Waitrose-rejected autistic worker gets Asda offer

23 October 2025

The initial employment tribunal (ET) also noted Mallon had lost multiple tribunal claims against various employers between 2017 and 2019 – including one in which he was ordered to pay the employer costs of nearly £4,000.

Judge Burgher, who ruled on the initial ET claim, said that because Mallon had previous claims relating to similar matters against recruitment agencies and other organisations that were either dismissed or withdrawn of his own volition, this was “one of the rare cases” where the exception to the rule that discrimination clams should not be struck out applied.

He added this was indicative of a “lack of substance” to those claims and “no credible basis” to maintain them.

However, the EAT said despite the number of previous claims made by the claimant, it was not possible without further investigation to determine on a summary basis that Mallon’s claim – that he was put at a substantial disadvantage by being asked to complete an online application – was false. Nor was it possible to determine on a summary basis that Mallon already knew the claim was false.

As such, the EAT ruled that the case would be heard again by a different ET judge.

The initial East London ET heard that, on 5 June 2017, a fair employment tribunal in Northern Ireland threw out his claim of disability discrimination against the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) when he was not shortlisted or interviewed for a position. Mallon argued that he couldn’t complete the online application and had difficulty clicking on the activation button to begin his online application in an email. The tribunal did not accept that Mallon “was not familiar with the concept of clicking a blue link on his screen” and found his evidence to be “at best confused, and at worst misleading”.

The tribunal heard that, following this claim, Mallon withdrew 17 separate claims because of his “lack of knowledge of the requirements to advance a claim”. But Burgher said he found this “hard to believe” given the detailed findings of the DAERA judgment.

Burgher then brought Mallon’s claim against John Lee Recruitment in August 2018 to the tribunal’s attention, in which he was ordered to pay 50 per cent of the costs, amounting to £3,995, when he withdrew his claim. Mallon then withdrew a further 12 remaining claims from 2018-19 “as a result of the costs judgment” in the John Lee Recruitment case.

Following this, in March 2019, Mallon entered into another employment tribunal for disability discrimination against recruitment agency MBA Notts after he failed to be shortlisted for several jobs. During the hearing, employment judge R Clark pointed out that Mallon’s CV demonstrated he was highly educated and had held a number of senior positions, and that it disclosed his disability and detailed how dyspraxia may manifest.

However, Clark struck out Mallon’s claim as he was rejected for having no experience for the roles he applied for and his claim had “little reasonable prospect of success”.

Jules Quinn, partner at King & Spalding International, said the case highlights how employers could avoid finding themselves in a similar situation to the organisations mentioned above by conducting background checks on potential candidates.

“It is very easy for an employer to conduct a background check to determine what, if any, tribunal claims or cases a job applicant has brought against previous employers,” said Quinn.

But she added that acting on any findings also risked putting the employer on tricky legal ground. While “careless hiring practices” can leave an organisation exposed, Quinn also warned that taking any action against a candidate, such as not shortlisting them for an interview, could amount to victimisation.

Source: People Management

UK employers eye ‘competitive advantage’ in hiring neurodivergent workers

Six-fold rise in job ads that mention conditions such as ADHD and autism since 2019, data shows

Amy Borrett, 19 December 2024

UK employers are waking up to the “competitive advantage” of hiring people with conditions such as ADHD and autism, as data shows a six-fold increase in job adverts mentioning terms related to neurodiversity since 2019.

But policy experts and campaigners warn that companies need to do more to improve labour market access for neurodivergent candidates as employment rates for this group remain stubbornly low.

Figures from hiring website Indeed, shared with the Financial Times, indicated that 2.1 per cent of posts referenced these conditions in October 2024, compared with 0.3 per cent in January 2019.

The findings, which excluded roles that typically involve working with neurodivergent people, reflect how more companies are actively seeking such candidates and adjusting their hiring processes to attract the rapidly expanding share of the population with these conditions.

Policy experts cautioned against companies paying lip service to long-standing barriers to entry without taking real action and called for the government to urgently improve education and health services.

The NHS estimates that one in seven people in the UK are neurodivergent, a term that covers conditions such as autism, ADHD and dyslexia that affect how the brain processes information.

Business leaders argue there is a strong economic case for recruiting more people from this “untapped pool of talent”, who have historically been disadvantaged by ineffective hiring and working practices.

Mayur Gondhea, founder of CubeLynx, a consultancy providing financial modelling on infrastructure and net zero projects, said half of the company’s 30 analysts were neurodivergent, giving his businesses a “competitive advantage”.

“This group is hugely talented but just cannot get a foothold and contribute to the jobs market,” he said.

Gondhea added that making adjustments to the work environment, such as providing noise-cancelling headphones and flexible working hours, were “not that expensive or difficult” to implement.

"Being inclusive makes people comfortable at work, more productive and more likely to stay with you,” he said.

Joseph Koppenhout, a financial analyst at CubeLynx who is autistic, said conventional hiring practices often inadvertently excluded neurodivergent people.

“A lot of job interviews rely on vibes and whether you click with that person, which by the nature of autism is quite challenging,” he said.

He added that autistic people were often deterred from applying if they did not meet all the job requirements, not realising that recruiters expected people to apply “optimistically”.

CubeLynx is one of the companies leading the way on improving workplace inclusivity, according to the inaugural Neurodiversity Employers index, an annual evaluation of workplace culture, recruitment strategies and employee wellbeing. Management consultancy Baringa and insurer Aviva Group were also among the top performers.

The report, which was published by charity Autistica last month, concluded more action was needed, with only 30 per cent of the 118 companies that chose to participate having a clear neuro-inclusion goal and strategy.

James Cusack, Autistica chief executive, said changes to working practices had “cascading benefits” across an organisation.

“It’s not about giving neurodivergent people preferential treatment. The current interview system isn’t very effective and it particularly disadvantages autistic people,” he added.

Dan Harris, founder of Neurodiversity in Business, an industry group, said that while large companies were starting to take note of the “vast” neurodivergent workforce, some efforts were “perfunctory” but most companies were making changes “with gusto”.

In recent years, Wall Street has lead the way in widening the goalposts. US banks such as JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo have invested heavily in global neurodiversity programmes.“

A small number of key leaders in the industry are driving forth recognition that there is incredibly untapped talent,” said Stephen DeStefani, neurodiversity lead at Wells Fargo, adding that the programme had filled “critical skills” gaps.

Bryan Gill, head of neurodiversity at JPMorgan, said hiring had become “far more competitive” and one of the “largest untapped pools” of talent is the neurodivergent community.

Despite this greater awareness, employment rates have barely shifted. Official data shows only 31 per cent of autistic adults in the UK were in work in the year ending March 2024, only a slight rise from 26 per cent in the 12 months to March 2021, the first year comparable data was collected.

Dismantling the barriers of entry would also drive economic growth, research suggests. Pro Bono Economics, a think-tank, found that doubling employment rates for autistic people by 2030 would deliver between £900mn and £1.5bn in societal benefits each year.

“There’s a real hard economic edge to this issue,” said Sir Robert Buckland, author of a government review into autism employment, which was published in February.

“This is something that Britain can lead the world on, but to genuinely close the productivity and employment gap we need more than high-level words.”

He said the government needed to “ramp up” employer support programmes such as Disability Confident, and that a “bottom-up” approach that helped businesses with free training would be more effective and quicker than new legislation.

Rising awareness of neurodiversity has created a surge in new referrals and mounting pressure on NHS services.

In England, there are as many as 1.2mn autistic people and 2.2mn with ADHD, according to the Nuffield Trust.

A record 205,000 patients are on the NHS waiting list for an autism referral, while waits for an ADHD diagnosis exceed 10 years in parts of England.

Cusack said improving economic opportunities for neurodivergent people required “urgent action” to improve special educational needs provision and reduce long waiting lists.

“If we don’t find a sustainable way forward then we will see another generation who are highly likely to experience mental health problems and find it impossible to access work,” he added.

