World Autism Acceptance Month 2026: Lived Experience at Hillcrest Futures

To mark World Autism Acceptance Month, a support worker from our Hillcrest Futures services in Dundee has shared their experience of working at Hillcrest after being diagnosed with autism, and the positive impact of being supported to be open at work.

“I am a support worker who has been diagnosed with autism, which allows me to have a unique perspective when it comes to supporting individuals who also have autism. I deeply care about educating others about autism, so working in support allows me to share my knowledge and help people who are neurotypical better understand what it is like to live with autism.

“I struggle when learning new skills, so I require extra support and ask a lot of questions. The team I work with have always been good at answering my questions and, once I understand something, I thrive at it. This means I am happy to try new things and improve my skills, as I always feel supported. I also struggle when plans change, but my managers try to inform me as soon as possible and explain the changes fully.

“Being open about being autistic at work has helped me to understand myself more, as well as helping others understand what it is like to live and work with autism. My colleagues have been really good at helping me when I have an anxiety attack, allowing me to take some time while they take over my support so that I can recover. I have never been made to feel like my autism is an issue, and if my colleagues do not understand something I’ve done, they will ask for my perspective.”