34. Autisms Alright: Disability is not a Dirty Word - Discrimination is! Meet Lucy Knight
Lucy Knight always knew she was different and was finally diagnosed autistic at 31. A lot in her life has changed for the better since she got diagnosed and now she advocates for myself and other autistic people. She has a blog called Autisms Alright where she shares her own story and important resources on the topic of autism.
TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:
Without a diagnosis you might choose a career path not really suited for your needs.
Misophonia is a condition in which individuals experience intense anger and disgust when they are confronted with sounds made by other humans.
Without a diagnosis, you can't advocate for yourself because as an employee you are not entitled to certain accommodations.
A diagnosis can feel like a big relief with finally being able to understand yourself and to have a vocabulary.
Unfortunately, no one really tells you how to advocate for yourself once you do get a diagnosis. Nobody actually tells you what to do.
It is important that you learn how to advocate for yourself and not wait for employers know what to do.
Lucy is able to work and thrive in an open office setting but only because her employer listened to her and incorporated adaptations.
People with autism might do to jobs at work: The job you expect of them, but they are also masking and applying learned social skills which might not come naturally to them.
Being autistic, Lucy says she can’t tell easily how she feels at any given time. Which she finds really bizarre.
Because employment is about the employee as much as the employer it is important to that it works out for both and disclosing your disability can help you advocate for yourself but also gives the employer a chance to make these accommodations.
Lucy mentions that because she didn't have a label at school, she believes it helped her improve her social skills. Sometimes when people have a label, it's a bit like we're going to excuse their behavior rather than help them change it. We'll just excuse it, because they have a label. And that’s not really setting someone up for success at employment.
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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Lucy’s blog: Autisms Alright: Disability is not a Dirty Word - Discrimination is! autisms-alright.co.uk
Connect with Lucy on Instagram @autisms_alright and on LinkedIn
Join the Let’s talk 2e adult conference with my affiliate link here
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