Sir Stephen Timms, Social Security and Disability minister, said the government would “take forward” the announcements in the Get Britain Working white paper with further measures to improve employment outcomes for disabled people and benefits system reform.

“Too many people have faced unnecessary barriers to employment. This government is committed to unlocking the full potential of neurodivergent people, too much of which has been untapped for far too long,” he said.

Source: Financial Times

The pioneering company, Auticon, already employs 17 people who live with autism, the disorder characterised by difficulties with social interactions and exceptional abilities in specific fields.

"Many people say that if a company like SAP said it makes sense ... it's very good for us," said its chief Dirk Mueller-Remus. "That means it's something serious, solid."

SAP, which makes business software, said in May that after pilot projects in India and Ireland, it plans to employ hundreds of people with autism as software testers and programmers.

Its goal is that by 2020, people with autism will make up one per cent of its worldwide workforce of 65,000.

Mueller-Remus created his far smaller company in November 2011 with the idea of "investing in the strengths" of these potential employees.

His son was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, a variant of autism, as a teenager, and Mueller-Remus has long known that many people with autism excel in fields like programming or quality control.

"This is my talent," one of the employees, 27-year-old Melanie Altrock, stated matter of factly, sitting at her screen in a white-walled, modern top-floor office in western Berlin.

"Other people are interested in languages or math, for me it's computers. I don't just search for errors, I see them."

Auticon now has 25 staff and offices in Berlin, Munich and Dusseldorf, with plans for another in Hamburg. It looks to break even "by the end of the year", said Mueller-Remus.

"We wanted a normal consulting company, without subsidies, without donations, without funding from a foundation," he said, adding that the aim was to "combine social commitment and business".

"Today, after a little over a year, we have good customers like Vodafone, it's looking good," said Mueller-Remus.

But he also emphasised that working with autistic people can be "a very complex issue".

"We can make many mistakes because people with Asperger are very demanding people," he said.

"People with autism are very concrete, unequivocal," added Elke Seng, a "job coach" at Auticon who assists the employees in their relationships at work and with clients.

"There is no innuendo, there is only one or zero. It's rather nice," she smiled. Friedrich Nolte, board member of the Federal Association for the Development of People with Autism, said "only five to 10 per cent of people affected by autism find a place on the regular job market".

Mueller-Remus said that "their CVs often have brief episodes of work interspersed with long interruptions".

Often people with autism "have no situational awareness, may seem arrogant, have no interest in small talk, and are not interested in people because people are not logical," he said.

All of this can give rise to misunderstandings with sometimes serious consequences, he said.

In this context, the SAP initiative was widely applauded at the small company. "That more people with autism can access a job is simply fantastic," said Seng, who confessed she finds her work "fascinating".

An autism specialist, psychiatrist Kai Vogeley of Cologne University Hospital, told a German medical journal that people with autism who work can "develop confidence in themselves".

He cautioned however that "certain conditions must be met for this to succeed". "I hope that SAP knows how difficult it is," said Mueller-Remus. "If things are done well, you can really achieve great results."

Altrock, the autistic programmer, agreed.

"I have a full-time job, I take pleasure in it, I earn my own money and I have my own apartment," she said. "I'm glad it's like that."

As an example, here's what it thought of that notorious Ernst & Young vacancy from 2009/2010 ("Life after graduation" in the "Help and advice forum):

Score: 2 (A bit ND friendly)

The job offers some flexibility, such as working on multiple projects and collaborating with global teams, but it requires strong multitasking, project management, and frequent communication, which can be challenging for neurodivergent individuals prone to burnout or those who prefer more structured environments. The heavy emphasis on changing deadlines and priorities, combined with complex stakeholder management, could be stressful without clear support systems for neurodivergent employees. There's no mention of accommodations, making it less ND-friendly.

Kelly Everly-Hall was ready for her interview. She wore a nice outfit, had reviewed her resume and knew she had many of the skills needed for the IT job she was seeking. But things went quickly downhill when she faced a panel of three interviewers, something she had never done before.

She got nervous, rambled and struggled to make eye contact. She had a hard time describing her skills, so she asked if she could demonstrate them on a computer. The answer was no. She didn’t feel comfortable asking clarifying questions.

“I knew 10 minutes into it that I wasn’t going to get the job,” says Everly-Hall, whose autism makes some social settings difficult. “It was like I lost before I even started.”

A new job marketplace seeks to remedy that problem by connecting neurodivergent people like Everly-Hall with companies that have committed neurodiversity hiring programs. Launched this month, the Neurodiversity Career Connector features job listings by U.S. employers seeking applicants with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia and other conditions associated with neurodivergent, or atypical, brain functioning.

The site was launched by the Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable, a group of nearly 50 companies with neurodiversity hiring programs and support systems for new employees. Microsoft leads the group, which wants to decrease job barriers and improve neurodiversity in the workplace.

“We’re trying to solve the problem where employers say they want to hire neurodivergent talent and can’t find people. And we have job seekers who say they can’t find who all these employers are,” says Neil Barnett, director of Accessibility and Inclusive Hiring at Microsoft.

The concept of neurodiversity emerged in the ‘90s as an inclusive movement that views neurological and developmental conditions as normal variations in cognitive traits that should be embraced as a part of human diversity. An estimated 15% to 20% of people around the world have a neurodivergent condition. Autism, the initial focus of many neurodiversity hiring programs, affects about 2% of American adults.

Some neurodivergent people struggle with social dynamics and new environments like traditional job interviews, which highlight social skills and the ability to answer vague questions like “Describe a challenge you faced,” says Susanne Bruyere, academic director of the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability at Cornell University.

That barrier leads to an enormous job gap in which only 14% of working-age adults with autism have a paid job in the community, according to a Drexel University study.

“It’s important that we rethink how we screen people so we’re not discouraging or eliminating people who are neurodivergent,” says Bruyere. “This career platform is a huge signal of welcoming. It is saying, ‘We recognize this is an untapped population of talent, and we are going to minimize the barriers people may have historically experienced.’”

Before employers can list jobs on the site, they must have a neurodiversity hiring program in place for at least a year and be public about it. That usually means having trained recruiters, coaching and supported interviews with detailed guidance and extra breaks.

One such company, the global professional services firm EY, has hired more than 300 people in seven countries through a “center of excellence” model since 2016. The program emphasizes camaraderie, job coaches and structured, explicit communication with no “unspoken, unofficial rules.” Interviews focus on skills, not social behaviors.

“It strips out, ‘Did the person make eye contact? How witty were they?’” says Hiren Shukla, leader of the Neuro-Diverse Center of Excellence at EY Global.

Many of the program’s employees work on new data technologies, where the collaborative mix of thinking styles — spontaneous, logical, visual, detail-oriented, hyperfocused — can lead to transformative work and innovation.

“Large organizations are really good at assimilation to build large workforces that inadvertently shave away the beautiful, unique edges and what the neurodivergent community often refers to as their ‘spiky profiles,’” Shukla says. “But it’s the spiky profile you want to retain and support to allow that innovation to rise to the surface.”

Companies seeking neurodivergent talent often recruit through informal networks and relationships with local universities, nonprofits and advocacy groups — a time-intensive process for both recruiters and job seekers. The neurodiversity job site fills a need for a large-scale, national marketplace with a broad range of jobs, employers and people.

Recently, the site brimmed with listings from small and large companies for software engineers, graphic designers, financial analysts and more. Job seekers can create a profile, upload a resume and connect with employers directly.

Everly-Hall, who was diagnosed with autism in her 40s, says the platform would be helpful if she had to look for work again.

“I could be myself and say this is who I am,” she says. “It would cause me less stress knowing I can just say, ‘I’m on the spectrum. You understand this. I understand this.’”

But Everly-Hall is not looking for work because she’s happy with her job at Ultranauts, a rapidly growing software and data quality engineering firm built with neurodiversity in mind. More than 75% of its employees are neurodivergent. The majority are autistic, many have ADHD or dyslexia, and some are non-speaking or hard of hearing.

