In previous articles, we have covered a lot of ground from our “Ask us Anything” event, from how to talk about autism, ways to respond to someone telling you they are autistic, and differences in social and communication styles.
In this fifth instalment of our series, Tonie and Jean-Julien address questions about the challenges autistic people face in the workplace and ways to support autistic colleagues.
Flexibility and asking questions are key.
Jean-Julien: The key is to remain open and flexible. Flexibility is often underused or undervalued but is very important. For example, I have several colleagues who work more in the afternoon and evening than early in the morning because of concerns about sleep or fatigue. We need to give ourselves the right to take advantage of this flexibility from a disability point of view. It’s often essential to consider that.
Another common challenge is trying to force integration. I have plenty of examples where if I didn’t go to an office party, it was perceived that I didn’t want to integrate, when, in fact, this is not a great way for me to show my value to the company or integrate into a team.
We all need a common operating framework. But the beauty of being human is also having the ability to step outside the box. By stepping out of the box, the box doesn’t disappear – it gives possibilities to contribute; it takes on additional facets.
Will a company allow the expansion of the sandbox and playground?
Tonie: I think I’m going to take a moment to talk about autistic burnout. This is largely an outcome or the culmination of a series of challenges or micro-challenges that can sometimes occur on a day-to-day basis.
Previously, not knowing I was autistic, I was sort of compensating and navigating things and masking so much that I was just depleting my battery, you know, on an ongoing basis.
So, by the time the workday came to an end, I often didn’t have the capacity for much more. Eventually, that has a compounding impact.
A simple example I can give is that despite working eight years in an office, I have a sensitivity to overhead lighting. So around 1:00 p.m. every day, I would get a brutal, brutal headache. That would often mean that I struggled to be productive in the afternoon. And I really, really struggled with it. It was something I felt a lot of shame about. I didn’t understand why it was so hard for me.
And then I started working from home, and I got an overhead lamp that goes right over my computer. And now I no longer have sort of that sensory overwhelm that was resulting in burnout, as an example. And so now that I have the flexibility to, one, be at home but also to understand these sorts of options, I’m able to mitigate the potential challenges, and it increases my capacity to deal with other challenges.
Supporting colleagues without knowing if they are autistic or neurodivergent.
Tonie: You don’t need to know that somebody’s autistic, but also there’s a plethora of other experiences that someone could have that could be presenting as challenges at work. Or, you know, whatever, whatever the reality of their experience is at that time. And so being able to ask questions and understanding that some of the supports that I benefit from as an autistic person also benefit everyone else.
I like to have meeting notes. I like to have an agenda. I like to get my deliverables in writing. I like to have notice before a meeting. I like to have context, not just, you know, my manager, Ali, you know,
sending me a Teams invitation the night before saying, hey, an important meeting with no other context. I’m not going to sleep that night, which I think most people wouldn’t, but that’s sort of an example of something that we talk about as being a neuro-inclusive practice and we talk about in this context, but I think all of us certainly benefit from that.
There is a myriad of small and easy ways to create a universally accessible workplace. Get to know your employees and be open and flexible, regardless of whether there has been a disclosure. Look at how processes can be expanded to focus on the work itself rather than the process.
Are you ready to choose people over process? In our next and final article of the series, Tonie and Jean-Julien share some final thoughts on autism and neurodiversity in the workplace, leaving readers and listeners with how they hope people will change their thinking about autism.
In the meantime, you can watch the full webinar on-demand here.
Are you interested in learning more about how your organization can embrace and support neurodivergent talent? Contact us at ac.no1742707221citua1742707221@ofni1742707221! We will happily share how our hiring, coaching, and training services can help.
