A Guide to Autism in the Workplace E-Book

Samuel Steinberg

• Herausgeber: BooxAi
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Being neurodivergent means having a brain that functions differently than the dominant societal standards of “normal.”
Technology isn’t the only field that can benefit from people with ASD. Microsoft launched an Autism Program to specifically hire individuals with autism. Things like being a team player or great communication skills don’t highlight what an autistic person can add to a company.
While there are many benefits to hiring people with autism, the interviewing process can often be a stopping block.
Many people with autism report that they aren’t able to get a job because they don’t interview well. For many, the interview process was the part that was most stressful.
Roughly 60% of people with ASD have average or above average intelligence, yet 85% are unemployed” an article published by Harvard Business Review called Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage.
Some people with ASD are a natural fit in the tech world.
People on the autism spectrum exhibit signs and symptoms differently.
The social aspect of employment is often the most difficult for people with autism.
Some people on the spectrum do something called “masking” or “camouflaging.” This essentially means that they do their best to pretend they’re not autistic in order to fit in.
Autism in the Workplace explains how to create a productive environment for an Autistic Employee, how to make modifications, how to successfully interview people with ASD, and provides simple changes to accommodate ASD employees.
 

Leseprobe

A Guide to Autism in the Workplace

Best Practices for Accommodating Autistic Employees

Dr. Samuel Steinberg

All rights reserved

Copyright © 2022 by Samuel Steinberg

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Published by BooxAi

ISBN978-965-578-050-5

A GUIDE TO AUTISM IN THE WORKPLACE

BEST PRACTICES FOR ACCOMMODATING AUTISTIC EMPLOYEES

DR. SAMUEL STEINBERG

CONTENTS

1. Introduction to Autism

2. What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Frequently Asked Questions About Autism

3. Why Do People With ASD Struggle to Get Hired and Keep Jobs?

A Different Way of Looking at Disability

4. Why Hire Someone on the Autism Spectrum?

How Does Neurodiversity Help Companies?

What Jobs Are a Good Match for People with Autism?

Companies With Neurodiverse Hiring Practices

5. Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Interviewing Process

How to Make Modifications for Successfully Interviewing People With ASD

6. How to Create a Productive Environment for an Autistic Employee

American Disability Act

Communication With Your ASD Employee

Sensory Issues

Social Accommodations

Daily Schedule

Training for Neurotypical Employees

Additional Accommodations

7. Ready to Celebrate a Diverse Workforce?

About the Author

1

INTRODUCTION TO AUTISM

Autism was first identified in 1911 by a German psychiatrist named Eugen Bleuler. Bleuler categorized autism as a symptom of severe schizophrenia. In the 1960s, the word ‘Autism’ took a major shift and by the 1980s, autism finally received a separate and distinct diagnosis from schizophrenia.

To this day, people continue to challenge the basic understanding of autism.

While the majority of available resources are geared towards helping children navigate autism, a much smaller amount of resources has been used to help adults.

One major area that needs attention is autism in the workplace.

Statistics vary, but they all have one thing in common:

The majority of people with autism do not have full-time positions, despite many of them wanting to be employed.

In fact, it’s reported that nearly 42% of young adults on the spectrum never worked for pay in their early 20s.

Even more surprising, the unemployment rate for people with autism is higher than it is for any other disability group.

In this book, we will further dive into what autism spectrum disorder is, why employment can be difficult for people on the spectrum, and what workplaces can do to achieve greater success with employees on the spectrum.

2

WHAT IS AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER?

Autism is a developmental disability that can affect many different areas of a person’s life, from childhood to adulthood.

Some of those areas include social skills, repetitive behavior, speech, sensory difficulties, unusual abilities, and nonverbal communication.

In the early 1990s, psychiatrists began recognizing that autism presented in many different forms ranging from mild to severe. They started categorizing autistic traits on a spectrum, rather than a finite set of symptoms.

That’s why today you’ll hear the words “on the spectrum” and why it’s called autism spectrum disorder, or ASD for short.

Some people describe autism as having a brain that works with a different operating system than other people. It would be similar to comparing an Apple computer to a Microsoft computer.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT AUTISM

How many people have autism?According to the CDC, today 1 in 54 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a number which has increased steadily over recent decades. This number may be underreported as girls are often diagnosed late or never at all.What is neurodiversity or neurodivergent?Being neurodivergent means having a brain that functions differently than the dominant societal standards of “normal.”Autism falls under the term “neurodiverse” which also includes people with ADHD, dyslexia, and Tourette syndrome.What is neurotypical?Neurotypical describes people who are not autistic and who developed intellectually and cognitively in a “typical” way.Are all autistic people the same?No, autism has a wide range of symptoms and does not present the same in every person. No two people on the spectrum are exactly alike in symptoms or personalities.What is Asperger’s Syndrome? Asperger’s Syndrome previously referred to people with autism who might be considered “high functioning.” As of 2013, Asperger’s is no longer considered a distinct diagnosis. It’s now under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorder. Some people still use this term to refer to people with “mild” autism, but it’s largely not used in the mental health field today.What are the causes of ASD?There are some potentially unknown causes of ASD, but the environment, genetics, and biological factors can all play a role. Some risk factors include being born to older parents, having low birth weight, or having immediate family members with autism.What are the signs and symptoms of ASD?People on the autism spectrum exhibit signs and symptoms differently. Some experience very severe symptoms, while others may only have mild symptoms. Some may have both mild and severe symptoms. Most people on the spectrum share these traits of autism.Social communication challengesRestricted, repetitive behaviors

8. What does ASD look like in adulthood?

Adults with ASD range from mild to severe with symptoms, but most have communication and behavior challenges.

Some symptoms include:

Trouble interpreting facial expressionDifficulty understanding sarcasm or idioms -- taking language very literallyAnxiety about social situationsStruggle to make and maintain friendshipsMay come across as blunt or rude