When Everly-Hall interviewed with the company in 2015, she disclosed her autism and found her interviewer to be patient and understanding. Seven years later, she still appreciates the supportive workplace, which includes a mentor who helps her interpret social subtext, and the chance to become a leader, an opportunity she lacked at previous jobs.

“I was really made to feel at ease right away, like, ‘We don’t care you have this disability. What we care about is your experience,’” says Everly-Hall, a senior quality analyst and accessibility consultant who works from home in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Founded in 2013, Ultranauts has designed a “Universal Workplace” that allows employees to fully participate and collaborate with colleagues who are different than them. It reduces hiring barriers by not requiring specific degrees or a certain number of years of experience. It favors skills assessments over chatty interviews to determine job fit.

Employees, who work remotely across 30 states in the U.S., are encouraged to communicate in their preferred mode — writing, speaking, being on camera or off. Leadership communication is explicit and transparent to reduce ambiguity and anxiety.

“The advantage we have is not from individual team members being exceptional, but in bringing together different brain types, information processing models and perspectives, and forging collaborative teams,” says Rajesh Anandan, Ultranauts cofounder and CEO.

Neurodiversity also strengthens the workforce at Microsoft, which has hired about 200 people across engineering and business disciplines through its neurodiversity hiring program.

“By adjusting the front door of our interview process, we are finding incredible talent that we previously may have been missing out on,” says Barnett. He hopes more employers will join the job site to enrich the talent at their companies and the lives of neurodivergent people.

For Jason Ross, the platform is a major step in supporting people who have struggled like him.

Before landing a cybersecurity job recently, Ross, who has autism, spent many demoralizing months searching for work and many years getting fired from job after job while trying to navigate workplace dynamics.

“It’s very hard when you want to do well at this thing and you can’t do well at this thing to the point where can’t support yourself,” says Ross, who lives in Virginia and has a master’s degree in cybersecurity studies.

He never discussed his autism at previous jobs but made a bold move this time and disclosed to his new manager. He’s following a mentor’s advice to be upfront and simply tell people he doesn’t “excel in social nuance.” He’s nervous and hopeful about the opportunity to work.

“I’m not less than. I’m different and that’s OK,” Ross says.

He’s also excited about the job site, which he and other neurodivergent people helped shape with their feedback and lived experiences.

“It’s a phenomenal resource,” he says. “It’s made for us, by us. That level of understanding, baked in from the jump, is a meaningful distinction for this platform versus going on any general job platform and throwing your resume into the world.”

Source: Microsoft

I'm a producer with a TV company called Optomen. I am adding this new topic as I would like to find people with ASD who have struggled to find employment for a BBC project I am developing. The idea is looking at the science of neuro diversity to present people to employers as an asset, rather than focusing on difficulties.

If you would like to find out more please e-mail me at employme@optomen.com

Many thanks

Emma Parsons

This is a series of 4 beginners' workshops into live coding music and art skills. These workshops will be run by Antonio Roberts who performs live coding music and art around the world. These workshops are a fun way of learning about coding creatively and on a free outsourced platform.

Workshops will be at Birmingham Open Media from 18:00 - 20:00 with specific focus on:

Wednesday 5th January – basic music coding

Wednesday 12th January – layering music coding

Wednesday 19th January – basic art coding

Wednesday 26th January – merging music and art coding

More information here

Thanks in advance any advise would be so appreciated.

• Mind mapping software
• Noise cancelling headphones
• Voice to text/Text to voice software
• On-screen reading rulers

• Taking notes and mind maps into interview
• Having extra time to compensate for slower processing speed
• Not being asked multiple questions at the same time
• Using a whiteboard or flipchart to "car park" questions to return to later

Source: BBC News

“We set out to change the blueprint for work, and change how a company could hire, manage and develop talent,” says Anandan.

Neurodiversity has risen to the top of the agenda around inclusion at work in recent years, yet it is not a common term. It refers to the range of differences in individual human brain function which can be associated with conditions such as dyslexia, autism and ADHD.

Research by the UK’s National Autistic Society (NAS) shows that the figures around employment of people with autism in the UK are still very low. In its survey of 2,000 autistic adults, just 16% were in full-time work, despite 77% of people who were unemployed saying they wanted to work.

The barriers to work for people with autism can still be huge, and Richmal Maybank, employer engagement manager at NAS, says many factors contribute to this. “Job descriptions can often have core tick-box behaviours, and can be quite general,” she says. “Forms look for ‘team players’ and ‘staff with great communication skills’ but lack specific information.”

Terms like these – or interview questions such as ‘where you see yourself in five years’ – can be too general for people with autism, as many with the condition can find vague questions particularly hard to decipher. Additionally, people can feel uncomfortable disclosing their disability or feel challenged by open-plan workplaces, where they may feel they need to socialise or absorb uncomfortable levels of noise.

Five years in, 75% of Ultranauts’ staff are on the autistic spectrum – and one reason for this is its innovative approach to hiring. In other companies, assessing candidates often focuses heavily on communication competencies, which means neurodiverse voices can be excluded. But at Ultranauts there is no interview process and applicants don’t need relevant experience of specific technical skills. “We have adopted an approach to screening job applicants that is much more objective than you’ll find in most places,” says Anandan.

Instead of using CVs and interviews, potential employees undergo a basic competency assessment in which they are evaluated against 25 desirable attributes for software testers, such as the ability to learn new systems or take on feedback. Following these initial tests, potential staff undergo a week of working from home fully paid. Potential recruits also know they can choose to work on a DTE (a desired-time equivalent) timetable, meaning they can take on as many hours as they feel comfortable managing, rather than being tied into full-time work.

“As a result, we have a talent screening process to take someone who has never done this job and at the end of that process have a 95% degree of confidence… whether people would be great at this,” says Anandan.

The competitive advantages of ‘neurodiversity’

Studies by Harvard University and BIMA have shown that embracing and maximising the talents of people who think differently can have huge benefits for a business. Having a neurodiverse workforce has been shown to improve innovation and problem solving, as people see and understand information in a range of different ways. Researchers have also found that accommodations made for neurodiverse staff members such as flexible hours or remote working can benefit neurotypical staff, too.

The NAS say they have seen a rise in organisations reaching out to them to find out how they could better recruit autistic talent and neurodiverse workers, especially outside the IT sector. NAS offers suggestions for small changes, such as ensuring every meeting has an agenda. Agendas and similar tools can help neurodiverse staff focus on the relevant information needed and help people plan things in advance, making the meeting more accessible.

“The things we suggest are good practice for any company, not just people with autism. They aren’t expensive, and are often easy quick wins,” says Maybank. “Employers need to recognise cultures in their organisation and to understand the unwritten rules of their organisation, to help people navigate that.”

Maybank, who has been working with autistic people for the last decade, says she’d like to see more mandatory training for managers around neurodiversity and more buddying programmes to help people create better social links at work. She also feels employers should look at different progression routes for employees who may not want to become managers. 

But she says increased awareness of neurodiversity has improved understanding in workplaces. “People are becoming way more open about recognising different strands of autistic and neurodiverse behaviour,” she says. “People have a pre-conceived perception of what autism is, but it’s best to ask that person. People may be opposites of each other despite having the same condition.”

Tailoring new technology

Yet it’s not just increased awareness; remote working and new technologies are also helping to support workers who may previously have struggled to enter the workforce.

Workplace tools including instant messaging platform Slack and list-making application Trello have improved communication for staff who may work outside a standard office environment. These tools can have additional benefits for people on the autistic spectrum, who might find things like face-to-face communication difficult.

Ultranauts has made use of these technologies, as well as creating its own tools to suit staff needs.

“A couples of years ago, a colleague on our team said they wished people came with a user manual,” says Anandan. So that’s exactly what they created, a self-authored guide called a ‘biodex’ which gives colleagues at Ultranauts all the information they need to find the best ways of working with a particular person.

Being flexible about workplace set-up and tailoring company behaviours to cater for autistic needs has been a huge success for Ultranauts, which is beginning to share its experiences on best practice with other companies.

