Is it ever OK to mention autism/Asperger's in an interview?

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Under nearly all circumstances I don't tell anyone my problems. People seem to find a way of using that perceived weakness against me, or they simply can't comprehend the situation with the way I explain it.

I work at a temporary help service, and after several months of poor results, I decided to try to communicate to my boss how I have trouble understanding and communicating with people. I used the analogy of a lady I read about who couldn't count money, but could do math. She understood 5 X 5 = 25, or 25+25+25+25= 100. But she had no idea whatsoever how many quarters it took to make a dollar. She couldn't calculate how much change she should receive from a dollar bill when purchasing a 49 cent candy bar. I think she could recognize money and could identify a quarter by sight, but not its relationship to goods and services. I told my boss that's how it is with me. I have to memorize how to act in specific situations, but don't understand what is happening. If I'm confronted with a new situation, I have very few transferable skills to understand what is going on. I can do little more than react in a literal sense or keep silent, and that is often awkward.

Two days later he offered me a job working as a customer service representative for a large package delivery service.

I've tried explaining myself in a few other situations, but with similar results. As bad as it is to not say anything it is worse than trying to be honest and expecting the other person(s) to be objective and empathetic. But my technique is choosing between bad and worse and that is hard to live by.

Finding a good job, or a job at all, is one of the hardest challenges I'm trying to overcome.

Tell them.

That way, they cannot claim that they were unaware.

If they quiz you, mention the positive aspects first. Then when they're impressed with that, you can move on to the neutral stuff. Then negative.

Before you descend from one stage to the next, mention stuff like:

'In order to be able to do A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I and J, K,L, and M are affected'

Do sound like you know wat you're talking about with the next step, it doesn't really matter if you don't actually know. The idea is to convince the potential employer that you are on first-name terms with the law. It's not lying, just acting. 'Suspension of disbelief'

If they show signs of discrimantion, be sure to work the phrases in the DDA in there as often as possible, without any explicit threat of legal action.

Google it.

My AS has never come up in an interview, and I have never had to tell anyone about it.

Tim

sigholdaccountlost has a great idea. Sometimes I get down about how hard it is to find a job, and that seems to keep me from overlooking the strong qualities I do have. Yeah, it's hard, but I don't have to be such a Negative Nellie about it.

I remember one time during an interview telling the guy it was going really well until i mentioned what high school I'm from. I went o a high school that specialized in kids with Learning Disabilities (mostly Dyslexia but people with AS were ther too). Unfortunatly alot of people associate that school as a "ret*d" school. Whe I mentioned It he started giving me this BS about me not being emancipated even though I was over 16 and I could legally work. I knew the guy was totally full of it. All I can say is don't metion you AS. If asks what some of your weaknesses are say something like your not a good people person or somethin of that sort.

I wouldn't mention it if I wanted the job. If I had decided by that point that I didn't care whether I got the job or not, I might mention it. To me, it would be like holding up a blinking neon sign that says, "Don't hire me!" It seems to me that most places are looking for reasons not to hire each person that comes in and the person with the least amount, or smallest, reasons to not be hired will get the job. Admitting you may have problems getting on with them, or worse being judged by poor portrayals on TV and bad press, will surely make it more difficult to get the job than it might otherwise be. I get the feeling few people are actually totally honest in job interviews and those who are better be totally normal and saintly, else they may likely fail to get that job.

I think that sometimes, AS can work to an advantage in the job field...not necessarily telling your boss on the interview, but depending on the type of job you wish to get into. F'rinstance, if the idea of quantum mechanics makes you full of orgasmic glee, than you might consider being a quantum physicist. The trait that most Aspies have of putting all their brain power to a specific task that interests them could prove to be very, very, very beneficial in the work place.

I don't know if this belongs in this topic, but...just my two cents.

J

During an interview it seems that the person who gets hired is the person who did the best job of telling them what the employer wanted to hear, which is often not the most objective informed decision the employer could make. People who can read those potential employers in such a manner, and respond appropriately have the best chance, unless there's a friend or family relationship.

I've chosen not to disclose my AS as someone could decide not to hire me and not mention that it was because of my diagnosis. The main reason I've had huge gaps in my employment history is that I've been in school full-time, and for many employers, it's a good reason. Sometimes when the disability question comes up, it's on the optional form where they ask your gender and ethnicity, and as it's optional, I don't turn that in.

