How and When To Disclose - When Problems Occur

If you haven’t already disclosed your diagnosis, you may want to disclose if you begin having trouble at work. 

Example: You may have difficulty organizing or keeping up with your work.  You may need to tell your supervisor so that he or she can help get an organizational system in place to help you complete your work most efficiently.

Example: You may have difficulty getting along with co-workers.  It seems that one co-worker is being very rude to you, and you are unsure how to handle it.

Here are some reasons to disclose your diagnosis if you start having difficulty at work:

• To avoid conflicts
• To reduce your stress level
• To avoid making big mistakes on the job
• To arrange reasonable accommodations to help you perform your work duties
• To avoid getting immediately fired

If you start having difficulty at work, arrange to have a private, face-to-face meeting with your supervisor.  You could say, “I would like to discuss some aspects of my job with you. Is there a good time for us to meet?”   However, your supervisor may also initiate a meeting to talk to you about your challenges at work.  You may want to disclose your diagnosis if that happens.

Write down what you are going to say beforehand and practice it aloud.  Here is what you need to plan:

1. Practice what you are going to say out loud beforehand.  Role-play the discussion with a trusted friend, family member, or mentor.  Have them pretend to be your supervisor and ask you questions so you can practice responses.

   How you will say that you have autism. 
   
   

   When disclosing your diagnosis, it is generally helpful to mention:

   • A sentence or two about autism (or your diagnosis)
     
   • Some positive characteristics of autism that can help your job performance
   • What may be difficult for you
   • What can be done to minimize this difficulty
   
   
   
2. Have some ideas about how to resolve your issues. 
   
   Talk to a job counselor, parent, previous supervisor, previous co-worker, or mentor beforehand about ideas for how to improve your job performance.  You might discuss certain accommodations or strategies that you need to perform your work duties successfully.  Your supervisor may also have some ideas, though this may be a new and different kind of situation for them.  Prepare how you are going to tell them.

3. Be prepared to answer some questions:
   
   
   • What does it mean to have an autism spectrum disorder?
   • How can we make this work?
   • What can I do to help you? 

Bring along a handout explaining what autism spectrum disorders are and what characteristics may affect your work:

Here is a sample of a script of what someone might say when disclosing their diagnosis

“I wanted to talk to you about the trouble I have been having with getting started for the day.  You have to talk to me about it almost every morning, and I am concerned that I am not doing my job to your satisfaction.  I would like to tell you something about myself that I think would help you understand me better and help me do my job better.  I have an autism spectrum disorder, which means that there differences in my communication style and social interactions.  Some people with autism also have trouble with organization, which is true for me.  Each day when I come into work, I am confused about what I am supposed to be doing.  Sometimes I try starting my tasks on my own, and I seem to do them out of order or do something incorrectly.  Other times I just wait for you to come tell me what I should be doing.  When that happens, you think I am doing nothing at all, but really I am unsure of what to do.  Most of the time, I don’t think to ask what I should be doing. I am capable of doing my work well and would like to be a good employee.  It would help me out if there was a predictable routine for my morning tasks.  Maybe you could write a quick list of what you would like me to do when I arrive at work—or send me the list in an email I can check each morning.  Or, maybe a more consistent sequence of tasks could be arranged, so that I don’t have this confusion.  I have some information about autism spectrum disorders for you to read and I am happy to answer any questions.” *****It is ok to refer to your notes during the meeting.  You do not have to memorize an entire script.  Here is the same information as in the script, but presented in bulleted format for easy reference: It has been brought to my attention that I am having a problem getting started for the day. I have an autism spectrum disorder, which means I have trouble with social communication and organization. When I come to work, I don’t know exactly what I should be doing. When I try to figure it out on my own, I may do it wrong. When I wait to be told what to do, I look like I’m doing nothing. I have trouble asking what I am supposed to be doing. A daily list of what I should be doing would help me. A predictable sequence of tasks or routine would also help me. I am capable of doing my job correctly with some strategies. Here is a handout about autism spectrum disorders.