Frustration at lack of awareness

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Today I went for a work trial at a gardening place that is called supported employment because it deals with people with disabilities. I arrived and was assigned to a work group with a supervisor M. In the car on the way to the first job I got talking to M. and mentioned to her about my Asperger's because I thought (it turns out wrongly) that working in a supported workplace like that all the supervisors etc would be trained in or at least understand AS and how to help someone in that type of environment with it. She said whats "Ashburgers" it was then I knew she didn't have a clue, I said haven't you heard of Asperger's? stunned. She replied "no whats that". Her lack of awareness caused problems all day in a number of situations, these were. I think a lot was not nastyness simply a total ignorance of Asperger's.

*Touching me and not telling others to not touch me
*Being unsympathetic when a very loud noise continued for a long time and was really affecting me
*"Joking" and being totally unserious in conversation
*Being kind of patronising when talking to me
* not taking me seriously when i told her about a foot injury I recently sustained in fact being quite angry about it when i brought it up again later
*waving sharp tools in front of me or near me.
*not being entirely clear in instructions
*correcting things I say

I like gardening and this seems like a really good oppotunity (given the right support) anyone got any suggestions.

I am so sorry. I understand this deeply and profoundly. In some ways, those (un)professionals who think they know can be the WORST!! !

They operate by assumption, exploit vulnerability, and make the situation worse.....

Again, I only mean those who are inclined to inflict damage and I am in no way implicating all professionals - reader, please do not misinterpret (my disclaimer). I promise, I've had doctors give me the world's worst, stupid advice you can imagine. Just because one works in a field supposedly amenable to those with a difference does NOT mean they are any less discriminatory....sick. They themselves are NOT immune from having a personality disorder. I have likely met a sociopath in a 'professional' mental health field.

I don't even know what to begin to say to you; I'm lousy at advice. But I am sorry. You trusted her, as was indicated, and she betrayed you with her own misconceptions. And, how disrespectul to not have the courtesy to acknowledge your even most basic needs. I do not feel, at all, you're wrong to feel misled. I would be hurt too.

For me, I don't know who to trust. I mean, if you cannot trust someone in this field, who can you tell your most basic needs to? I'm struggling hard with Disabilities Services at my University and beyond exhausted. Disabillities Services lady has made me miserable.

Hey, maybe my Disabilities Services lady and your supervisor M could be friends! They could get together, have a tea party, and gossip about us.

Sorry Catster2......'Ashburgers,' huh? That's a new one. Did you tell her it's virally contagious? Scary.

I live in a small town(pop 5000) and I have yet to meet a single person, who knows what AS is. I don't tell anyone, unless I am prepared to explain it thoroughly. You can never assume others know what AS is. I had to discover what AS was, on my own, about 8 months ago. I think it'll be awhile, before the rest of the world catches up. Hang in there.

Ms. "supervisor M." sounds like a real IDIOT! Try to remind her. I know it is hard, but this is SUPPOSED to be her job. I ASSUME she is getting paid a premium for that.

Yeah, I had that SAME thing happen YESTERDAY! A problem someone ELSE kept having caused him to come to have ME babysit him by researching. OK, I am used to that, but he REALLY invaded my personal space. If I were any angrier, I might even have tried to think more about giving him the cold I had earlier. It would have been just recompense!

Yes, I deal with this all the time and when they ask what Asperger's is there's so much info. I have to put besides it supposedly being part of the autism spectrum. The reason I say that is some people are still ignorant about austism, they seem to mesh it in with retardation. When I do give them ideas of what I can't deal with, it still doesn't go through their head. Probably because it doesn't sound all that important compared to someone who hears voices in their head or those who suffer from from PTSD. I try to compromise with my boss when it comes to tasks. She used to get mad at me but now after some long months of working with her, I think she's now starting to understand some of my dilemmas. I'm probably lucky to have her as a boss because it's taken a lot of patience. So, I think it takes time for some of these people to understand what goes along with this disorder. I thought I'd just quit after those first few days at my job. It's hard but much easier than when I first started.

Caster, if I were you I'd bring her a short one page description of AS and what you want her to know about it and what she can do to help you and make things easier for you.

Most ppl i talk 2 don't even know what AS means although i don't have problems explainin 2 it sometyms they will ask me 2 many questions about my AS wen really it just a few tings that affect me.

Here is a slighty edited version (name of organisation removed) letter sent to person in chage.

As you have stated to me MB is a supported employment organisation that deals with people with disabilities providing them employment. After I arrived on Friday and was assigned to a work group with M. initially I was comfortable with this. However in the car on the way to the first job I got talking to M. and mentioned to her about my Asperger's because I thought and assumed (it turns out wrongly) that working in a supported workplace like yours all the supervisors etc (even part-time ones) would be trained in or at least understand AS and how to help someone in that type of environment with it. She said whats "Ashburgers" it was then I knew she didn't have a clue, I said haven't you heard of Asperger's? I was stunned, upset and very frustrated. She replied "no whats that".

I do not beleive this (a supervisor being unaware of something as common as AS) is acceptable or professional, one in 100 people in Australia suffer from Asperger's. All staff should be trained in or made aware of all the possible disabilities that they may be dealing with on a daily basis especially in an organisation like MB.. This can be done in such a way as to not breach privacy but if a person such as myself does decide to declare their disability all people like M. dealing with that person should be aware of the condition and strategies to put into place to make my life and hers easier and peaceful. This type of training (by professionals who are expert in the area) has been provided in a number of workplaces that deal with people with Asperger's for a number of years (some longer than others) including doctors, teachers, psychologists, managers, VR and the police. I shouldn't have to explain the condition to a worker like M. and in fact it is not effective if I do so because I am the one with the condition. It is far more effective if this is done by a professional this general training helps supervisors to know how to deal with people they may just suspect have Asperger's and how to put support mechanisms in place for me as well.

Her lack of awareness caused me problems and at one stage made me close to tears all day in a number of situations, these were. I want to make it very clear that I think a lot was not nastyness simply a total ignorance of Asperger's which ican have the same effect on me.

*Touching me and not telling others to not touch me
*Being unsympathetic when a very loud noise continued for a long time and was really affecting me
*"Joking" and being totally unserious in conversation
*Being kind of patronising when talking to me
* not taking me seriously when i told her about a foot injury I recently sustained in fact being quite angry about it when i brought it up again later
*waving sharp tools in front of me or near me.
*not being entirely clear in instructions
*constantly reaching over me in the car waving her arm each time
*correcting things I say