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Our son Trevor was diagnosed with high-functioning form of autism in kindergarten. From very early on, we noticed a few things about Trevor that were not typical of other children his age. His ability to focus on tasks was amazing. He was (and still is) very schedule-oriented. Reliability in doing household chores without being reminded, the only thing most parents dream of. Now a junior in college, Trevor continues to learn to use their strengths to help him build a relationship, get good grades, and prepare themselves as active citizens.
autism statistics are staggering. Centers for Disease Control estimates that one in 68 children in America is somewhere on the autism spectrum – five times more likely in boys than in girls. But only 53 percent of young people with autism are gainfully employed. Those with autism have some amazing gifts, talents and ideas that can significantly contribute to more efficient and effective workplace. Unfortunately, many leaders do not know how to create an environment where autistic employee can thrive and drive real bottom-line results.
As leaders, it is important to create a working environment that not only promotes creativity and diversity, but also delivers results. The key to achieve both of these goals is for employers to make their workplaces “friendly” to employees with autism so they can again be effective. It is not to give them a simpler task because they feel sorry for them or with the diversity goal, it is to hire them because they truly meet the needs of their business and have the skills needed to excel in their work. We have seen first hand how autism-friendly workplace conducive to effective and balanced workplace. It is incumbent on the leaders of today to create an environment where employers and autistic employees not only survive but thrive.
There are numerous features that autistic individuals bring to the workplace, and companies can benefit from this feature. There are also things to consider as interviewing practices, awareness of individual autistic symptoms, accommodation, ADA law and social expectations of employees with autism. The following are some tips to make workplaces more autism friendly.
They work when no one is watching. When Trevor worked in maintenance, his colleagues said they ever saw him do a lot of landscape work outside in the heat. Trevor did not know what he saw, but he still won the hard one, never slacking or resting. It was to focus and commitment to do whatever he was asked to make him a model employee.
Autistic people can bring tremendous creativity. Consider autistic people are wired differently, and their imaginations can be extreme. Managers should take advantage of this when looking for creative ideas and new ways to solve problems. If they give autistic members the opportunity to share their ideas, those ideas can lead to brilliant new ideas.
Not only that employers be aware of the strength of autistic workers, they should also learn about some of the subjects, and what to expect and how to meet them for better productivity.
Tell the applicant demonstrate their skills. Offering training activity in the interview, such as proof sample document for editing position, may be the best way for someone with autism to show their skills, and can help employers make more accurate hiring decision. It can be difficult for autistic people to “sell themselves” and put their skills and qualities in words, even if they are excellent candidates.
accommodation help employer and employee success. In the ideal scenario, giving autistic staff accommodation would help businesses run better than making autistic employees to be productive, which leads to better products and services and more profit. All parties should work together to allow autistic employees to be productive without sacrificing the environment for others.
Options for accommodation make a difference. Specifically, give all onboarding employees survey or a list of options, asking their preferences for things like sound, light, physical working conditions, type of communication relevant strategies for achieving food and more. This allows autistic employees to simply state their preferences along with everyone else, without feeling different or singled out.
As leaders, to create an environment where high-functioning autistic employees can thrive is more than to show social responsibility and diversity. It also gives the company the results that leaders need to not only survive, but thrive.
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