Grantham family call for support as autistic PAT tester Joshua says he faces discrimination at work

A self-employed electrician with autism is trying to raise awareness of the difficulties his condition can present.

Joshua Czarnecki, 23, has worked as a qualified portable appliance tester in Grantham for five years but says his autism is often overlooked.

Despite his expertise, Joshua often faces misunderstandings and what he says amounts to bullying at work.

“I’m supported by a lot of my customers because they know I’m autistic, but there’s a small minority who think I’m not,” said Joshua.

“It’s getting to the point where my autism is just not getting recognised.

“In the past, I’ve had someone say my autism is so mild it’s hardly noticeable, but everyone is different—that’s part of the problem.”

“I may look ordinary, but I’m more vulnerable inside, and people assume I’m not autistic—but I am.”

He described customers shouting over simple mistakes or delays, which affected his work.

He mentioned he had been sworn at by some people in frustration.

He also said he had been trolled online by users who had continued to criticise him despite his attempts to explain and answer their questions.

The impact results in mental health issues, growing frustration, and slower information processing for him.

Joshua entered PAT testing due to a childhood fascination with dismantling and reassembling electronics.

His grandparents have supported his career, with his grandad chaperoning him to jobs.

Joshua’s grandmother, Paula Czarnecki, said: “It has a huge effect on Joshua. He has poor mental health, but those problems arise out of the autism.”

She noted that autism was a lifelong condition.

“Josh is a very anxious young man.

“He has people who say to him, ‘You're making it up. You're not disabled,’ but they’re picking on him and speaking to him like that because they know he’s vulnerable, they know he’s disabled.”

She said this created challenges for the pair, who chaperoned him not because of the job but to ensure he was okay.

She said Joshua “knows the job inside and out,” adding: “He’s well-qualified, and he’s supported by a man on the National Council of PAT Testers.”

“It’s people that are the problem for Josh. He processes information very slowly, so sometimes he can get the wrong end of the stick.

“Sometimes his language can be a bit stilted, and that’s where we worry about him, because people have this attitude, I suppose.

“He always tells them he’s autistic, and a lot of people are absolutely lovely and understanding, but I think a lot of people believe, ‘Oh yes, I can be tolerant with autistic people,’ until autistic people do something autistic.”

She said Josh had never lashed out at a customer and was taught to be polite, but he sometimes comes home frustrated.

She added that if Josh had a negative experience, he would not return to a location and felt uncomfortable even walking past certain places.

“It stays with Josh. While we might feel a bit lousy for the day because somebody’s been rude to us, six months later Josh is still talking about it.”

The Czarneckis are calling for greater patience, understanding, and tolerance from both businesses and the public when interacting with neurodivergent individuals like Joshua.

Joshua carries a “Just a Minute” card in his wallet, which he can present to customers when he’s feeling frustrated, but it does not always work.

"Autistic people in society are some of the most marginalised people out there," Paula said.

"We need people to be tolerant and give that little bit of extra time for Joshua to process information and get his work done."

“We understand that sometimes people get a bit frustrated with workmen in their place, and he might do something they’re not happy about, but when we see him being taken advantage of and spoken to in a way that suggests they know he’s autistic but claim he’s not—that’s really difficult because it is entirely an invisible disability.”

Despite the challenges, Joshua remains determined to continue his work as a PAT tester, with the support of his family and local autism advocacy groups.

"He's doing amazingly well," Paula said. "He's achieving more than a huge percentage of autistic people can, considering how they’re treated in society."

She urged people to seek guidance on how to treat autistic individuals from local organisations like the Grantham Autism Information Network or the National Autistic Society.

The National Autistic Society campaigns for improved rights and trains companies to be more autism-friendly.

Mel Merritt, head of policy and campaigns, said: “Autistic people face too many barriers in the workplace, both in finding work and getting the right support at work.

“Our research shows autistic people experience bullying in the workplace, which can have long-term consequences such as a loss of confidence, long-term unemployment, or mental health issues.

“It is vital that employers and society as a whole have a better understanding of autism so that autistic people receive the right support in the workplace and never face bullying or any other discrimination.”