Can mentioning Asperger's help me get a job?

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I want to have a career as a copy editor, and as grammar is one of my obsessions, mine is pretty much perfect. The newspaper adviser at my college said I'm the best editor he's ever seen, and I know my Asperger's would be a boon for an editing job. But should I say I have Asperger's in a job interview? I know I would be better than almost any other applicants because of my fixation, and if the interviewer knows Asperger's, I think it could land me a job. But if the person doesn't know, would it be too risky to describe it and explain my grammar obsession as a reason why I should get the job?

ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, NO!! !! !! !! ! DO NOT DISCLOSE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!! !! !! !! DISCLOSING ANY KIND OF DISABILITY IS AN AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION FROM BEING CONSIDERED!! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !!

Okay...you don't have to scream at me.

I agree with Meistersinger. If you mention Asperger's, you'll be seen as a "potential problem", not to mention you'll be giving away the fact that you don't have "excellent communication skills" (whether or not it's actually required for the job). Your resumé will go straight into the garbage, and you'll never have recourse. They'll always have an excuse to weasel out of any discrimination lawsuit ("There was someone who was better suited for the job" etc).

I was discussing this with someone in another thread a while ago. My situation is I'm nearing the end of my studies and will be job hunting soon, and my therapist thinks I should own my Aspergers in an interview ( but be quick to mention that I'm very high functioning) because she thinks it might provide a decent explanation if they think there's something 'off' about me.

So another poster raised the point that an employer might be suspicious of your motives for disclosing that, like they might wonder if you'll sue them for discrimination if they don't give you the job. Personally I think it's enough to say that you are passionate about something without relating it back to Aspergers. It's totally believable in of itself.

From what I've observed this appears to work better if you're %100 certain you won't be working in the U.S., I'm guessing the whole 'affirmative action' thing served to make major employers in the country expect everyone of any minority background to also be their ideal outlier in terms of interview rosters. Actually since it's the U.S. and said employers only respect people's time if they're forced to pay for it, I'm pretty sure they've long since abandoned rosters in favor of brackets.

Apart from that I'm afraid I couldn't tell you - either disclosing it could have spared me my last layoff or stopped the preceding interview dead in its' tracks.

Another absolutely not. I wouldn't bring it up unless..
1. You are hired and have passed any probationary periods.
2. You find it necessary to request some type of accommodations.
3. There's a need to inform for clarification. (In my case, no I'm not high-this is my normal state.)

Most people have negative conceptions of ASD and will chalk it up as negative. Legally a company can't discriminate, but it's likely that someone "more qualified" would fill the position.

^When I was a hiring manager, I would have wondered to myself "Why are they telling me this?" I would not have worried about being sued, but a person who gives you unnecessary personal information is always a problem employee.

In fact, a person DID tell me once that they had Asperger's. I did NOT hire him because all of the other people on my side of the interview did not want him. I ended up hiring another aspie who did not disclose. I did not know about the autism spectrum then, but I was purposefully looking for an aspie type who would not waste time gossiping or looking at social media.

I have to admit that when I read the OP's post, my mind reacted in all caps before I saw Meistersinger's post. Like, seriously, do not disclose in an interview. I cannot stress that enough. I have conducted probably 100 interviews and screened hundreds of resumes, all before I studied autism.

Suuuuuure, sure it will. If you wanna shoot yourself in the freakin' foot, that is.

ie: hell no.

The "Care and Feeding of Your Aspie" blog, written by a member here, believes that you should tell them. I think he raises some good points.

http://www.savagelightstudios.com/warpedlens/?p=70

tell them AFTER you get the job if you need accommodations.

People really seem to hate the idea that anyone could posses some physiological quirk making them more productive. I was one in a group of eighteen in my last position & the only one without an account on FB. I should hope you at least followed up.

Do. Not. Disclose.

I would say, within most jobs in the US----DO NOT DISCLOSE--EVER!

Unless you know that your immediate superior is Aspie, or is sympathetic to autism.

Or unless you are surrounded by Aspies, and they are not being discriminated against.

Awareness of Asperger's/Autism is 30-40 years behind the times.

PS: Most people think of "accommodations" as meaning ramp entry for people in wheelchairs.

Don't disclose unless you need to ask for a specific accommodation, and don't disclose until after you are hired. Your positive attributes of attention to detail, accuracy, ability to focus, should stand out without needing to explain them. Have your advisor and other relevant professors write you letters of recommendation talking about your skills and interests and how they relate to the job you want. That's all anybody needs to know.

The U.S. Federal government does have quotas for hiring disabled people, and that includes private companies who do do contracting for the Federal government. Some cities and counties provide tax benefits to companies that hire the disabled (like Montgomery County, MD) That said, I have misgivings about disclosing at the hiring stage even with these people. I think most people hesitate to hire the disabled because they fear it will cost a lot of money to accommodate them, or they will cause problems.

Last job I was in, I did not disclose and the only accommodations I asked for were afforded to all my coworkers NT & otherwise. I'm starting to guess I was pulled in as token 'disabled' (along with a very intelligent lady with an archaeology degree), I declined to self-identify in that manner & got worked. I asked for an industry standard graphics stylus display & standing desk, both in order to take care of my hands so I could avoid carpal tunnel. Both clearly mandated by OSHA legislation & both unequivocally denied, basically just so my boss could assert something besides his own incompetence. Instead I had to spend my ten bucks an hour on peripherals of my own I was shortly thereafter chided for plugging into a leased workstation. I was also paid beneath all my coworkers for rigidly standardized work drawing upon roughly five years experience on my part.

Not only can disclosing it preclude one ever getting a job, having said job in the first place could easily be seen as completely pointless.

Don't disclose anything, physical or otherwise. I also have diabetes, kidney problems, and carpal tunnel. I made the mistake of even saying I was collecting SSDI, and was told thanks, but no thanks, even for a sh!tty position like delivering pizza.