Newsletter Archive

JULY 2008

Disclosing to an Employer 
 
When people ask me if they should disclose their Asperger's Syndrome or NLD to an employer my answer is, "it depends." In addition to weighing risks and benefits, one needs to consider factors such as an individual's skills, challenges, employment history and career.  
 
Generally speaking, if a person's challenges are very noticeable or hard to manage during the work day, disclosing a disability might offer the best chance of landing a job or retaining employment. Otherwise, having a repertoire of explanatory statements may be enough to "neutralize" unexpected behaviors and smooth over misunderstandings.
 
It's critical to prepare a disclosure strategy in advance. In addition to pinpointing the specific challenges that directly impact job performance, an individual must be ready to show an employer how those challenges can be mitigated.

When one of my clients is thinking about disclosure, I begin by having the person make a list of each job challenge, how it affects their performance and what accommodation they need to solve the problem. For example, one of Ann's challenges is anxiety and it affects her performance by causing her to panic and freeze when instructions are not clear. Her accommodation need is written instructions and a longer training period. Derrick has difficulty prioritizing tasks, which lowers his productivity because too much time is spent on nonessential items. His accommodation need is for daily check-ins with his supervisor to review his schedule.
 
Once the list of challenges and needs is complete, the next step is to decide the best strategy. Some individuals can use explanatory statements to address issues without revealing a diagnosis (e.g. "I have trouble reading body language - can you tell me what you're thinking right now?" or "Sometimes when I'm concentrating, I forget to say hello"). More often the list becomes the basis of a disclosure statement and formal accommodation request.
 
Three examples of disclosure strategies used by clients in different employment situations.
 
Dan has a long history of job losses and decided to try a new approach after his latest termination. He identified his problem areas and accommodation needs. Then, after receiving a verbal job offer (but before signing an employment agreement) Dan told his would-be manager that he has Asperger's Syndrome. He described how Asperger's affects his social and communication abilities, and explained that he needs a lot of tools and check lists to manage projects. Now his supervisor understands not to take social gaffes personally, and that Dan will need more direction on certain aspects of his job.
 
Allan, on the other hand, had been in his job for eight weeks when his supervisor raised several behavior and performance issues. Allan went to his human resources department and disclosed his Asperger's Syndrome, which obligated the company (under the Americans with Disabilities Act) to work with him on accommodations.(1) Allan also decided to retain me, as his coach, to meet with his employer and answer questions about Asperger's Syndrome, Allan's particular challenges and how Allan's supervisors can best work with him. Now a pro-active plan for addressing problems is underway. 
 
Finally there is Todd who was at a crisis point. Employed in a director-level job for two years, his literal interpretation of instructions and difficulty seeing the big picture were frustrating his colleagues. Furthermore, his supervisor expected him to assume "a leadership role" which was a completely confusing proposition. When Todd initially contacted me, he'd been given two weeks to improve his performance, which essentially meant that he was about to be fired.
 
Todd gave his human resources manager a copy of The Employer's Guide to Asperger's Syndrome in which he noted his particular problem areas. In his coaching sessions we defined his accommodation needs which he then submitted to his company. Over the next three months, Todd, his manager and human resources worked out accommodations. Then an opportunity arose for Todd (at his own request) to give up his director role and become a senior manager instead. The new position allows him to concentrate on his considerable technical skills and off-load the troublesome "leadership" and people-management duties.
 
As these examples illustrate, each person's decision to disclose was based on their particular circumstances and each devised their own strategy for the best results. 
 
 
(1) Accommodation requests must be reasonable and the employee must be able to meet an employer's performance requirements. For more information about the Americans with Disabilities Act and employment, visit the Job Accommodation Network at www.jan.wvu.edu/. 
 
© 2008 by Barbara Bissonnette, Forward Motion Coaching