Hello, i have dispraxia, its only a light form and the only thing i struggle with is communication with new people.
I have started a new job, as a care assistant (2yr previous experiance) i am on probation for a few months. But i did not declare my condition on my job application as i was diognosed when i was just 13. and i try to forget i even have it. Im 21yrs old, and engaged and have my own house.
I have been working for 2months there so far, but today i was pulled into the managers office, about my confidence issues, and communicating with other members of staff, and was told im a bit "shy" and need to increase my confidence or im not going to pass the probation. Its a very well paid job i even quit my 2nd job to work full time here because it pays £10hr. So if i loose this job i will have no job at all
Can anyone suggest what to do? Should i tell them i have dispraxia ? But remember i did declare i have no medical conditions or disabilites. Thanks.
You can do this and your not alone, certainly not on here
They obviously care as they wouldn't have told you. Don't be afraid to ask them for some specific examples to allow you to analyse better how and where you need to improve.
Also ask them of examples where you have performed well/impressed them to help you build some confidence in your own ability.
What situations do you struggle most with and what aspects cause you the most fear? What else gets in your way?
Did you or could you have a mentor to help you settle in and improve your confidence.
Are their any colleagues (or residents) you work well with who might be able to help break the ice with people you're more nervous of. Tell yourself that your colleagues,others appreciate your contribution
I know quite a lot of people on here work in the care sector so I'm sure others will provide some ideas you can borrow. Do what feels right to you and remember you can most probably offer more insight than you think.
As for the disclosure issue I really don't think anyone could make an issue of it. When you applied you believed it was not relevant insofar as you felt it was something you did not necessarily believe would affect your ability to perform your role satisfactorily.
Equally, in my own opinion it is certainly not the same as failing to declare a conviction, which would have much greater gravity. It's just as much about feeling that you're in an environment where you aren't going to be judged for everything you do or say. Your colleagues/bosses may surprise you with their acceptance.
Let us know how you get on. You can do this 8-)
Tom
Tom
Moderator/Administrator
With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
When they say you're a 'bit shy' and have 'confidence issues', what exactly do they mean? Do you yourself feel shy when dealing with different people or not? The reason why I'm asking this is that exactly the same accusations were made about me in jobs (and even doing voluntary work), but I didn't actually feel particularly shy so it was very difficult for me to know how I was supposed to improve (especially as I hadn't been diagnosed with dyspraxia when those kind of things first got said about me). Later on (after I'd been diagnosed with dyspraxia) I thought about it and realised that certain things I did which were related to dyspraxia might cause me to be perceived as not very confident. One of the main things was that I spoke quite hesitantly due to dyspraxia causing my brain to take longer to process what I wanted to say- unfortunately in a lot of people's eyes hesitant speech seems to equal nervousness. You might be interested to know that people who stammer also often have problems with other people's perceptions of them, which is why it is usually recommended that they disclose their stammering to employers etc.
I must say that I don't like the way your employer has dealt with this situation though- it is quite unpleasant of her to have hauled you in to give you an ultimatum like that without previously having given you the opportunity to improve. I suppose she could have done even worse than that and hauled you in without prior warning to say that you were being fired because of those issues (which is what has happened to me). Perhaps it would be a good idea to disclose dyspraxia if you are in danger of losing your job- if she then fires you, you would have a case for disability discrimination. It shouldn't matter that you didn't disclose during the recruitment process, as there is no legal obligation to do so.
