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Tomar

Do I tell my boss?

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My boss thinks that I am good with numbers, a bit awkward socially & good at diving into detail. I have been called "Mr Routine" at work. If you were to ask the people I work with to describe me they would come up with a list of the symptoms of Autism.

 

I don't know whether any of them has pieced it all together.

I have had some problems at work recently. Some of these are around the social side of things, some are where I can see "techy" things clearly that the NTs just don't get and I think that my boss completely underestimates what I can actually do.

 

If I tell my boss about my autism. This might clear up some of these issues. On the other hand, it might lead him to stick me in a corner out of the way​ & assume that I am completely useless.

 

Has any​one got any ideas or had similar experiences?

Edited by Tomar

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I was just the same at work, but I had no idea that I had autism.

 

I think it all depends so much on what kind of person your boss is. Does he listen? Does he know about your problems at work? If so, is anything being done about them? If he underestimates your abilities, can you see opportunities for improving the work as a whole that would make him think more of you?

 

If he's open to new ideas he should see you as an asset. If you feel you can sell yourself in this way at the same time as telling him about your autism, it should be in both your interests, and under the Autism Act he should make 'reasonable adjustments' to take your autism into account.

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Thanks Mihaela

 

What you have said is helpful. I'm going to stay calm, take my time & think through (in far too much detail) the answers to the questions you posed in your post.

 

Flying off at a tangent, out of curiosity, how did you find out about autism? In my case, I have always known what I am like, but never connected it to autism, then someone said something to my daughter, she told me & I began to read up about autism. This led to diagnosis. My mother then told me that someone else has suggested to her that I might be autistic. Now I'm wondering who else suspects that I'm autistic but hasn't said anything. Was I the last to know?

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At work, I have told no one. I'm sceptical about "coming out" in this respect.

 

I'm coming round to your way of thinking. It is an irreversible step so had best get it right

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well if the boss were already 'shoving you in a corner' or assuming you are incompetent and its affecting how you are at work, then its best to tell them. If they think having the condition makes it worse or uses it against you to stick the knife in, they could be wrong. You could be in a job/career suitable for those with aspergers see below. In the studying i was doing for the knowledge of London black taxi, where you are tested in a formal interview. My social interactions kept pulling me back due to hesitancy, lack of eye contact, facial expressions which i was not aware of, etc. Upon diagnosis i found it was actually a job suitable for aspies in the said list. They were understanding after sending them all the paperwork from the consultants who diagnosed me. I also learned they give allowances for people with dyslexia, who sometimes appear scatter minded like they have not been doing any studying when they have.

 

 

 

http://www.adultaspergerschat.com/2013/03/50-great-jobs-for-adults-with-aspergers.html

50 Great Jobs for Adults with Asperger’s and High-Functioning Autism

“Would there be a list of jobs that might be best suited for adults with Asperger’s?”

The short answer is “yes.” Some adults with Asperger’s and High-Functioning Autism may have difficulties with short-term memory, multi-tasking, and social skills. So, here is a list of good jobs (not all-inclusive) for these adults based on their unique challenges:

1. Accounting
2. Animal trainer
3. Automobile mechanic
4. Bank teller (drive-up position only)
5. Building maintenance
6. Building trades
7. Carpenter
8. Ceramics
9. Clerk and filing jobs
10. Commercial art
11. Computer animation
12. Computer programming
13. Computer repair
14. Copy shop jobs
15. Data entry
16. Drafting
17. Engineering
18. Equipment designing
19. Factory maintenance
20. Fast food restaurant jobs (drive-up position only)
21. Freelance work
22. Home-based business
23. Inventory control
24. Janitor jobs
25. Jewelry making
26. Journalist
27. Laboratory technician
28. Landscaping
29. Lawn and garden work
30. Lawnmower repair
31. Library science
32. Mathematician
33. Musical instrument repair
34. Newspaper editor
35. Photography
36. Physicist
37. Piano tuner
38. Recycling plant jobs
39. Small appliance repair
40. Statistician
41. Supermarket worker (e.g., stocking shelves, bagging groceries)
42. Taxi driver
43. Telemarketing (employee works with the public, but not face-to-face)
44. Tree trimmer
45. Veterinary technician
46. Video game designer
47. Warehouse jobs
48. Web page design
49. Welder
50. Wood carving

These are just a few of the jobs that adults on the autism spectrum would be good at. There are certainly many more!

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Nothing to be gained by telling a boss, unless they are AS themselves.

 

I would think most people would prefer an AS taxi driver. The taxi would be spotless, the driver would always use the fastest route and not engage the passenger in a pointless conversation.

 

As for The Knowledge, the interviews can be awkward for most, not just those with AS. A West Indian student driver was asked to describe the most direct route from Blackboy Hill to the Race Relations Board.

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