{"id":56040,"date":"2019-02-17T18:56:32","date_gmt":"2019-02-17T18:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/02\/17\/why-the-military-should-consider-a-waiver-for-high-functioning-autism\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:50:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:50:17","slug":"why-the-military-should-consider-a-waiver-for-high-functioning-autism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2019\/02\/17\/why-the-military-should-consider-a-waiver-for-high-functioning-autism\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the military should consider a waiver for high-functioning autism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Correction:<\/b><\/i> An error was introduced during the editing process. The author serves in the New York State Guard \u2014 an unpaid, all-volunteer force \u2014 and not the National Guard. We regret the error.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serving in the military is both an honor and a service to those who volunteer in this great country of the United States of America. However, many potential volunteers are disqualified for various reasons, thus the reason for my letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am a 25-year-old man with a four-year college degree in history from Stony Brook University with high-functioning autism. I have been rejected by the Army three times outright just from disclosing my diagnosis. I was also rejected by the Marine Corps twice after disclosing my medical records. I was never given the opportunity to take the ASVAB, nor was I given an opportunity to appeal the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a personal fight for me, but this is also a fight for other people with high-functioning autism. For far too long, our right to serve and fight has been denied on the grounds of our disorder \u2014 we are so much more than that. I was even told by one of my recruiters to hide my diagnosis by not mentioning it. This is wrong. Like the ethnic minority and LGBT service members before us, we shouldn\u2019t have to hide who we are when serving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why I\u2019m asking the government and military to make high-functioning autism a waiverable condition for military service. This waiver won\u2019t cover all people on the autism spectrum, nor should it \u2014 autism is a spectrum disorder. Functioning widely varies from totally non-verbal to highly qualified and fully functioning individuals. The waiver would include individuals with Asperger\u2019s and other high functioning autistic people that don\u2019t have any sensory difficulties and those who don\u2019t need help in the past year in special education at school.<\/p>\n\n\n\t