NAS Campaign to improve services for adults

[Mumble]

I'm sure lots of you have already seen this, but I thought it would be relevant to have a link (if I can work out how to do a link!! ) here.

 

The NAS are going to be doing a campaign to improve services for adults with ASDs. There is information here:

 

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp...278&a=12637

 

and with this a questionnaire to complete about our experiences.

 

I think this will be a really worthwhile campaign, and if anything positive at all comes out of it, that has to be a bonus .

[Kathryn]

Thanks for putting up the link, Mumble.

 

I got this questionnaire through the post yesterday - timely, as L turns 18 in exactly a month! I don't know if she will want to fill it in, but I certainly will.

 

It's good that the NAS are focusing on adult services. I hope the campaign has more impact than the "Make School Make Sense campaign, which hasn't exactly moved mountains so far.

 

K x

[Canopus]

Something I want to see is an organisation to help scientists, engineers, and software developers, with Asperger syndrome and high functioning autism find suitable careers in industry.

 

Remploy informed me that the sectors of employment they work with are semi-skilled jobs in retail, call centres, warehouses, and cleaning. They don't really offer services for people looking for jobs in science, engineering, or IT, and there are no disability organisations providing services for people who want to work in these sectors.

[Mumble]

Something I want to see is an organisation to help scientists, engineers, and software developers, with Asperger syndrome and high functioning autism find suitable careers in industry.

 

Remploy informed me that the sectors of employment they work with are semi-skilled jobs in retail, call centres, warehouses, and cleaning. They don't really offer services for people looking for jobs in science, engineering, or IT, and there are no disability organisations providing services for people who want to work in these sectors.

 

Canopus,

I think that's a very interesting and worthwhile point - I do wonder if it should be extended thought to all skilled/academic careers though - maybe the problem is more with artificial limits being placed on us based on appalling stereotypes of what we are capable of.

 

I'm very interested in your point on a personal level too. I'm only recently diagnosed AS, and in my assessment report it suggests help with, but also considering careers in, for instance, engineering, which may be more closely related to natural abilities and where there is less need for social contact and probably more acceptance of my differences. My university want to talk to me about this - the trouble I'm having is that I do not agree with this - I really enjoy what I am doing now (educational/mathematics research) and this is what I want to make a career of. I understand that this is perhaps not where you would 'expect' to find someone with AS, but that doesn't mean I can't do it, and do it well, and I don't think that it should mean that I shouldn't get the support to enable me to do it well, simply because it is not what it expected of me. I realise I am rambling now and that this is slightly off the topic I started, but I feel so strongly about the skills wastage that we have in this country (I don't know about other countries) because of the artificial ceilings set by low expectations.

[Canopus]

There is some anecdotal evidence that the high technology industry takes little interest in disabled people - with any disability - and the contributions they can offer. I think there is also discrimination against disabled people as well, possibly on the rounds of risk assessment where industry sees disabled people as liabilities rather than assets to the company. I will be having a word with the IET in the near future to find out if they have ever done anything to promote awareness of Asperger syndrome in the workplace and encouraged companies to make adjustments to accomodate employees who have Asperger syndrome?

 

I have a sneaky suspicion that engineering and IT are no longer as good for people with AS as they used to be in days gone by because of changes in the way that companies are run such as a greater emphasis on teamwork and people skills. Read Two stops short of Dagenham for more information about this. Universities are somewhat out of touch with what goes on in the real world and sometimes make bad recommendations. There is a possibility that you might be better off working in educational/mathematics research in a university environment.

[Mumble]

I have a sneaky suspicion that engineering and IT are no longer as good for people with AS as they used to be in days gone by because of changes in the way that companies are run such as a greater emphasis on teamwork and people skills. Read Two stops short of Dagenham for more information about this. Universities are somewhat out of touch with what goes on in the real world and sometimes make bad recommendations. There is a possibility that you might be better off working in educational/mathematics research in a university environment.

 

Canopus,

Thankyou - you've helped me to make the decision that I want to make (but others seem to think they know what is best for me). Your two/three stops short of Dagenham post really helped me to think in words about what it is I've been trying to verbalise for myself (if that makes any sense). I think so many careers etc are now rediculously dominated by this so called 'teamwork' and 'people-skills' emphasis - it scares me to think about what we are going to lose in our future economy by not being able to accomodate diversity in our workplaces. Universities are probably out of touch (though my department is fantastic) with such changes that have happened. I really enjoy where I am and what I do - yes I realise that I encounter some difficulties that NT people don't have, but I'm going to have this anywhere - why make things harder for myself by introducing such drastic changes? In addition, I think my university have come (and more so now I have a diagnosis) to accept me for who I am - they don't make anything of my not making 'small-talk' (surely that's an oxymoron - there's nothing 'small' about it), or when I don't join in with the more social aspects. I think that in some ways that is characteristic of the academic university environment (we certainly have some profs. who are as much 'oddballs' as I am) and I don't see why I should move from somewhere I feel I 'fit' just because there's some particular theory going round that AS=engineering/IT (btw, I'm NOT saying it doesn't, I'm just saying it doesn't always). I think it was in someone's reply to your post that logic v. creativity came up. I am without doubt in the 'logical' group, but I believe I can apply this to what I'm doing (where there are more creative people) and so I can actually offer something new through my approach. I'm rambling again - apologies, but thanks again for your reply - now I just need to work out how to put what I want to say to my tutors in a way that won't come out as a bundle of random words!

[Canopus]

I am in the process of setting up an organisation to support scientists, engineers, and software developers, with Asperger syndrome and high functioning autism find suitable careers in industry or government departments. Currently there are 3 people behind the organisation and the website is being built, but the organisation needs a name. Can anybody come up with any choices? If anybody is interested in being involved with the organisation then PM me.

[Canopus]

Aims and objectives of the organisation:

 

1. To promote the awareness and understanding of Asperger syndrome amongst employers and interviewers.

 

2. To shatter and dispel myths about Asperger syndrome and people with Asperger syndrome.

 

3. To put an end to employer's prejudices about disabled people and people with Asperger syndrome.

 

4. To provide support and advice to people with Asperger syndrome in employment and looking for employment.

 

5. To provide help and advice to companies employing or planning to employ people with Asperger syndrome.

 

6. To create a network enabling companies and people with Asperger to syndrome to connect with one another.

 

7. To ensure that people with Asperger syndrome are subjected to fair interviews with no sneaky or obfuscated questions.

 

8. To put an end to certain types of aptitude tests, personality profiling exercises, and other similar activities that are completely unrelated to the real requirements of the job, and often work against people with Asperger syndrome.

 

9. To ensure that all organisations provide high quality support for staff with Asperger syndrome, by people who are knowledgeable about Asperger syndrome..

 

10. To work with other Asperger syndrome, autism, and disability organisations.

 

What do you think of this? Is there anything you think needs adding or changing?

[Mumble]

Canopus, this sounds good - just a few things that occurred to me:

 

Though it sounds good, the 'aims' are of course much easy than the 'how' - I'd be really interested to see how you develop this and how it is received.

 

2. To shatter and dispel myths about Asperger syndrome and people with Asperger syndrome.

But of course you need to be careful not to replace these with other 'myths' and 'standards'. The people I've found hardest to deal with are not actually those who don't know, but those who think they know because they read something, worked at some time with someone with Asperger's, know someone who knows someone who worked with someone etc., because they have rediculous expectations about what I should 'be'.

 

7. To ensure that people with Asperger syndrome are subjected to fair interviews with no sneaky or obfuscated questions.

Maybe change the wording or stop after the word 'interviews'? I get the feeling this is something you feel quite strongly about!!

 

10. To work with other Asperger syndrome, autism, and disability organisations.

Have you looked into what Prospects provides:

 

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=474&a=5653

 

Hope this is some help,

 

Mumble.

[Canopus]

I have attempted to use prospects but it doesn't exist in my area. My organisation will be national. It will even include its own forum to allow people in industry and people with AS to exchange information with each other. The success of my organisation depends on how willing companies are to work with it. Getting support from the NAS etc. is only half the story. There is a general lack of interest in disabled people of any description by the high technology industry. I'm not sure whether my organisation will arouse more interest, or whether corporate bosses will simply ignore it or even discredit it.

[Canopus]

I have attempted to use prospects but it doesn't exist in my area. My organisation will be national. It will even include its own forum to allow people in industry and people with AS to exchange information with each other. The success of my organisation depends on how willing companies are to work with it. Getting support from the NAS etc. is only half the story. There is a general lack of interest in disabled people of any description by the high technology industry. I'm not sure whether my organisation will arouse more interest, or whether corporate bosses will simply ignore it or even discredit it.

[gladysmay]

this is a great new addition to the site and one we will all have need of eventually! thank you.

 

anyone not filled in the nas questionaire yet?

[Aeolienne]

I have attempted to use Prospects but it doesn't exist in my area.

There are even fewer areas where Prospects is active following the closure of their Manchester office.

[Robert Hickman]

There is some anecdotal evidence that the high technology industry takes little interest in disabled people - with any disability - and the contributions they can offer. I think there is also discrimination against disabled people as well, possibly on the rounds of risk assessment where industry sees disabled people as liabilities rather than assets to the company. I will be having a word with the <a href="http://www.theiet.org" target="_blank">IET</a> in the near future to find out if they have ever done anything to promote awareness of Asperger syndrome in the workplace and encouraged companies to make adjustments to accomodate employees who have Asperger syndrome?

 

I have a sneaky suspicion that engineering and IT are no longer as good for people with AS as they used to be in days gone by because of changes in the way that companies are run such as a greater emphasis on teamwork and people skills. Read <a href="http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=9532" target="_blank">Two stops short of Dagenham</a> for more information about this. Universities are somewhat out of touch with what goes on in the real world and sometimes make bad recommendations. There is a possibility that you might be better off working in educational/mathematics research in a university environment.

 

Interesting observation, with relation to large corporations. But the same is not so true in smaller businesses. From my own experience, at least some smaller corporations look at what people can do, rather than other issues. I'm autistic, I'm good with technology and logic. The company I'm working for currently hired me for that.

[mayB12]

Anything happened with Canopus' organisation yet? I see this is quite an old thread; a lot may have happened since then (or not, as the case may be).