Masking in the workplace

[crystalrin]

I was diagnosed with ASD when I was 19 and am currently enrolled in a Social work diploma in college. In order to complete my first year I need to complete 360 volunteer hours. And I have really loved my workplace, working with my local foodbank, as they don't punish mistakes and it is a great learning enviorment. Everyone Is nice and i feel supported. But there have been some really frustrating moments. Like I booked a wrong client because I repeated their name over the phone when booking and they confirmed, but it was actually another client whose name was so similar that the client heard their name.

My coworker was asking me all day whether I served certain clients and I didn't think anything of it. But later when the client I booked under the wrong name showed up my coworker was saying she told me over and over not to mark them as collected right away so mistakes can be sorted out, i was marking clients as collected before I get their food because i often forget names quickly, she was only asking me whether I served the clients, not telling me not to mark them off.

I should have said I would have done that if she said that, and she needs to be more direct. But I had a meltdown due to sensory issues piling on top of her coming on heavy. And it was the only time I've had a meltdown so far working there.

I just wish I felt more comfortable bringing up critisicim but it feels awkward when they are way better than working for most places. And i do have genuine critisicim but I'd probably also bring some stuff up that only bothers me. Like how the radio music playing in the warehouse and the intake is a frustrating sensory experience as I can hear both. I want to find the confidence to self disclose my diagnosis but I worry they would treat me differently after.

 

[Aspychata]

I went thru something similar answering phones, sometimes names do sound alike. Maybe repeat back their name on the tricky ones. So your last name is,(blah blah blah). Most people will correct you if wrong. But it's definitely hard to concentrate with the radio on. Truthfully, l thought l was a complete idiot. Lol

 

[crystalrin]

I definitely learned from the situation to ask for the date of birth. In this case I repeated the name but it was so similar to another name over the phone they just heard their name when I said a different name.

I wish my college was more accomodating because I have isolation accommodation for exams, and extra time. But the testing center despite being a set of individual isolation rooms is an echo chamber and I can hear every other student, and the staff monitoring us talking about basketball. And I'm not allowed to bring a stuffie into the test room for test anxiety.

I get they want to prevent cheating but they are so inconsistent, where things rules shift depending on the staff. So some students get away with bringing in tools to help them cheat. Tried earplugs but that did not feel good. Usually I do fine on tests, but I get upset when I can't focus because i can't tune out the monitoring staff gossiping with each other

 

[Kayla55]

You still young, as gain more experience your talents will show up, subtle at first but out of no where one day you realise you surrounded by idiots.
I did data capture, I could sort and organise so fast, had such good memory I could put files aside without checking criteria as memory like elephant....what a waste of my life and time. No recognition or appreciation in the end, just silent self recognition we will never get ahead unless you learn to cheat and lie.
Seriously, all parts of my social life missing, so I can memorise irrelevant data for what?
The worst is remembering things differently from others. Like her, my mother in law must have being elsewhere cause that's not how I remember it at all, she's such a convenient liar about all those years.
Not sure what eventually caused my dimentia or altzeimers if it was diet and health but I noticed it for years and back then I thought it was the psychiatry of living with apes who eventually drove me insane.
I had childhood accident diving that left me half deaf, so I never picked up movie wolf Man who could hear others whispering in office.... I was recording my son's speech therapy when I played it back I realised I was so deaf I didn't hear background TV....
So dimentia really started about 15 years ago but I didn't know, because I was used to forgetting half my life and having memories come back and was overwhelmed but couldn't react as I had to get on with normal day!!

 

[Fatamsimth]

Hi Crystalrin,
As scary as it may be, your best course is to let people know your situation and the accommodations that will best help you do your work effectively. If you're afraid to do it in person, write to them. I've only just discovered I am autistic at 48 and am in a position of leadership at my company. The responsibilities, social interaction, and inability to grasp some of the key components of the job have forced me to talk to the CEO about what I need to succeed. He has been very understanding. If I hadn't told him I think I would have eventually melted down and headed for the door, even though it's a job I really enjoy.