Helping Autistic People Thrive in the Workplace

So I was an autistic child. A lot of people think that autism only really exists in children but the thing is, as biology dictates, we all grow up, and we have to go out into the world and earn a living and survive on this big, bad planet.

So what challenges can that bring? I know I have spoken before about the challenges that autistic children face in classrooms, which is that there's an underlying expectation that children need to fit in, they need to be like everyone else, but that doesn't stop at 18. That remains in the workplace, and I would guarantee that there will certainly be neuro-diverse individuals on your payroll if you have a large company.

So how can they survive and thrive in the workplace? The only way to do that is acceptance, and a strengths-based model, where discussions can take place that identify their strengths, what they're good at, and how this can be used to benefit the employee, the employer, and the rest of the company as a whole.

It's all about accepting different ranges of talent and ability within your organisation, to thrive as one big family.

Jude Morrow

Neurodiversity Training International

www.neurodiversity-training.net