Supporting Autism with Awareness and Inclusion in the Workplace

I recently had a career conversation with my oldest child. He is currently 19 years of age and in his second year at York University. The conversation focused on the type of work and organization he wants to be involved with.

To many parents, this may just be a common occurrence; however, this is special for me.

Why is this special to me, you may ask…

You see, my eldest child is autistic. He was formally diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum at 18 months. As a father for the first time at a reasonably young age, I recall being in a panic. So many questions, so few answers. What will happen to my newborn child? Will he talk? Will he walk? Will he have friends? What will his life be like? Will we ever be able to have a conversation? It was like his life had ended before it even started. That is what was on my mind.

After taking it all in, speaking to various people, and seeing adults living full and rich lives with autism, I was more optimistic about the potential future. What really got me through this journey was my son’s mother. She is the rock that never gives up; she does whatever it takes to ensure that our child gets the support he needs. With her leadership, we made many life-changing decisions that forever changed us and our futures.

Fast forward 19 years, and my son is doing very well. He walks, talks, and acts like any other typical North American young adult. He has great manners, goes out to eat, goes on vacation, loves to fly and cruise, takes public transit, and has plans to learn to drive. He graduated high school with honors and received a scholarship to the university of his choice. So many proud-daddy moments in the past 19 years.

Nonetheless, I am concerned about my son's future.

I will not get into all the details in this post about what happened next; however, I promise to continue the story in another post. I want to revert to the reason why I am writing this post.

I now have different questions from the day he was diagnosed. When he graduates from university and enters the workforce, what job will he have? Which organization will he join? Will the organization be accepting and accommodating? Will he be bullied at work, or will something bad happen to him?

The public reacts differently when they see or have an interaction with a child having a meltdown versus an adult having a meltdown. We have all heard of stories where the police have been called because an adult is having a “MELTDOWN” is perceived to be violent, or is not behaving in a “NORMAL” way. People are generally scared of “DIFFERENT” and often do not know how to act or react to someone who is different.

I want to avoid these types of situations and continue to advocate for my son and others on the autism spectrum. This article/post is one of many things I will be doing. Education helped me, and I am hoping that this network will read this post and implement some suggestions at their workplace. If you are not able to implement the suggestion, please start the conversation. Awareness is the first step.

There is a huge need for understanding and acceptance of autism in the workplace.

What is Autism?

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the brain's development. It is characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors.

The word "autism" comes from the Greek word "autos" meaning "self." The term was first used in 1908 by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler who used it to describe children who had withdrawn into themselves. In 1943, Dr. Leo Kanner (a child psychiatrist) and Dr. Hans Asperger (a pediatrician) independently published descriptions of autism in which they both named it as a disorder of early childhood development characterized by severe withdrawal and a lack of empathy for others.

Autism is a developmental disability that typically appears in early childhood. It is characterized by difficulties in social interaction and by restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.

These signs may include fixated interests in unusual objects, preoccupations with parts of objects, resistance to changes in routine or environment, and an unusually limited range of interest or activity. Autism also affects a person's communication skills, such as eye contact and verbal expression, due to difficulties producing speech sounds or understanding others.

It is estimated that about 1% of the population has some form of autism. The cause of autism is not fully understood and cannot be cured, but there are treatments that can help people with autism lead more fulfilling lives.

What does it mean that someone might be on the spectrum?

There are many misconceptions about autism spectrum disorder. These misconceptions can lead to prejudice against people who have it. It's important to understand that people with ASD are not "less than" or "broken."

The symptoms of autism can vary widely from one person to another. Some people might have problems with social interactions, while others might not speak at all or have trouble understanding language. Still others might have obsessive interests or unusually intense reactions to sensory input like sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste.

The term "spectrum" is used because there are different degrees of severity for autism. Some people with autism are mildly affected, and others may be more severely affected. People on the spectrum may also experience sensory, behavioral, cognitive, and/or learning differences. Some people with autism speak early and understand language easily; others may have little or no speech. Some people on the spectrum might be drawn to repetitive movements such as rocking, spinning, or hand flapping, while others might feel overwhelmed in a noisy environment.

