I was recently fired from my job. The reason given was that I wasn’t willing to take on additional tasks.
I am autistic and also struggle with cPTSD and depression. According to Estonian authorities, I do not have full work capacity. Yet, my employer expected me to achieve the same results as my colleagues.
It has never been about an inability to perform my actual duties; it is always something else. My neurodivergent behavior makes people uncomfortable, and I am also straightforward and outspoken—traits not appreciated by the typical employer.
Many employers today claim to be inclusive. They hire people from minority groups and call that inclusion. I disagree. To be truly inclusive, companies need to make people feel welcome, and that part is often overlooked.
Becoming unemployed after spending years trying to educate my employer about neurodivergence and other disabilities feels wrong. I talked and talked, but no one listened. I was forced to be my own advocate—on top of everything else I was already struggling with.
But that is often what happens when dealing with “normal” people. Everyone wants to feel competent, so when someone points out that they aren’t quite as capable as they think, their ego takes over. And I get caught in the middle. Again.
In this blog, I will describe in greater detail my journey from the autistic girl who grew up without support to the middle-aged woman who has finally begun to understand herself. I hope my experiences can help someone else.
Have a great day!