The issue of disclosure can be a major cause of anxiety and avoidance of the job market for autistic people. It’s vital to acknowledge that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions for this sensitive subject.

Again, it is a highly individual choice; if you need accommodations to do your job, you may need to disclose your diagnosis. If you don’t need accommodations, you can think about other factors: being comfortable with your employer and/or colleagues knowing about your autism diagnosis; being ready to educate your employer and/or co-workers about autism; being prepared for your employer or/and other workers processing this information and changing their behavior or attitude; being ready to self-advocate, and many other considerations. It’s up to you to weigh all the pros and cons and decide what to do.

Possible Pros of Disclosure:

— Your employer and/or colleagues may better understand and support you.
— You can be yourself and stop masking (or start unmasking more).
— You can ask for reasonable adjustments that might be necessary to complete your work. Your well-being also matters!
— You can make your workplace more inclusive and help other people be more open- minded and supportive.
— Some countries can guarantee full protection under their Disability or Equality Acts, such as ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), DDA (Disability Discrimination Act), The Equality Act (UK), etc.
— You might want to avoid being misunderstood by your co-workers and/or employer.
— It aligns with your personal preference.

Possible Cons of Disclosure:

— Your employer and/or other workers might be ignorant or judgmental about autism.
— You could face discrimination, bullying, gossiping, or ostracizing.
— You think that you don’t need any workplace adjustments.
— You might worry that your employer and/or colleagues will dismiss or ignore your diagnosis or treat it as unimportant.
— It may not align with your personal preference.

It is also important to highlight that you may not need to disclose your autism diagnosis to ask for support and accommodations — your employer and/or co-workers might agree to support you just because you asked for it. For example, “I don’t use my phone for calls, so, please, message me or send an email instead”; “I have problems processing auditory information, it would be better to write it down instead”; “I get tired easily and often need plenty of rest and breaks to function”; “Sometimes it’s hard for me to understand facial expressions and other people’s feelings, I am not trying to be rude or nonchalant. Please, don’t be shy and tell me what I might be missing”; “I can ask lots of questions, not because I’m questioning your authority, but because I want to understand everything and do it right”.

Timing your autism diagnosis disclosure:

If you choose to disclose in your (potential) workplace, you will need to think about when you want to do it. Some autistic people prefer to disclose before they even interview or during the application process — that way, an employer and other workers will be fully aware from the start; others decide to wait until they get the job — this way, an autistic person might avoid being overlooked because of it and have an opportunity to show their full potential.

What to Say If You Choose to Disclose:

— Share some basic information about autism
— Highlight your skills, strengths, and talents
— Talk about your autistic traits that affect you the most (communication differences, sensory issues, etc)
— Ask for reasonable adjustments/accommodations that would help you feel comfortable and perform your job.

We believe it’s important for you to know that you have the right to keep your autism diagnosis private. We suggest you weigh the pros and cons, learn about your potential workplace, talk with other autistic people, and decide for yourself.

Sources

— mywayemployability.au
— autismsociety-nc.org
— pathfindersforautism.org

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