Anandan says he’s learnt that making a workplace inclusive for neurodiverse colleagues hasn’t added friction or inefficiency, but allowed people who have largely been ignored by society to show their true talents. “We’ve shown over and over… that we’ve delivered results better because of the diversity of our team,” he says.

Source: BBC Worklife 101

Brain power: how government can make the most of neurodiversity

From long-standing initiatives in the intelligence services to new staff networks, training and work experience, the civil service is waking up to the benefits of a more neurodiverse workforce. Tamsin Rutter reports on what is being done – and what more is to come

"When you’ve met one person with autism,” says civil servant Tia Shafee, “you’ve met one person with autism.” In a workplace setting, this means that every person with autism – or indeed other neurological differences – will require different levels and types of support, and will be able to offer different strengths. It also speaks to the importance of empowering all people to share their experiences, and of avoiding assumptions.

As the civil service steps up its efforts to become the UK’s “most inclusive employer” by 2020, it has turned its sights to neurodiversity – which Shafee describes as being “about people who think and function differently, because neurodivergent individuals’ brains are wired slightly differently from the norm. It is part of the natural variation in human brains”.

Shafee recently joined the Civil Service Disability Inclusion Team, which sits in the Cabinet Office and responds to the priorities of disability champion and Home Office permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam. On neurodiversity, these priorities include making the workplace adjustment service as user-friendly as possible; expanding the Autism Exchange Programme to give young autistic people experience working in government; and organising a series of events with KPMG to share cross-sector best practice on disability, including a session planned for October on neurodiversity.

Shafee, who uses the pronouns they/them, also set up the Public Sector Neurodiversity Network in February 2017. Diagnosed with autism at 19, they went on to join the Fast Stream and founded the network after being a member of a couple of different departmental disability networks that didn’t feel quite right. “They are brilliant organisations, they do some really good stuff for disabled people,” Shafee says. “But one thing I found was it just wasn’t covering the different needs and community groups that neurodivergent people like myself were finding.

“If your disability network is still focusing on getting access to rooms... or recognising mental health, that’s an incredibly vital job but it isn’t necessarily hitting the more complex managerial needs that a line manager managing someone with dyspraxia or autism or ADHD might find.”

Shafee, for example, doesn’t work well with changes to their routine at short notice, so has asked to be told a week in advance if they will be required to travel to another office. They struggle with identifying their own behaviours and matching them to civil service competencies. “It takes particular awareness of that from my line manager to work with me to help me understand how I fit in that competency framework, how I’m phrasing things, how I can respond to it,” Shafee says. They also frequently work while wearing a headset (to counter noise sensitivity), use lilac paper (to counter light sensitivity), and have been given a laptop with software to tint the screen and do text-to-speech (to help with information processing). Sometimes they take advantage of the civil service practice to guarantee an interview to disabled job applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role.

The network, which now has more than 170 members, issues a quarterly newsletter with stories from neurodivergent people sharing their experiences and the adjustments they have in place, and organises events to raise awareness. It plans to link up with the newly created Civil Service Dyslexia and Dyspraxia Network, which encourages senior officials affected by these conditions to become role models and provides support and mentoring opportunities. Eventually, Shafee wants to be able to provide resources for neurodivergent staff and their managers, though not by duplicating the “fantastic” resources already out there, such as the Department for Work and Pensions’ online Autism and Neurodiversity Toolkit for staff and managers.

‘Dull uniformity would destroy us’

Rupert McNeil, chief people officer, supports Shafee’s network, and spoke at its inaugural event. He says it’s his job “to ensure that we are both attracting diverse talent and effectively utilising the skills of our existing staff”.

“That’s why I am encouraging the civil service to focus on the strengths that neurodiversity can bring to an organisation,” he adds. “For example, people with dyslexia often possess advanced problem-solving skills and can be highly innovative, while many people with autism have enhanced perceptual functions and a keen eye for detail.”

Some areas of government are further ahead on this than others: the intelligence services, for example, have long been known to promote neurodiversity to meet specific skills needs. In 2016, then- GCHQ director Robert Hannigan said his organisation had many staff on the autistic spectrum, describing them as “precious assets and essential to our work of keeping the country safe”.

He added: “To do our job, which is solving some of the hardest technology problems the world faces for security reasons, we need all talents and we need people who dare to think differently and be different… dull uniformity would completely destroy us.”

Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee, in a recent report on diversity in the UK intelligence community, highlighted best practice at GCHQ, MI5 and SIS (MI6) in recruiting and supporting disabled staff. It said GCHQ and SIS have launched “a comprehensive Neurodiversity Service, offering a range of support to GCHQ staff with dyslexia, dyspraxia or [an] autistic spectrum condition”, which has also been offered to MI5. The three agencies this year began participating in a programme to support disabled people into leadership positions, and they all run workshops on issues such as autism and Asperger syndrome, deaf awareness and visual awareness.

The committee also said the intelligence agencies often enlist the support of members of their disability networks to test new IT infrastructure, something it argued should become common practice across the UK government intelligence community. A more coherent approach will enable individuals to hot desk or work at other sites or overseas, instead of relying on ad-hoc efforts to adapt and personalise systems, it said.

The right opportunity

Other parts of the civil service are also finding new ways to support neurodiverse staff. At the Home Office, employees with dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism run “train-the-trainer” workshops for line managers to help them better understand these conditions. HM Revenue & Customs has also run workshops on adapting recruitment processes and reasonable adjustments, and has consulted autistic people on the design and layout of the regional hubs staff will be moving into over the next few years. The Fast Stream has strong links with the workplace adjustment team, and also invites disabled candidates to visit its assessment centre prior to the date of their interview, which can help alleviate anxieties sometimes felt by people with neurodivergent conditions.

Many departments take part in the Autism Exchange Programme, run by charity Ambitious About Autism, which aims to increase employment opportunities for autistic adults, just 16% of whom have full-time paid jobs in the UK. The programme was initiated in 2015 with HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions and a cohort of five young autistic people. It has since expanded, with 22 people doing three-week paid work experience placements in eight different departments this summer. Deutsche Bank, Santander, and other companies including in the professional services, marketing and advertising sectors now also offer work experience through the scheme.

Alison Worsley, the charity’s director of external affairs, says the breadth of roles available in the civil service make it a particularly good option for matching up the various skills of participants with employers’ needs. Autistic people can make great employees. Although she says it’s important not to generalise, Worsley says they’re often very loyal because they often don’t like change. Some find routine or repetitive tasks stimulating, while others bring different perspectives to bear when problem-solving. “It’s about finding the right opportunity for the right person,” says Worsley, which is “why work experience can be so beneficial”.

She also says that neurodiversity is something that “people across the board have tackled least in terms of diversity”, and schemes like this one give the civil service a chance to become more neurodiverse. Part of it is about giving people the confidence to disclose protected characteristics and making them more aware of the adjustments available to them. The charity also offers training for line managers as part of the scheme.

For Amy Walker, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s aged 12, the Autism Exchange Programme was a perfect opportunity. She wants to join the civil service: “I have always had a ‘special interest’, as we say in the autism world, in politics, legislation, government policy,” she says. But Walker has previously tried applying for Whitehall jobs including the Fast Stream, and says she’s sometimes tripped up by the situational judgment questions that are looking for evidence of flexibility and adaptability – not usually core strengths for autistic people. She plans to keep trying, and had the chance to get tips and employability training from a Fast Stream psychologist during the two-week placement she did at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy last year.

She spent the two weeks researching the nuclear industry and putting together a briefing document for civil servants new to BEIS’s nuclear commercial team. The experience helped her build confidence, and attracted her to the culture of the civil service, which is “easier to read” than some other workplaces. There are barriers to employment for Walker – some social interactions cause anxiety and “it takes me longer to adapt to new situations” – but these are counterbalanced by her analytical, admin, data and IT skills, she says.

With organisations like the civil service waking up to the opportunities of a more neurodiverse workforce, Walker is optimistic that things will get easier for autistic jobseekers. She’s even developed a website, neurodiversityworks.uk, to collate and disseminate opportunities for neurodivergent people.

