Until recently, only a few close mates at work knew about my disabilities.
Now, they're obvious. Because I wear my Autistic and ADHD pride badges to work. Every day.
Disclosing your autism or ADHD at work is risky. But it can pay off.
Risks: Discrimination
Autistic employees might not get a fair go, even if they are right for the job. If you mask your autism, and don’t disclose, you might avoid discrimination. Like many late-diagnosed Autistic ADHDers, I began masking when I was tiny. I mimic neurotypical like a chameleon. But masking comes at a cost.
Ordinary work things that don’t bother neurotypical people are painful to me. If I’m masking well, it seems like these things are no problem at all! In reality, it leaves me totally shattered.
Work List of Neurodivergent Doom and Pain:
Paying attention and speaking in meetings
Neurotypical socialising
Sitting on a chair like a neurotypical person
Background noise
Phonecalls
Pretending I don’t loathe a colleague who has enough social status to get away with laziness or incompetence
Changing my plans for the day unexpectedly, like it’s nothing.
Benefits: Authenticity
It took a long time to build up the courage to disclose at work. The surprising thing was, the more people I told, the better I felt. For the first time in my working life, I felt… authentic. My colleagues were supportive.
One day, my nurse friend asked for a noisy machine to be muted, so I could think clearly. I like to replay that moment in my brain – a little treat.
Another day, I led my team to a assess a patient. It was a 4-bed room, and the 3 other patients had visitors. Everyone was talking at the same time. I said jokingly to my team-mates “oh all this background noise is JUST PERFECT for an autistic, noise-sensitive doctor”. We all laughed, but I could feel their empathy radiating to me. I felt lighter. Some of my masking undone.
Disclosing autism in work or social situations is a personal choice. It might be right in some situations, but not others. There is no right or wrong choice.
Being an out and proud disabled, neurodivergent could stifle your career. Intersectional factors like race, indigeneity, gender, gender identity, age and sexual orientation increase your disadvantage. If I had those factors, I'm sure I wouldn’t disclose. Too dangerous. But since I’m not very intersectional, I can be out, and challenge stereotypes of neurodivergence with relative safety.
So. Badges on.
It’s a relatively calm morning in the Emergency Department and one of the ED Consultants is walking my way. I can tell from their purposeful stride and direct gaze they’re about to refer a patient to me. As they approach, their attention shifts to the badges on my scrubs.
“I LOVE your badges! They are so cool. Hang on, why do you wear them?”
I explain I wear them because of my diagnoses of Autism and ADHD.
“I should get some of those!” they lean in “My partner thinks I have ADHD. And I probably have autism.”
A grin spreads across my face.
Get your cool Neurodiversity Pride gear from Neurodivergent artists like: