I’m going into my sophomore year at UMD and I’m majoring in computer science. I’m not officially diagnosed with AS but I have a lot of the symptoms so I might actually try to find out if I have it. Anyways I’m on an unpaid internship and I’m having a really hard tie following directions because I need them to be really literal. I also am having a hard time with verbal directions because I can’t put them into long-term memory. Remembering verbal directions the first time it is said is like getting one chance to remember a list of vocab words you will be tested on. I don’t feel like I’m dumb because I can understand many difficult problems in school.
I’m worried because I read that many others with Aspergers end up not being able to sustain their jobs and having short employments doesn’t look good upon employment review which leads to difficulty finding jobs much later on.
You need to sign up with your local Department of Rehabilitation through your social services. Someone will evaluate you, then if you qualify, you will be assigned to a job coach who will help you figure out how to follow a series of steps.
Don’t do this on your own. You need help.
Your first step is to get an official diagnosis. Get evaluated by a psychologist.
They’ll also be able to give you some recommendations on how to proceed.
If I were officially diagnosed, would that mean on job applications I couldn’t say I don’t have disability? I intend to keep saying I’m not disabled on applications
You’re not required to disclose a disability on job applications. That’s protected health information. I didn’t think employers were generally even allowed to ask that on applications just like they aren’t allowed to ask your age (with exceptions, like requiring you to be 18 or 21 for certain fields). They are however, allowed to ask if you need accommodations for the hiring process.
Usually you’re asked about disabilities once you accept an offer and, even then, it’s just for statistical purposes, or to link you up with a support system. Where I’m interning (and planning on coming back full time when I graduate), there’s a special resource group for those with disabilities (including Autism Spectrum Disorder, which I have a formal diagnosis for).
If you want to receive accommodations, you have to reveal your diagnosis to the employer. You can ask when you are diagnosed when you have to reveal that.
Many applications ask if you need accommodations. It’s not necessarily held against you, but if the job requires you to lift 50 pounds and you say you can do that, and you can’t, what good does it do to get the job only to be unable to perform the job?
If you’re in a meeting, can you take notes on the verbal directions?
@guineagirl96 My current job asks if you have a disability on the paperwork, although it’s apparently for “reporting” reasons; i.e., numbers to give to the government to see if they are reaching out enough to create a diverse workforce.
Take into consideration that if you don’t reveal your disability, then your workplace will evaluate you based on same standards as everyone else. What are you going to do at a performance review when you are marked down for things that are results of your disability? To say at that point “well I’m on the spectrum” is going to be frustrating for supervisors and co-workers who could have been helping you. Maybe your supervisor would put directions in follow-up emails for you to use if they knew that was an issue. Just something to think about.
Ok I’ll get it checked out.