‘Embrace difference’

David Buck, a member of the One Team Government movement who works at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (which has launched a neurodiversity staff network of its own), believes the civil service has come a long way since he joined in 2000.

Back then his manager, “unbeknownst to me at the time, had an objective to improve my spelling”, Buck says. His manager didn’t know that he was dyslexic. “What can I say… they didn’t do well on that objective.”

Buck remembers disclosing his dyslexia and his type 2 bipolar disorder at the same time. “I was advised not to mention it, not to bring it up,” he says. “And for me, at that time this was the right thing, not just because of the prevailing culture of the civil service at the time – which reflected how things were in 2000 – but also for me personally. It meant that I could just get on with things.” It had only been a few years since Buck’s condition led to him being hospitalised three times while at university.

In around 2010, he began to tell more people at work, opening up first to close colleagues and eventually getting to the point where, “I don’t mind chatting about what happened to me and my journey”, he says, adding that it was “a massive relief”. Buck joined Defra’s mental health staff network, Break the Stigma, where he volunteers as a “buddy” for people who need support. He has also now starting ticking “the diversity box on the internal staff system”, something which – like many people with disabilities – he avoided doing for a long time.

Buck says the civil service’s commitment to diversity can only be a good thing, but he fears that an over-concentration on measurements and targets may sideline real efforts to make change. “It seems to be simple to me – just embrace difference, look for it, actively seek it out, listen to it, and keep working out what privileges you have,” he says. He adds that the “pace of work in the civil service can be quite astounding”, making it difficult for neurodivergent people to settle, but also that there are “thousands of people out there to support you”.

Buck recently responded to a call from Shafee’s network to lead a session on neurodiversity for an audience of Fast Streamers. “I’ll be talking about difference, about how we’re all individuals and how the more comfortable we can get in explaining our difference the better,” he says. “Understanding and appreciating different people’s perspectives is what makes a good civil servant.”

Source: Civil Service World

Jonathan, 25, who is a desktop support engineer at an insurance company in the City of London, has Asperger’s syndrome

I have worked at my current company for two years, since graduating with a degree in business computing from Brunel University London.

I had an interview for a job at a different organisation but it was a very formal panel and that was hard, as I can feel quite anxious and worried if there are multiple people watching and listening to me and I have to interact with groups at once.

I know that my eye contact isn’t always the best and having to make eye contact with lots of people at the same time can be challenging.

"I have a mentor as well as a specialist therapist who works with people with Asperger’s and helps me with any issues I face"

Someone at my university mentioned Aspierations was helping to link people who have Asperger’s syndrome (AS) with employers, so I looked it up and made contact with the team. Aspierations responded quickly. I met them and they helped with mock interviews and providing tips for interviews, which was really helpful.

I was then set up with a one-to-one interview with the hiring manager at my current company. I was given very clear instructions on how to get to the office, including a picture of the building, and what to expect at the interview.

The interview started off very informally, with the hiring manager asking me how my journey had been, which helped me relax. He then gave me lots of technical skills questions to answer, which suited me as this is what I like most about my job.

Since starting work, my employers have been very supportive. For example, I have a mentor as well as a specialist therapist who works with people with Asperger’s and helps me with any personal or workplace issues I might face.

We’ve recently had a big transformation at work, as we used to have four offices in close proximity to each other but last December we moved into one building in Aldgate, in the City of London, occupying the top eight floors.

Previously I had been supporting about 100 users in one of the offices and now I’m supporting more than double that. Although we all moved just a few months ago, I am still adjusting to the new offices. I think the adjustment is perhaps taking me a bit longer than other people.

"I would like to see more people with AS in the workplace. We need more employers to realise that we have lots to offer"

If someone has an IT issue that can’t be resolved by our remote service desk, I will go and fix it.

A good day for me is when you come in, work from 09:00 to 17:30 to resolve all the tickets (IT queries – often I manage more tickets than the others on the team) and have a few conversations with colleagues, and then leave the office having accomplished your tasks.

Sometimes I can get stressed, such as with ad hoc queries, if people come up to my desk and tell me they’ve got a problem. Multi-tasking is challenging for me, but I’ve been given some Post-its on which I can write a note to myself, which means I can carry on with what I’m doing and then deal with the new issue afterwards.

Also I used to get a bit anxious if I was reading messages on my work phone handset on the train coming into work or at the weekend, so now I leave my handset and laptop in the office so that I have a separation between home and work.

I did a presentation when I first joined the company. It was organised by Aspierations and held at Lloyd’s. It was shared on LinkedIn.

I’ve also done another event and written an article that was shared on my company’s intranet. It means that lots people at work know about my condition, which is good, but I would like to see more people with AS in the workplace. We need more employers to realise that we have lots to offer.

One organisation helping those on the spectrum into work

The experience of Laurel Herman’s son with Asperger’s syndrome (AS) led her to found Aspierations, the organisation that helped support Jonathan into his job.

Ms Herman’s son was diagnosed with the condition as an adult. As Ms Herman saw more and more high-achieving people on the autistic spectrum not succeeding in the workplace, she was convinced to help them.

“We help with things like conversation technique, interview technique – all the things over and above their education to make them business-ready,” says Ms Herman. “And we help them with career progression because once they get in they don’t progress.”

Aspierations is also building an alliance of AS-fit-and-friendly employers by teaming up with businesses such as the National Grid, BAE Systems and Linklaters to support neurodiversity in the workforce. “We’re helping them to attract, recruit, develop to potential, support and retain their autistic talent,” says Ms Herman. Additionally Aspierations organises awareness events for businesses, and provides training and consultancy on recruitment and preparing workplaces for neurodivergent employees.

Ms Herman says it is crucial to remember that there benefits on both sides when people with AS are brought into an organisation. For the individual there is a feeling of self-worth; for the business, it is about bringing in talent with a fresh approach.

She says: “If you’ve always got the same people, you’re just doing the same thing. But if you’ve got people with different ways of thinking, which is what neurodiversity is, you will get real innovation and a challenge to the status quo.”

Full names have been withheld at the interviewee’s request

Source: Telegraph

http://www.guardian....oyers-ignorance

Sweden's surprising rule for time off

The country's unique leave of absence system helps workers launch their own business. Can it be replicated elsewhere?

AUF DER WALZ OR ON THE ROAD

A man in black walks at a steady pace along a country lane. He has a small bundle,  hooked onto one shoulder and a long, curled walking stick in his right hand.  He is wearing black, wide-bottomed trousers, a white shirt, black waistcoat, black jacket and a black, wide-brimmed hat – so not the clothing of a tramp. In his bundle, he has a change of clothing and not much else; no mobile phone and only very little loose change. If I add that he does not yet know where he is going to spend the night, that he is hoping to find work (and lodging) in the next village as a carpenter for a few weeks before setting off, again on foot, in search of further work experience, in what age would you place this scene? Several hundred years ago? As far back as the 12^th century perhaps? Or maybe on a spring day in May 2018, while approaching the village of Bubikon in Switzerland?

Last June, our roof badly needed clearing of moss and twigs etc, which had blocked the drainpipes.  We called a local roofer, who came accompanied by an assistant, a young man with a pony tail from Germany. He was dressed in black, wide-bottomed trousers with a black waistcoat and a white shirt but was perfectly nimble getting on and off the roof. “I think he’s a Wandergeselle and is auf der Walz,” L said. When we were inside, I asked for an explanation..

