Autism Doesn't Exist In the Eyes of the US Government

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I've been doing research into assistance within the federal government for employees. Unfortunately, most of my research has shown that if you have a diagnosed case of ASD you will get no assistance within the government for job placement or equal opportunity. From what I could find ASD is not covered under the Schedule A Disability Hiring Authority or EO (Equal Opportunity) What this basically means is that if you have ADD, ADHD, Depression, HIV (Yes, that is covered too), or even cancer (in remission or active), you can utilize both of these agencies to obtain assistance in the work place and in finding jobs. Unfortunately, if you have ASD you cannot.

Am I the only one who finds this incredibly unfair and wrong? I looked under covered DX's for social security and Autism is right there but it isn't listened in Schedule A or EO? That just seems absurd and discriminating. I am hoping that this information is old and obsolete but it has been brought up in a few articles as well. Example; http://www.examiner.com/article/hhs-nih ... sabilities

Also, I left a message with the department responsible for Schedule A (One lady for the entire US department) and I am hoping she will contact me back in order to go over this information with me. I am hoping that this information is obsolete and when Obama called for more people with disabilities to be hired, autism was included. Hopefully, the lady can confirm this for me.

What do you guys and gals think of this?

I'm uninformed, but if that's true I agree with you: it's descriminating and disgusting. I see no reason why ADD, ADHD or depression are considered while ASD is not.

that makes no sense, are you sure that's the case? if its true than its just plain discrimination

I posted an article addressing the issue that it isn't covered but it was from 2010. I am hoping it is now covered (which is why I called and left a message with the department head of the Schedule A Hiring Authority) because a little while back Obama addressed the government and said that they have to hire more people with disabilities. So I really am hoping that things have changed in 4 years and when I talk to the lady she can confirm that for me. I really am hoping, it was always my dream to work for the government because my parents were Civil Servants but I have a real problem working for a place that discriminates against people with Autism if it's true.

"Proof of disability will typically come in the form of a letter. Such a letter simply needs to say that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability."
That is directly from the governments OPM website for Equal Employment Opportunity
http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/initiatives/le ... lities.cfm

Now from articles I was reading autism isn't categorized as a psychiatric or intellectual disability. It is categorized as a Pervasive Development Disorders (PDD) which isn't covered by Schedule A or EO. If anyone can find any information linking it to an intellectual or psychiatric disability please let me know.

Well of the little that I know, I got a letter from my old doctor in California that stated that I was unable to work due to psychiatric reasons, but she did not mention my PDDNOS diagnosis. I was able to get food stamps that way. Not sure how everything else works, because I got denied for SSI twice.

I don't really understand it either because I hear people with Autism have a lot of trouble getting on SS. Yet, I have a friend who got on SS with his diagnosis of general personality disorder. He has been on it ever since and has an apartment (based off his SS check) and food stamps. I've never really understood what general personality disorder is because he seems pretty normal except sometimes he gets flustered if someone is being a jerk.

I never want to sound uncaring or unsympathetic to those with disabilities, but it's garbage like this which is why I strongly advocate for being into survivalism and being as self-sufficient as you can be.

THE STATE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU!

Trusting the government or any entity to take care of you is asking to be abandoned when you need the help the most.

It doesn't surprise me in the least that this is the case.

It's the same deal with endangered species....the "cute" ones get all the support. Ugly species are often ignored...no matter their importance in the ecosystem.

And, yes, I find it unfair and wrong. If you go through all the garbage to get a formal Dx with AS or Autism, you should have all the protections of law as anyone on the "A list."

I agree about being self sufficient. I have tried so very very hard to find a job where my specific ASD tendencies don't get me in trouble. Working a desk job mostly from home for the government seems to be the way to go for me with a career job. What you said rings true because it's so crazy how back home (Maine which staticly is one of the easiest states to get food stamps and disability) and when I worked at Gamestop all I ever saw was normal people who had a kid, refused to work and thus had their housing, food, and other expenses paid for by the state. I am just shocked that it seems like after all my trouble like you said to get a formal DX I just wanted some assistance because I want to move back home and can't interview (I completely stop talking, can't make eye contact, freak out) and just figured the government as an Equal Opportunity Employer must have something to help people with disabilities. Too bad it looks like ASD isn't one of them

Yeah, I've been saying this for several years now.

Agencies that "assist" the Disabled have no clue that such a thing as an autistic adult exists, nor what to do when they encounter one, so they ignore them. If you force yourself into their field of vision, they will simply pass the buck and refer you to a different agency, which will do the same thing, until after years of playing the ping-pong ball, you give up in frustration.

Autistic kids are adorable and pathetic, so they get attention. Once you turn 18, nobody gives a rat's patoot.

SSI Disability may be available to you, but ONLY after you have struggled hand to mouth or wandered homeless until such an age as such that no employer will ever consider hiring you, even to clean the toilets. Even then, you'll need an experienced Disability Lawyer to file the claim for you, probably several times, before it's approved.

Yeah, I'm starting to realize the crazy truth that my severe unspecified (Or is it General I forget?) anxiety is probably what is going to get me assistance under schedule A or EO. I find that absurd and crazy especially since I just checked and anxiety disorders are categorized as a Psychiatric disorder which is covered...

Dear ------,

I do think autism and anxiety disorder could be covered under Schedule A. We asked the EEOC about who qualifies for Schedule A and here's the answer we got:

Question:

What is the definition of severe disability under the Schedule A Hiring Authority?

EEOC Response:
There is not an exact definition for severe disability under Schedule A, but it includes people with intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities. The Schedule A regulations do not define who is covered further than that, but it is intended to be a broad term, not a restrictive one. If someone, for example, meets the standards for state Vocational Rehabilitation services, they would likely qualify for Schedule A hiring.



So if you're a service provider and you're advocating for someone, or you're an individual advocating for yourself, it's permissible and certainly encouraged to apply the term “severe disability” broadly for Schedule A purposes. All a federal agency needs is a statement from a professional that actually says "this is my patient or this is a person I know or provide services for and this person has a severe disability" and not much more than that.


Federal agencies are encouraged to use Schedule A for expediting the hiring of people with disabilities and if a person can provide documentation that supports that he/she has a disability that affects her severely, that's it, that's enough.

<Person's name>

So, it looks like if you have severe autism which is generally non verbal non functioning, you can get a job under schedule A. They did say to "apply the term severe disability" broadly but I don't like to lie and I feel that to do so would be lying or stretching the truth. I am diagnosed under severe for anxiety so there is always that route. I guess I'll talk to my Psychologist about this tomorrow. I don't feel like it is severe (I am level 2 for the new ASD diagnosis for part B) because I can keep this job as long as no one bothers me on a daily basis. Now I'm going to have to dwell over how showing this email to my Psychologist makes me feel like a bad person because to me using something broadly to is dishonest.

^THIS

Funny they have nothing regarding autism.

Yesterday a guy posted here that he was discharged from the military as soon as he was diagnosed as having Asperger's.

Since then, he's been told he's no different than other "introverted" people, and thus doesn't qualify for disability benefits.

Makes perfect sense, right?

Nope. It makes no sense. But bureaucrats don't care about sense; they care about dollars.

Isn't it ironic how the very people who ask you for years "What the F__K is wrong with you!?" are the same people who, when you tell them you've been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, insist "Oh, shut up, There's nothing wrong with you!"

Last edited by Willard on 03 Feb 2014, 6:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.