Disclosing your diagnosis: The employee's view

 Matt, an employee at the School of Film, Media and Communication at the University of Portsmouth.  shared with us his view on disclosing his autism diagnosis  to colleagues

What advice would you give a co-worker on the autism spectrum (or an employee) about telling others at work of his or her diagnosis?

Talking about Autism is always a good thing, but the way you do this is important. Where possible I describe my diagnosis as a useful piece of information. With this information I can find ways to be more effective, and other people can find the best way to work with me. Without some sense of the situation, everyone involved will struggle. 

Even with good information, the situation will take time and effort from everyone. The cost of learning, is totally worth it considering the alternatives of frustration and stress.    

I try to talk about Autism in context, I try to think of useful analogies that will help people understand my situation. 

From you experience what has been the outcomes (positive and negative) of disclosing at work that you are on the autism spectrum?

The positive side, is that some people can understand how to get the best from me. They ensure I can work without distraction, without having to deal with unusual hints; this is helpful.  

I appreciate the patience people have. I don’t know if this is a feature of knowing my situation, but it's always helpful.   

On the down-side, I occasionally meet a person who seems to react badly to me, and they never get past that. For them, the explanations are not good enough, they get frustrated. They feel the way I talk is arrogant, or that a greater level of work planning is impossible.  

The whole journey of disclosure, learning, changing is very long. There are no quick fixes, and an adjustment needs to be considered for every new situation. I have no idea how to help people with “adjustment fatigue”. Encouraging people to keep going when they think they have done enough is challenging. But this is something that applies to both sides of the conversation. 

How does it help for your colleagues to know you are on the Autism Spectrum?

 I think my colleagues are more able to make reasonable adjustments if they understand the situation. Also, I think they are probably more gracious about some of the more difficult sides of my personality.  

How do you usually approach telling people about your autism and what do you say to them?

I approach every situation differently, I usually use a potential situation as a way into the topic. Considering a situation, I’ll talk about what I think will happen, and why this might be difficult for me. If I can, I will describe what help might be useful. Talking in general terms about Autism can be off-putting for people who have less awareness.  

Do you tell people about the strengths of autism, the positives, as well as the problems?

I’m fortunate to have a reasonable track record in my situation. If I get distracted, or put too much time into one task, there is still an appreciation for my attention to detail, and problem-solving skills in the long run.