A Wandergeselle, translated as a journeyman in English, is a kind of travelling craftsman who has completed his apprenticeship and takes to the road (literally) for a number of years to gain experience of his trade in order to become a master craftsman. He (there are very few women who do this) offers his skills in exchange for board and lodging (which can be as simple as a barn) and maybe a small wage. After a few weeks, he moves on to find work elsewhere. This custom, nowadays almost only practised in German-speaking countries, can be traced back hundreds of years to the Middle Ages when skilled stonemasons, particularly in England, travelled vast distances on foot to work on the construction of the great medieval cathedrals and churches. The powerful guilds would not allow craftsman to become masters until they had completed these post-apprenticeship travelling years. At that time, the guilds also controlled professions in the visual arts so the “wandering years” were undertaken by painters, mason-architects and goldsmiths as well. This was important for the transmission of artistic style around Europe.  The brotherhoods of journeymen later united to defend their interests against the masters’ craft guilds and can be seen as the pre-runners of trade unions. Nowadays carpenters, roofers, slaters and blacksmiths, along with stonemasons, are some of the journeymen that can be sometimes found on the road (auf der Walz).

Our local television recently followed the fortunes or two such journeymen, both carpenters and both members of a Swiss branch of the Association of Righteous Journeymen Carpenters and Slaters, which has its headquarters in Germany. One of them, Michael, was at the start of his journey. The other, Cyrill, was returning after 4 years. The Wanderjahren (wandering years) for carpenters last for 3 years and a day (the minimum) and have clear rules. You must be aged between 20 and 30, unattached with no children and no debts. Once on the road (auf der Walz), you mustn’t return to within a radius of 50 kilometres of your home (except under exceptional circumstances, such as a death in the family) until your wandering years are over. A journeyman is not supposed to go more than a week without work or spend more than six months in one place. He should only take about 5 francs (or Euro) with him and return with approximately the same amount. Computers and mobile phones must be left behind, which explains why a lot of carpenters, masons, roofers etc are taken by surprise by the arrival of a journeyman on their doorstep asking for work and lodging, with no prior warning.

Getting ready inside his parental home, the 21-year old Michael seemed a little apprehensive as he packed the bare essentials into a small bundle. He wasn’t taking much more than a change of clothing, something to read and a list of journeyman contacts. He admitted that, apart from a visit with his family to Prague and the odd holiday with friends in Croatia, he had never been abroad. He was looking forward to the experience of living and working with the locals, something you do not do when on holiday in a country. He said he was planning first to head for Germany and then maybe go to Scandinavia and Ireland before venturing overseas. In theory, you are supposed to avoid public transport and just walk or hitch-hike. However, as many journeymen travel much further afield, taking planes (if they can be afforded) is accepted nowadays. The society is a kind of brotherhood and former journeymen and members of the guilds along with friendly inns willing to provide accommodation can be found all over the world. Michael was planning, in about a year, to travel to Canada, New Zealand and Namibia (a former German colony, where there are very good contacts for journeymen).

The start of the “wandering years” has a number of traditional customs. On the day of departure, around 20 journeymen arrived, on foot, to give Michael a good send-off. All were dressed, like Michael, in the traditional costume of a journeyman carpenter. There are eight, mother-of-pearl buttons on the waistcoat to represent the hours they work in a day, six buttons on the jacket for the six working days in a week and three on each sleeve to represent the duration of three years. Nowadays, many journeymen from other trades have converted to the clothing of the carpenter, which is the most widely recognised so that it is easier for them to be identified as respectable journeymen. However, the uniform of other trades can differ; the hat might be a different shape or the trousers or jacket might be another colour. The uniform is completed with a gold earring and gold bracelets. In the Middle Ages, these could be sold in hard times or used to pay the gravedigger if a wanderer should die on his journey! Michael walked with the journeymen, singing and drinking, to the end of the village. His family and some villagers followed and stood in a group nearby. There was much toasting before they finally bade farewell and by then, Michael was distinctly unsteady on his feet. “He is relaxed and free,” said the journeymen surrounding him, “Excellent. He can go!” Luckily two fellow journeymen, who were in the middle of their wandering years, decided to accompany him for the first few days. So, Michael finally staggered off, arm in arm with his two companions and – most important – didn’t look back. They were heading for the nearest motorway so they could hitch-hike to Germany.

The English word “journeyman” is still used by some British companies to describe the stage between apprentice and master, but the journeymen are not required to travel anymore. There have been times, since their founding hundreds of years ago, when the German-speaking associations had no travelling journeymen. They were banned by Napoleon, then in Germany during the Nazi years, for example, and not accepted by the communist regime in East Germany. However, there has been a strong revival since the 1980’s and at any one time, there can be around 600 journeymen, mainly from Germany, with about 10% from Switzerland, on the road throughout the world.

The tradition of the wandering craftsman has also been celebrated in the arts. Gustav Mahler composed “Songs of a Wandering Apprentice”. Goethe wrote a novel entitled “Wilhelm Meister’s Journeyman Years”. And the Australian song, “Waltzing Matilda” is about an itinerant worker (swagman) wanting his late wife to walk (not dance) with him while he searched for work.

In our current stressful, hectic working world, the idea of setting off in the morning with almost nothing, free of responsibilities, not necessarily knowing where one is going to spend the night, but with a list of possible contacts in one’s pocket, is exciting and attractive. Money becomes unimportant. “The idea is to become rich in experience, not rich in money terms” said one German journeyman. “You could say the others have the clock, but we have the time”, he added. Of course, it can be hard sometimes, standing by the side of the road in winter in Norway (as one journeyman said) when no car stops and a cold wind is blowing. But then the wind drops, a car stops, you move on, you find work again and spring comes and every day brings new experiences you would never have had if you had stayed at home, so you learn more and more. It can be a defining experience, which the journeymen will keep referring to in later life.

So, if you drive past a hitch hiker dressed in the dark clothing of the journeyman with his wide-brimmed black hat, do consider stopping to give him a lift to help him along on his journey of three years and a day.

Source: gbchblog (Switzerland)

Inspiring Britain: The chocolate shop supporting young people with autism

After the success of our Inspiring Britain series in 2017, ITV News has decided there is always time for good news - so we are continuing to bring you stories about people making a difference and inspiring others in their communities and beyond.

When Ash was eight, his parents decided to leave Pakistan, as they thought bringing their autistic son up in their home country would be too difficult.

When they finally reached the UK, Mona and Shaz Shah were determined to make sure their son had a fair chance at life.

In 2011 Mona quit her job in finance and the couple set up Harry Specters chocolate shop, an award winning chocolatier with a special social mission.

Not only does Harry Specters sell award winning chocolate, but it also offers a chance of employment to people with autism.

People with autism can struggle in social situations and so it can be difficult for them to find a job, however, with the right help, they can be model employees.

Mona said: "Only 16% of people with autism are in any kind of employment, over 60% on benefits are able to work, they're willing to work but there are no opportunities for them.

She added: "They have so much to offer, they have so many hidden talents, and it is just they need an environment where they can actually be themselves."

Since 2012, the company has helped almost 200 young people, offering them work experience and for many, a first chance at paid employment.

The mother of one employee said: “I get quite emotional thinking about the look on Ross’s face when he showed me the cheque you gave him for his work.

"It was not about the money, but the confidence and self-worth he was feeling.”

Oliver Warren, a chocolatier at Charlie Specters, says he thinks it is great Shaz and Mona set up the business.

He said: "They're like two angels if I had to put it in words, helping autistic kids, like these guys here. They are angels."

He added: "I feel quite proud for these guys for being here and working hard every day, it's pretty good."

People start work at Harry Specters with the aim of making chocolate, however those with autism can often realise they had talents that they didn't know about.

"Here they can actually explore what they are good at, what they're not good at, because it is a very supportive and safe environment," said founder Mona.

"So they might come in not knowing they're good at accounting, and then through their work experience, the work they've been doing here, they realise, 'actually accounting is something I want to do'.

"So John does all our accounting work now"

Shaz says autistic workers have an advantage over others at work, because they are "very direct".

"If they are not able or comfortable in doing something they'll just say 'no I don't want to', which is nice."

"They will not pretend that they're doing something, if there is nothing to do, they will just sit idol or come after you and ask 'what should I do?' Which is very unusual compared to the rest of the people."

Source: ITV News

Are there any pro’s and con’s?
Are there any difficulties with transitioning? Including individual and systemic factors.
Is this a straight forward process?
Who is responsible for the transition?
Where do you find out how to do this? Who gives you the information?

