Not Hired, or even Fired, because of Autism

Growing up I didn’t know much about people with Autism. In fact the only thing I really knew was that I have a younger brother who has Autism. 

He was diagnosed with PDD (Persuasive Developmental Disorder), which apparently was very hard to diagnose years ago, when he was 13 years old. Despite getting diagnosed late and receiving no therapy due to private insurance cut off age limit, he went on to graduate high school.

I was so proud of him for what he had accomplished. But I never imagined what he would do next. I thought maybe he would do a trade program but I didn’t see him going any further professionally.  

Boy was I wrong. He received a scholarship that paid for his college tuition where he accomplished getting his associates degree in criminal justice! My brother, he did it!

I was so proud of him! I cheered and cried for him. 

You see when I was younger I never thought what my brother achieved was possible for someone with Autism. I was like a majority of society thinking he’d be lucky to graduate from high school, especially with no therapy assistance. Watching him cross that stage he made me the happiest sister.

Not only because to society he had defied odds but because we had just gotten my son’s autism diagnosis.

My brother gave me hope and helped me push myself to make sure I did everything I could to get my own son Graham the help that my brother never received. So that one day it could be me watching my son walking across the stage getting a degree, or receiving a certificate for a trades program he enjoys, or whatever his heart contents he wants to do! 

So here he was with a college degree but still unable to get a job in his criminal justice career field. In fact the first job he ever got was through our Aunt who owns some of those Halloween pop up stores and knew the owner of the one where my family lives. But once the season was over he had nothing. He applied for job after job. I remember he was told once he didn’t have enough experience to be a bus boy. He finally got a summer job working at the local amusement park. Once again a seasonal job. 

He applied and applied for some many jobs. Fast food, retail, even a grocery bagger. But he never had any luck. 

Thanks to my mom and one of the customers she works with he finally got a job at the supermarket being a bagger. He is now learning other jobs there but still nothing having to do with his degree because people see the label and won’t give him a shot even though he has the degree.

He also only is considered part time after working there for years asking to be full time. You’d think they’d see his potential because of all the other positions they have trained him for. 

I share this because I read an article on KATV titled, ‘Lawsuit: Little Rock firefighter discriminated against, fired because of his autism,‘ about a man who is suing his local fire department because he was discriminated against and fired due to his autism. 

He was fired due to his request for a new captain because he had been tainted and reprimanded for having autism. He was qualified to be a firefighter. He could meet all the demands, passed the six month training course required by city and state, but was made fun of by his co workers and his captain criticized him for his learning disability. 

It goes on to say his co workers would call him names and at one point in front of their supervisor told the man he couldn’t go hunting with them because he couldn’t be trusted with a gun. 

When he submitted his disability paperwork to Human Resources it was passed around the station to his co workers. 

Another time he was asked for a certain type of bandage but he had learned it by a different name. Once again being criticized even though he had told his captain it was hard to relearn terms due to his autism. The captain then went on to say he was unable to do his job and was discharged for his work performance. 

According to the article the only thing he was unable to do was relearn a term for a bandage. But he had passed the Sox month training that was required by the city and state to become a firefighter. 

My brother received his degree but yet because of his label he can’t even get an interview for a job in that field. He hasn’t even been given a chance to show he can or can’t do the required tasks. 

But this young man, who was fired due to his autism, had proven he could do the job, and was still discriminated against. 

Written by Courtney Mills

My name is Courtney Mills. I’m am thirty-two years old. My husband and I have the privilege of raising one of the sweetest boys on the planet. His name is Graham. In 2019 Graham was diagnosed with severe autism. In that moment, we realized just how lost we were. No information, little help, and a whole lot of anxiety about the future. I began learning, going to seminars, asking questions, and attending conferences. Advocating by relaying our story and experiences to others. We are lost in the woods, but every day we make progress finding ourselves and the path. Guiding Graham’s Way is a journey and adventure, driven by the desire to help others. I have decided to share my story, knowledge, and to support others in theirs. You can follow us on Facebook at Guiding Graham’s Way.

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Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook, subscribe for exclusive videos, and subscribe to our newsletter.