I have to do this type of stuff ALL THE TIME! HERE is what you do, at least in the US!

1. If asked if you have autism, explain you have a related "disorder" called AS.
2. If asked about other medical conditions and it is pertinant, put down AS.
3. If asked if you have AS, put down YES.
4. If asked to explain it, talk about YOUR experiences. Explain it is a spectrum and that this is how it affects YOU.
5. If asked why you take certain medications, tell them.

THAT covers your LEGAL requirements!

As for ethical, and comfort, assess the job, and possibly discuss changes, etc... The US forces many companies to make allowances for diagnosed conditions.

If you can't do it with minor changes, look elsewhere.

Don't volunteer ANYTHING unless pertinent.

Steve

BTW if you say AS, they may think autism. If they think Autism, they may see problems that, while valid in the spectrum, are NOT valid for YOU. YOU want to control the situation so you can explain it.

I work in the UK, have done so for 25 years, apart from a couple of periods after being made redundant, (total unemployment time maybe 6 months).
I discovered I had AS just under a couple of years ago and didn't mention it to anyone in authority, but told a couple of folk I knew I could trust. These were very helpful when I came across stuff I wasn't sure of in the new context that the discovery had created (I found I was suddenly unsure of stuff I'd been happy with for years, simply as I was having to re-learn things from a slightly different perspective)

In the end I told my boss during an annual review. He expressed great relief at the time as my behaviour had been confusing him, and offered to provide more detailed explanations if I needed them etc. Since then he's stopped talking about me being promoted though. This could be a coincidence, but I'm not totally sure.

I don't think I would mention it in an interview unless I knew that I would need special consideration or if it gave me an advantage (in the computer industry it often does - the neural links that NTs use to make connections with each other may be used for other stuff. I know I can 'feel' my way into software in much less time than NTs think their way in.) There are other elements as well. I work for a small high - tech company and I'm pretty certain that at least two of my colleagues also have AS. As neither is aware of this, I have to be careful...............

So, I wouldn't mention it in an interview. I queried a couple of folk about this, and was told it is not necessary to disclose it in the UK. I'm trying to get an official diagnosis at the moment and I've been told it will not be on my record for potential employers to see unless I specifically release it.

Its not a good idea to mention that you have AS. There are too many misconceptions about AS in the public.

There is one time to mention it and one time only: If it will help you get the job. But, you may ask, how will I know when this is? You will know it because the job will be related directly to working with people with disabilities or because you know for a fact that the person interviewing you has a personal interesting in AS sucess stories.

If a situation does not meet the above criteria, then AS should not be mentioned. The answer to why you were out of work should become something like: I was dealing with some personal issues that are now resolved. I needed to discover myself and what I really want to do. I have done that. Etc. Keep it brief. Keep it positive, keep it non-specific. If you feel the need to mention areas that you have trouble with (like not being a people person), always follow that up with something positive: I'm not much of a people person, I really like to work with numbers.

With interviews it is important to keep it positive. One should also practice and reherse basic interview things before hand until one is as polished as can be. Have the right hand open and ready for a firm handshake. (I tend to forget people will want to shake hands and will have my right hand full) Remember to smile and look interviewer in the eyes (or as near to eye contact as you can get). Think of a question or two to ask the interviewer- this shows that homework into the company has been done. Bring a couple extra copies of your resume! Sometimes interviewers misplace their copy and they appreciate not having to search for theirs. After the interview, whatever you might have mentioned, follow up with a breif thank you note for the time of the interviewer.

If you need to bring up AS later, I would not necessarily mention it by name. Talking about it in terms of "quirks" you have or even certain issues that might be neurological might be better. If you do mention that you have a disability, preface it with "mild". I have a "mild" disability. A "mild" case of AS. Even then, remember to mix in the positives! You still love those numbers (or whatever). And you focus really well, etc.

Hmm, how about if they later find out your disability is not so mild. I'd even be careful about referring to "quirks" as any difference can be taken to mean inferiority. However, I'm all for mentioning all your good points such as attention to detail and responsible attitude towards work.