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

This is my first post and I hope to get information from the experience of forum members in relation to learning to drive with Aspergers and ASD.

I have been a driving instructor for over ten years and now manage a team of 40 instructors who provide lessons both on the road and at two venues in Central Belt of Scotland on private ground off road to help younger people or people not as confident get started at build their confidence and ability.

Over the years we have taught numerous people with Aspergers, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia etc and have used our collective experience to assist these new drivers.

A number of our instructors are studying a year long driving coaching course to further develop thier self awareness and student centred teaching skills and the skills being fine tuned really help.

I was at an Autism Awareness Course this week and I found it very good and I was delighted when three of the instructors I went with who are also doing the Btec Coaching course commented that - it doesn't really change what we are doing as we should already be treating every student as an individual and should be aware of what they need as the student and provide the best thing for them and the student can help us achieve that by coming up with their own solutions - I thought YES!

I am hoping through this forum and this initial topic I can get information from members about the experience they or family members had learning to drive. I hope to get the good things that helped and the not so good which resulted in barriers or a reluctance to see it through.

This way we can help others by getting it right for them.

Thanks again, Brian

Posted by: Civil Service Blog Team, Posted on: 29 March 2018 - Categories: A great place to work, Diversity and inclusion

To mark World Autism Awareness Week we asked Amy, Jonathan and Damon to tell us about their work experience placements in the Civil Service.

The Civil Service Autism Exchange Programme, in partnership with charity Ambitious About Autism, started in 2015 to offer paid quality work experience to young people like Amy, Jonathan and Damon with autism, and autism awareness training for employers.

The programme offers those taking part the chance to learn new work skills while providing career development and networking advice. In exchange, participants teach managers and government departments about autism awareness.

Read more

I thought that it would all get better when he could go to the local College and study for his chosen subject, and meeting like minded people etc But he started to make excuses and on the day of the college interview he refused to get out of the car, it ended up me driving him home and he was near to having a panic attack.

He said he wanted work rather than go to college, but he has no idea what he wants to do, and I have no idea how to help him.   He doesn't have a lot of confidence thanks to his primary school, and I don't want him to spend his days in his bedroom.  Are there any people or organisations that would help him, maybe talk through and guide him about his choices?

I don't mind paying for a specialist career advisor or life coach.

Any help appreciated

yet he deigns it.

yet to me, it's so obvious the Asperger's curse I have came from him, and from his dad, and probably his dad's dad :-(

(I sometimes wish they hadn't bred!)

I have never bred.. I never want to pass this on :-(

but my father is completely useless and valueless. he is completely inhuman.

...and maybe my kids think the same about me.

why the hell did my father bred knowing he came from an up line of that we have?

:-(

anyone else feel the same? :-(

Examples:

I have to pour his drinks from bottles or he spills them.

I have to get him up in a morning and select his clothes otherwise he wouldnt get up, and would make crazy choices like a pair of shorts at Christmas etc.

He cannot prepare meals, I show him how to do parts of tasks and he can just about make toast and cheese and crackers.

He is vulnerable and gullible when it comes to dealing with people and his relationships have to be supervised.

OK so if he decides he doesnt want university, and he stays here with me everyday playing computer games, what about when I die?  His mother was unable to bring him up because she couldnt priorities and neglected him and herself.

What support is available for young people like this?

He recieves PIP in his own name.

We have repeatedly failed to get disability child services to even come out and assess (I know they have to legally, but they still didn't!), and we have not had a paed since the only specialiset in the LA retired in 2012, so no professional support currently in place.

He lives at home, but would prefer not to as there are youger siblings that make it a bit noisy/chaotic for him....

Any advice as to what i should be looking at doing/applying for/advising him?

TIA

I now in care home for rest of my life

Do you have Asperger Syndrome or Autism?

Are you struggling to find work?

Would you like help?

If this sounds like you or someone you know please e-mail: employableme@optomen.com

My post is about gingerism (not really about Asberger's so bear with me)

The UK is infamous for gingerism (prejudice against gingers).

People assume that ginger men are feminine and are pushovers

I myself am slightly ginger, and when I dyed my hair brown/black for a month people's attitudes towards me changed considerably. I was exactly the same person I was before just with a different hair colour. Now because people can't openly insult you in the workplace, I think that gingerism comes in more subtle forms. I myself have not been bullied in the workplace. Is it worth dying my hair brown in the long term to avoid potential problems?

There's a reason why men at the top all look the same!

Not posted for a while, but hope all are well x

My son turned 20 in January and as Child Bens and Child Tax Credits ended, we were informed by the Autistic Society to put a claim in for ESA. I am my son's Carer and his Appointee as he also has DLA Rate of HRC and LRM, but unable to manage with his own affairs.

He has Aspergers Syndrome and High Levels of Anxiety, also Asthmatic,where his anxiety can worsen this condition.

So I made a ESA claim for my son, and he was awarded, but for now the Assessment Rate, until they decide what group. I am aware they are behind with these assessments.

Can anyone who have made a claim for ESA with the same disability as my son share their own experience please?

I have provided plenty of medical evidence from the team he was under (CAMHS) etc, but does anyone know if they will accept letters from family friends or even relatives that know my son well?

thanks in advance x

"I see things differently": James Damore on his autism and the Google memo

New user ALERT!

I am diagnosed Asperger's (since October 1998).

I had been thinking of a career for a long time and on March 4th 2003, I decided that the Army was my only route in to a well paid career, but had to withdraw due to a family matter. When I re-applied in April of the same year, I was rejected, but at first they did not tell me why.

I eventually found out why in 2004 (diagnosed with Asperger's) and also discovered that the MoD and it's directorates had been using defamatory statements to describe my character without justification other than somebody's assumptions rather than fact.

I fought with the MoD for the better part of 8 years, sending letters, involving 2 different MP's and finally deciding to make a subject access request (Section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998) in which I found several documents in which I am described (amongst other things) as "mental", "retarded" and "unstable". I do not believe that the MoD or it's directorates have any right to make such outrageous claims particularly when they have no idea what Asperger's is nor have a qualified doctor that can make these claims. I am not saying I am as smart as Stephen Hawking here, dont misunderstand me, I am saying that I am smarter than they have led people to believe, and anyone here would know this.

WHat I believe is that if you have Asperger's and are thinking of a military career in the UK, think again, you will likely face the same treatment I have and they will ignore what you say and use what you say against you in order to defame your character.

In 2011, I took the MoD to the county courts for said smears against my name, I lost, but I got thier attention. They had a Barrister, I did not, so of course they won the case. I later took them to the High Courts in London, I lost that as well, but I have made them aware that not everyone will take such outrageous claims against them so readily. I have created an e-petition for the removal of the MoD's exemption under the Equality Act 2010 to prevent them abusing it anymore. They certainly abused it in my case and I am sure that they have in many others for no good reason other than wild, baseless, absurd assumptions as in the above. They were also exempt from the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, but that has been replaced with the Equality Act 2010, which also carries this same exemption. They know this and is why they use it to do these things and I feel it must be stopped. The Police for example are not exempt from this act and can be taken to a tribuneral for it, where as the MoD and its directorates cannot due to this outrage in law that I feel must be removed to prevent them harming anyones wellbeing.

Please sign the petition if you agree with me.

Thomas.

I'm a 24yr old female with comorbid unspecified Bipolar type II, BPD (I would argue I no longer fit large chunks of the diagnostic criteria), eating disorder unspecified and anxiety. I am married and I have 2 young children. I understand the difficulties in diagnosing Aspergers in those with MH diagnoses. 