Some common features of autism are:

• Difficulty in social interaction and communication, and social reciprocity including actions such as eye contact, taking turns speaking, sharing enjoyment and emotions with others;
• Difficulty to express emotions clearly or non-verbally;
• Preoccupation with details, patterns or routines;
• and Restricted interests.

People who are on the spectrum can experience difficulty in social interaction due to the following: a lack of understanding of how the cues we give out affect others, and difficulty understanding the motivations behind others' behaviors. Often, people on the spectrum have high levels of empathy, which is why they are often seen as difficult to offend or hurt them.

There are 3 key factors that can shape someone's Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis:

1. How many symptoms a person has;
2. The intensity of their symptoms; and
3. The age when the symptoms first started.

Some autistic traits in adults are:

• Restricted interests and activities
• Difficulty with change
• Sensory sensitivities
• Tending to be easily overwhelmed by things in the environment

What should I do if one of my Team Members has Autism?

One of the most common workplace challenges that managers face is what to do when a team member has autism. The best way to support autistic employees is to have an open discussion with them about their needs and provide some additional training for the other team members.

The challenges of having an autistic employee in your workplace can be daunting, but there are many ways to make it work. Here are a few tips on how to support your autistic employees.

1. Create a safe space for your team member to communicate. This can be done by having a designated area where they can go to if they need to get away from the noise.
2. Educate yourself on autism and work with experts in the field to better understand how it affects people with autism and their needs in the workplace.
3. Have a conversation with your team member about what they want you to know or what their needs are in the workplace and then follow through with them accordingly.
4. Be proactive about your team member’s needs, not reactive - this is especially important when it comes to meetings or events that you are going to have outside of the office because it might be difficult for them to communicate their needs in that setting without verbal cues or support from someone who knows them well enough beforehand.
5. Provide an opportunity for your team member’s voice/opinions/ideas/thoughts on issues related to autism (and how to incorporate them into your project) -What are some things that would help you feel more comfortable?

How can I make my workplace more inclusive for my team?

Inclusive work environments are a crucial element of success for all employees. We should be mindful of the needs and desires of all people, including those with autism. There are many ways to make your workplace better for autistic people. One way is to use inclusive language in the workplace, like avoiding jargon and acronyms that exclude people with autism. Another way is by making sure that you have a variety of tasks available so that everyone can find something they enjoy doing and feel good about their contributions.

It's important to make sure that everyone can feel comfortable, happy, and safe at work. But what does that mean for people on the autism spectrum? Many people on the autism spectrum have difficulties experiencing and regulating emotions, but that doesn't mean they can't contribute to an inclusive workplace!

Some great ways for autistic people to feel comfortable and included in the workplace include:

• Having the right expectations so that they know what is expected of them when they show up.
• Avoiding overstimulating environments during work hours.
• Communicating their needs and navigating issues with colleagues. and superiors.
• Finding ways to improve the work environment.
• Flexible work hours. Are employees allowed to work outside of traditional office hours?
• Having an open door policy for all employees. Employees are encouraged to come in to ask questions, and talk about their potential for personal development if needed.
• "Take a break" policy where employees can take time off from work without notice
• Leverage team members' strengths to help each other grow and succeed
• Departmentalized work, with autonomy in how team members approach their work
• Supportive, collegial workplace that values creativity, intellectual curiosity, and experimentation.

How to be an Autism Ally?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 68 children have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The CDC also reports that boys are four times more likely to have ASD than girls.

As a society, we are becoming more aware of autism. More and more people are coming out as autistic and advocating for autism awareness. In the workplace, it is important to be an autism ally.

An autism ally is someone who supports those on the spectrum and provides a safe space for them in the workplace. This includes understanding what it means to be autistic and educating others about it. It also means providing support to those on the spectrum by making their work environment easier for them to navigate.

There are many things you can do to be an autism ally at work:

• Visit Autism Speaks for resources on how to be an autism ally
• Ask your employer if they offer any resources or programs for autistic employees or their families
• Learn about the different types of supports available for autistic employees and their families
• Learn about the different accommodations that are available
• Attend an Autism at Work session
• Ask your manager or HR if they have any training on autism?

As leaders, we need to do better; we need to do more. Let's create jobs specifically for people on the autism spectrum. Let's educate ourselves and our employees. Let's create programs to support a more diverse workforce.

Additional Resources and Articles

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