts: 9,827
Location: Indiana

24 Feb 2022, 5:50 pm

I was in the military. I had certain skills and the military found a way of using them.


_________________
Author of Practical Preparations for a Coronavirus Pandemic.
A very unique plan. As Dr. Paul Thompson wrote, "This is the very best paper on the virus I have ever seen."


Joe90
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 26,492
Location: UK

24 Feb 2022, 6:53 pm

I hope they don't send for me to do this, as it'll be a stereotype. Not all of us are technology savvy and there are plenty of neurotypicals that technology savvy.


_________________
Female


IsabellaLinton
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 1 Nov 2017
Gender: Female
Posts: 72,433
Location: Chez Quis

24 Feb 2022, 6:55 pm

I don't understand why they can't serve, currently.

I mean, if someone passes the recruitment and training, why not?


_________________
I never give you my number, I only give you my situation.
Beatles


KMCIURA
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

Joined: 6 Jan 2022
Gender: Male
Posts: 141

24 Feb 2022, 7:14 pm

IsabellaLinton wrote:
I don't understand why they can't serve, currently.

I mean, if someone passes the recruitment and training, why not?


Because commanding officers need their troops to have broadly the same, coherent response to unfolding events. Neurodiverse people, even if highly intelligent and physically capable, can be an unpredictable element of the puzzle. This may cause people to lose lives.



KMCIURA
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

Joined: 6 Jan 2022
Gender: Male
Posts: 141

24 Feb 2022, 7:17 pm

Joe90 wrote:
I hope they don't send for me to do this, as it'll be a stereotype. Not all of us are technology savvy and there are plenty of neurotypicals that technology savvy.


There's no military draft in UK. No one will reach out for you. Also, before any AS person would enter such duties, they would need to pass examination to evaluate their skills. It's not like they'll dress you up in a camo uniform, force to sit in front of computer and say "now, do that thing with computer, autistic girl".

Do
Not
Worry



Joe90
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 26,492
Location: UK

24 Feb 2022, 7:26 pm

KMCIURA wrote:
Joe90 wrote:
I hope they don't send for me to do this, as it'll be a stereotype. Not all of us are technology savvy and there are plenty of neurotypicals that technology savvy.


There's no military draft in UK. No one will reach out for you. Also, before any AS person would enter such duties, they would need to pass examination to evaluate their skills. It's not like they'll dress you up in a camo uniform, force to sit in front of computer and say "now, do that thing with computer, autistic girl".

Do
Not
Worry


That's OK then. I just prefer being treated like I'm a neurotypical. I don't want to have letters sent to me in the mail saying "you're autistic, therefore you can work computers, you must join our military force to fight against cyber attacks."

It's like when people with autism were getting priority of the first covid vaccine. I flipped out, as my AS didn't make me any more vulnerable to covid than healthy people without AS, and I wasn't unaware of the covid restrictions either, so I didn't need to be prioritized. Thankfully it didn't happen like that.

I just don't like being singled out because of AS, which is why I don't like it lurking around on my medical records.


_________________
Female


Double Retired
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 31 Jul 2020
Age: 70
Gender: Male
Posts: 6,830
Location: U.S.A.         (Mid-Atlantic)

24 Feb 2022, 8:13 pm

IsabellaLinton wrote:
I don't understand why they can't serve, currently.

I mean, if someone passes the recruitment and training, why not?
I think individuals should be assessed individually for whether their Autism disqualifies them. Some Autistics would be unable to function in the military...but some have (and are on WP!).

And I stand by my previous assertion: if/when the U.S. creates a separate service branch for "cyber" it is likely to rely strongly on "High Functioning" Autistics.


_________________
When diagnosed I bought champagne!
I finally knew why people were strange.


ToughDiamond
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Age: 72
Gender: Male
Posts: 14,534

24 Feb 2022, 11:04 pm

Joe90 wrote:
It's like when people with autism were getting priority of the first covid vaccine. I flipped out, as my AS didn't make me any more vulnerable to covid than healthy people without AS, and I wasn't unaware of the covid restrictions either, so I didn't need to be prioritized. Thankfully it didn't happen like that.

I just don't like being singled out because of AS, which is why I don't like it lurking around on my medical records.

Interesting - my ASD diagnosis is in my medical records, but they only sent me an invitation for a jab at the same time as other healthy people of my age. I wouldn't have been upset at being prioritised though. Can always say no, and so what if they think I'm more vulnerable than I am? Their views aren't important to me.

As for the military, I'm rather suspicious of the armed forces so I'm not sure it's such a great thing not to be exempted on the grounds of ASD, but other individuals are entitled to view it differently of course.



Earthbound_Alien
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 30 Jul 2017
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,179
Location: UK

25 Feb 2022, 2:45 am

Joe90 wrote:
KMCIURA wrote:
Joe90 wrote:
I hope they don't send for me to do this, as it'll be a stereotype. Not all of us are technology savvy and there are plenty of neurotypicals that technology savvy.


There's no military draft in UK. No one will reach out for you. Also, before any AS person would enter such duties, they would need to pass examination to evaluate their skills. It's not like they'll dress you up in a camo uniform, force to sit in front of computer and say "now, do that thing with computer, autistic girl".

Do
Not
Worry


That's OK then. I just prefer being treated like I'm a neurotypical. I don't want to have letters sent to me in the mail saying "you're autistic, therefore you can work computers, you must join our military force to fight against cyber attacks."

It's like when people with autism were getting priority of the first covid vaccine. I flipped out, as my AS didn't make me any more vulnerable to covid than healthy people without AS, and I wasn't unaware of the covid restrictions either, so I didn't need to be prioritized. Thankfully it didn't happen like that.

I just don't like being singled out because of AS, which is why I don't like it lurking around on my medical records.



the joy of stereotypes

ok I have/had a 140 iq with an nt intellect (thanks to mother dearest) but not tech savy here. don't know what they would call on me for, I'm a theorist more than anything.

id just like it if peeps didn't talk to me like I'm stupid

it makes them sound weird



Joe90
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 26,492
Location: UK

25 Feb 2022, 2:47 am

Quote:
Interesting - my ASD diagnosis is in my medical records, but they only sent me an invitation for a jab at the same time as other healthy people of my age.


Yes, the same happened to me - I didn't get an invitation until everyone else did. I was glad.


_________________
Female


IsabellaLinton
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 1 Nov 2017
Gender: Female
Posts: 72,433
Location: Chez Quis

25 Feb 2022, 3:24 am

Double Retired wrote:
IsabellaLinton wrote:
I don't understand why they can't serve, currently.

I mean, if someone passes the recruitment and training, why not?
I think individuals should be assessed individually for whether their Autism disqualifies them. Some Autistics would be unable to function in the military...but some have (and are on WP!).

And I stand by my previous assertion: if/when the U.S. creates a separate service branch for "cyber" it is likely to rely strongly on "High Functioning" Autistics.


I agree. If a person wants to join, they should be assessed for potential suitability. Then they still need to pass training.

There's no reason to exclude them from applying if interested.


_________________
I never give you my number, I only give you my situation.
Beatles


jimmy m
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Jun 2018
Age: 76
Gender: Male
Posts: 9,827
Location: Indiana

25 Feb 2022, 8:55 am

It sort of boils down to this.
If you are going to war, do you just want a Captain Kirk or is adding a Mr. Spock into the mix provide you an advantage.


_________________
Author of Practical Preparations for a Coronavirus Pandemic.
A very unique plan. As Dr. Paul Thompson wrote, "This is the very best paper on the virus I have ever seen."