In 2011 at the age of 17-18yrs I was inpatient in 3 psychiatric units over 1 admission, for suicidal intent. The first I was in was The Priory (NHS funded). While there I was told I have Aspergers Syndrome, and my entire life started to make sense. Since then, I have always noted to NHS professionals, friends and family that I am diagnosed with Aspergers, as this is what I firmly believed, and I understood my Priory stint had confirmed this absolutely. My care coordinator started looking into support for me (specifically looking to find other mums on the spectrum). It was then that she discovered very little supporting evidence of this diagnosis or any correspondence with reference to it. Thus, we decided to pursue an NHS assessment and diagnosis. We both presumed this should be relatively straight forward given my history. She has a son who has Aspergers and it took 10yrs for his diagnosis so she has good experience of the system overall. 

2 weeks ago I had my first meeting with the Wiltshire Autism Diagnostic Services and was dealt a blow that without him having evidence of what I was like before 5yrs of age, I am very unlikely to obtain a diagnosis. We decided to continue anyway, as he said he can write a letter stating his beliefs without being able to formally label it. 

I don't understand.

How can that be right? Some people do not get diagnosed until they are double my age, with parents dead or unable to recollect. Some people are adopted and have no contact with family or family friends. 

I have a family but they will not help. My mother and I have no contact, and my father and I have a difficult relationship (he left the family home when I was 5 and I didn't regularly see him). He also doesn't 'believe' in mental health and to him I am "fine". I have an aunt on my Dad's side but I rarely see her and I have messaged to ask for her help but have received no reply. 

I have a copy of my entire medical records and prior to my 5th birthday there is nil reference to difficulties. My mother slipped into depression and alcoholism and drug use periodically throughout my childhood and we had a very fragile relationship and home. This is noted when I was older and displaying many difficulties; the input from 3rd parties appear to be requested by her. On all accounts, my medical records paint me as a "happy young lady" who "has friends" and can "maintain eye contact" etc. I agree that this may have been the perception; I was an incredibly witty and academically intelligent girl, living in an awful home situation, and I know I intentionally forced myself to be another person when I was outside of the home, and I know that the girl they saw is not the girl I knew was inside. My notes do refer to me as "very worried", and "concerned about social injustice", and "feeling lonely", and "feeling she has no friends". But, for the most part they are not providing an accurate portrayal and I feel that handing these over to W.A.D.S is going to prove detrimental. 

According to my medical records, I was seen by many different 3rd parties, many of which no longer exist / have been consolidated and to request every snippet of information from many services is going to cost me money that I cannot afford, and the emotional burden is immense. 

I have accessed records from The Priory. However, they no longer keep official records of me, and thus they only have sparse correspondence and some emails. My mother met with my consultant at The Priory, but they have no notes from that meeting now. The notes make references to me being highly likely someone with Aspergers. There is a brief note regarding the meeting between consultant and my Mother which confirms they concluded atypical speech, play, development etc. It also mentioned I am not aware of the immense lack of social and developmental abilities I have. 

I have also attempted to access my school records (they are destroyed at age 25yrs). The gentleman I spoke to was very pleasant and happy to provide them... In a few months as they're currently in an unsafe building being made safe. 

I am at a complete loss. Is it seriously impossible to diagnose me without this information? Surely my current traits indicate me being on the spectrum, and the brief correspondence provided by The Priory making reference to my traits and apparent diagnosis should be enough for them to pursue with an outlook to diagnose or discount, as oppose to telling me it is likely to be a complete impossibility? 

In short, I am tired of this entirely, and very worried. I have been losing sleep and energy over it. 

Thanks in advance. 

H
x

I believe that I maybe an Aspie and wondered how difficult it is to get an assessment on the NHS. I know it was difficult to get an ADD assessment on the NHS, but wondered if the Asperger assessment was any easier to come by?

Furthermore, does anyone know of any assessors (NHS or private) within Merseyside? I'm from St.Helens btw.

Paul

I currently get carers allowance for him which will stop if we don't get PIP.  We also have a disabled child element on our children's tax credits - does anyone know if this will be removed as well?

I work at next but only have a tiny 6.5hrs contract (hubbie works full time) and can only do hours between 9-3 so I can make sure he gets into his taxi for school (he hates school) and am home for when he gets in.  It's looking good for him getting into college to do a basic mechanics course, but he won't do the college bus and its going to cost a fortune in taxis (no more free school transport when they get into further education) so I'm going to have to do it which again limits my work availablity so I'm going to struggle getting a different job that's not seasonal (live in Cornwall) :-(  He was discharged from CAMHS years ago, same as his consultant peadiaetrician (sorry for bad spellings) so we have been muddling through on our own for years - I feel this is going to go against us.  

Any advice please on where to go from here

http://www.passwerk.be

Passwerk is a unique concept, a unique company with unique people.

Passwerk employs the qualities of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with normal ability, in software testing activities.

er... so not very unique actually. To paraphrase Henry Ford, it would seem that the business model for Aspie-friendly employment is "you can have any job you want, so long as it involves software testing". Yawn - wake me up when someone realises that Aspies have other interests.

I might mention here that although I have looked at vacancies with Microsoft UK, I have been unable to find any I felt I could apply for. Having graduated over 16 years ago I’m ineligible for graduate-entry positions, but on the other hand I do not have the technical skills required for experienced hire.

Profile of one of the lucky few

Just wondering if you could explain to me why it is difficult for people like my son to use phones. He is okay on his mobile talking to me or his father or sister but anyone else its a no go zone.

I was with a client the other day and I was setting up their Accounting for their small business, luckily they are friends of mine, and understand, but I needed my son to talk with this friend about a problem configuring something on his computer I was having trouble with and when I gave him the phone to speak with my friend he hung up. Luckily I worked it out. But when I got home he said he was sorry but he finds it too hard and uncomfortable speaking to strangers.

I warned my friend that this may be the case and so it was okay, but, is there anything I can do to help him with strangers or is this something he will always find too hard.

Just wondering, thanks for you help.

Love

Fran xx <'>

Just to clarify, I am not from this area originally (see my intro thread http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?/topic/26315-hello-from-aeolienne for a partial bio) but I would prefer to stay around for a bit. I know it's important to be geographically flexible, but OTOH it's so bl00dy expensive to move for each job, especially with my track record of long gaps in between.

Anyways, I was given a leaflet about WEST (Warwickshire Employment Support Team) which describes it as "a county-wide service for people with a learning disability or who are on the Autistic Spectrum [sic], who want to work and who meet the criteria for Fair Access to Care Services." It also said, under "Eligibility for a Service", that "Customers must have been assessed by a Social Worker [sic]", although the person who gave me a leaflet said that the mere fact that I had a medical diagnosis of Asperger's would be enough. So I gave WEST a call and spoke to someone who said that they usually deal with referrals from social services but there's some other scheme that would enable me to be referred directly, or something like that. They should get back to me by next week.

I then had a look at WEST's website http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/west, which only mentions learning disability, not the autistic spectrum. How helpful is it likely to be?

I have my P.I.P assessment today, I'm terrified. I managed to get a home assessment but that means somebody coming into my safe place. Has anyone else had a home assessment? They're assessing me on Aspergers, general anxiety disorder, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and panic disorder. I'm really hoping that they see the extent of my mental and physical illnesses.

Love to you all,

Anne. X

Having one right now, I mention a simple issue I am having for people to basically saying stuff like "you fail at life" and how I was talking """ and it must be because of my autism (as I told people on board before about it) so thats the first major insult.

Then other people come on and say I have a history of nonsense so its probably me getting confused (which is insulting in its own way)

Not a single reply was nice it was all blaming me for the thing I talked about and people swearing more and more until one came on who was nasty in the past and claims my parents were criminals (he said that in past) and making fun of me/acting like I am strange as I freeze all my leftover food and reheat it and that includes takeaways (his response months ago was that was dirty and why can't I buy another unless I am dirty, greedy, or a povvo (as in poor/poverty)

He then claims I keep inventing stories to get attention and I am a troll.

Meanwhile no mod on that website has even moderated any of the reponses and when I queried it they just said they didn't see what the problem was (despite outright the person mentioning my disablity as reasons for me speaking """ and his words "screwing up at life") or the people who swore and censored themselves or said I was a liar, and on fine lines of calling me offensive words.

Just thought I would share here.

I am fed up of fighting .........