If you're autistic and employed, it's likely that you'll have an occupational health assessment, whether you're referred by your manager or request it yourself. The assessment can be both daunting and exciting. You're looking forward to learning more about what this specialist thinks might help me, but maybe you're worried about what your manager and team will think. At the time of writing, my own occupational health assessment is tomorrow, and in this post I'm going to share how I've prepared for it as an HR professional and career coach, and how you can too.

With that said, here's how to prepare for your occupational health assessment! 👊

1. Understand why you're doing it

If the assessment was requested by your manager, ask them what they'd like you to get out of it. Think about what you'd like to get out of the assessment too - do you struggle with time management, organisation, or social interaction at work?

2. Read the documentation

Most occupational health providers will give you documentation before your appointment so you know what to expect. If they don't, you can often find it on your company's intranet or the provider's website. Take the time to read through this so you understand how to join the appointment, what will happen when you do, and what to expect afterwards.

3. Keep track

I was absolutely dreading the brain freeze I knew I'd get when asked what I find difficult in the appointment. I've had a piece of paper on my desk for the last month, and every time I've found something difficult, I've written it down. I chose a piece of paper on my desk because I can't forget it exists, but if a note on your phone or computer works better for you, go for it!

4. Co-occurring conditions

If you're autistic, you might also have ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and a number of other co-occurring conditions. Don't worry about trying to ascribe each thing you find difficult to a different condition; there's a lot of overlap and that's not the aim of the referral. The aim is to recommend adjustments to your ways of working and environment that will help you mitigate those difficulties and be successful in your job.

5. Decide how much you're comfortable sharing

As autistic people, we are often prone to oversharing. Go through the list you made in step 4, and decide how much you're comfortable sharing with the assessor. If you're comfortable sharing your diagnosis report with the assessor, send it over. I chose just to send the summary of mine as I didn't feel they needed all the detail on my childhood and personal relationships. Each of us will have a different comfort level of what we want to share in a work setting, so it's useful thinking about your boundaries in advance. Remember, the occupational health report will be shared with your manager.

6. On the day

Knowing this is an important appointment, I think I'll have some nervous energy tomorrow. When I have lots of nervous energy, I know it helps me to go for a walk and have a range of sensory inputs. I've checked how I need to dial into the meeting, so I'll take myself outside for a few minutes before the appointment on a familiar walk. When I get home, I'll make a cup of tea (warm sensory input), make sure I'm wearing safe clothes so they don't distract me, and put a range of fidgets on my desk so I can regulate during the appointment.

I'm really looking forward to see what adjustments are suggested for me and will let you know how I get on with them. Good luck in your assessment!