"Newly Diagnosed... What next?" - New Autistamatic Video

[Night Owl]

Wow....thank you for taking the time to make such a professional and informative video!. It has helped me a great deal and I will show it to my close family members...it says everything much better than I have been trying to !
How strange that you made a video answering the same question I had just asked with the same title!. Thanks again

 

[Major Tom]

That was done excellently! I wish I would have seen this before I outed myself to around 300 people on Facebook.. Haha. Bad move, impulsivity is one of my weak points for sure. I have many strong points as well if I am in a proper environment.
Anyways, that was seriously well done. I'm going to subscribe to your YouTube channel as well.

 

[Highway Cowboy]

Hi all

I have just uploaded the second Autistamatic Video: "Newly Diagnosed...What Next?".

I realise this is two videos in very quick succession, but I wanted there to be more than one video on the channel at this early stage. It takes me 10-14 days to find the time to complete these and I will post them here first every time.

As always, the emphasis is on adult autism, particularly those of us with Asperger's or HFA. This video concerns things you may want to think about after receiving an adult diagnosis. @Night Owl this is the one I mentioned when you posted your thread a few days ago.

Constructive criticism is always welcome, and please like and/or subscribe to the channel to help Autistamatic grow and reach a wider audience.

Absolutely brilliant video, very very helpful with lots of useful practical advice. I am a recently diagnosed Aspie age 46. I work as a HGV Driver and am giving serious thought to revealing my Aspergers Syndrome Condition to my bosses at work but am concerned how they might react. I don't want "special treatment", but it might help them to understand why I am the way I am, for example massive kick off and meltdown when they changed my regular run, why I always insist on knowing what I'm doing the night before so I can prepare myself, why I keep my truck spotlessly clean etc. .
Any advice would be most gratefully received.

 

[Autistamatic]

Hi @Highway Cowboy
Thanks for the positive feedback. I took a look at the thread you posted a little while back about your possible disclosure. It's never an easy question to answer and it's going to have to be one you judge for yourself based on how well you know your bosses and colleagues. Not always an easy task for someone on the spectrum.
Has anybody else you have worked with raised any issues relating to health, disability, mental illness or similar and how were they treated? Do they have a clear, easily accessible equality policy? Is your workplace/base the sort where there is lots of "banter" at each other's expense? Have they a good track record on confidentiality? Are you a member of a trade union?
I believe in the principle of disclosure because it's morally wrong that we should have to hide our differences, but it can backfire on you if you misjudge it. If in doubt, don't shout!
The biggest question I always think is - if it all goes south, how easy would it be for you to start again with a new company?

 

[Highway Cowboy]

Hi @Highway Cowboy
Thanks for the positive feedback. I took a look at the thread you posted a little while back about your possible disclosure. It's never an easy question to answer and it's going to have to be one you judge for yourself based on how well you know your bosses and colleagues. Not always an easy task for someone on the spectrum.
Has anybody else you have worked with raised any issues relating to health, disability, mental illness or similar and how were they treated? Do they have a clear, easily accessible equality policy? Is your workplace/base the sort where there is lots of "banter" at each other's expense? Have they a good track record on confidentiality? Are you a member of a trade union?
I believe in the principle of disclosure because it's morally wrong that we should have to hide our differences, but it can backfire on you if you misjudge it. If in doubt, don't shout!
The biggest question I always think is - if it all goes south, how easy would it be for you to start again with a new company?

It's a relatively small family run company, 15 trucks and 19 drivers. There is generally alot of typical male banter but we all get along together pretty well on the whole. So far as I am aware there is nobody else there with any notable health issues or disab

Hi @Highway Cowboy
Thanks for the positive feedback. I took a look at the thread you posted a little while back about your possible disclosure. It's never an easy question to answer and it's going to have to be one you judge for yourself based on how well you know your bosses and colleagues. Not always an easy task for someone on the spectrum.
Has anybody else you have worked with raised any issues relating to health, disability, mental illness or similar and how were they treated? Do they have a clear, easily accessible equality policy? Is your workplace/base the sort where there is lots of "banter" at each other's expense? Have they a good track record on confidentiality? Are you a member of a trade union?
I believe in the principle of disclosure because it's morally wrong that we should have to hide our differences, but it can backfire on you if you misjudge it. If in doubt, don't shout!
The biggest question I always think is - if it all goes south, how easy would it be for you to start again with a new company?

(cont'd from previous reply sent mid flow in error)... Although perhaps there are people there with issues or disabilities but their privacy policy is much to their credit and not made common knowledge. As you rightly point out it could go either way.

I don't want to go in bashing them over the head with the disability rights and Autism friendly stick, and I wouldn't want it put around for general consumption around the depot, I was just thinking of making the Transport Manager and Ops Manager aware of my condition

 

[Autistamatic]

Totally agree with your approach - if you are going to disclose, do it as constructively as possible. It's about making life easier for you AND your employer after all. The "stick" is there only to be used when necessary, and it's not all that effective a stick some of the time anyway. Smaller firms tend to be friendlier to such issues than big corporates but the danger is still there because people can be mightily unpredictable, and we can have difficulty spotting the warning signs.