Neurodivergent members of Talk Elections.

[Lechasseur]

Yeah, I got diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3.

I generally seem to function quite well, but I do have traits and weaknesses that do appear.

I didn't really discuss it for a good quarter of a century, but in the last year I've really opened up about it for the first time. And autism does I believe explain a lot of my personality, a lot of my positive features but also a lot of my problems.

[Lechasseur]

Diagnosed with Asperger's back in, like, 2004-05, when I was 3. I spent, like, 14-15 years as a literal neurodivergent minor, and now not even my neurodivergence is a minor.

If you don't mind me asking, how does it affect you in life?

Working is... a struggle. I lasted two months at the Amazon sort center before I couldn't take it anymore. I was starting to get the hang of being a Walgreens temp, but flunked the pre-employment questionnaire for a permanent position because I was too honest with my answers. At this point, I'm wondering if I should just take the L and see about going on disability.

I feel you on that one.  Personally, I'm definitely capable of working; one might even say that certain jobs are "right up my alley". 

The thing is, nobody seems to want to take a chance and employ me.  Even when I apply for the "up my alley" jobs, companies will acknowledge receiving my application...then they never get back to me. 

I'm not sure why this is; perhaps something about me rubs them the wrong way? Or maybe they think that if they employed someone who is "disabled", they'd have to spend extra money on the old "reasonable accommodations"...and don't want to do it because of that. 

Seriously though, I'm in the same boat.  At this point, I've pretty much said "F it, I'll do my own thing".  So I'm self-employed, LOL. 

Yeah in my case, working's fine as long as it's not customer services, and I don't have any particular issues getting a job (I guess because I pass well enough that it doesn't bother the recruiter, and I don't tell employers I have it until I get the job, given I don't really need any particular accomodations and I know it would just be used to discriminate against me).

My issues due to autism have mostly been linked to comorbidities (stuff like OCD, anxiety, depression, addictions) and horrible experiences dating (I pass well enough to get friends and jobs, but I'm autistic enough that it really turns women off, in my experience they don't tolerate it).