Addressing Potential Social Issues at Work

The Spectrum

Individuals with autism demonstrate varying unique talents, traits, and challenges. Not all individuals with autism display the behaviors described in this guide as each person is unique.

Most work environments involve regular social interaction with colleagues, managers, and customers. Common interactions, such as lunch breaks, team meetings, customer interface, even hallway small-talk, may prove more difficult for an employee with autism. Additionally, workplace culture often dictates an unwritten social code that may be more complex for a person on the autism spectrum to decipher. It is important for employers to understand these potential challenges so that they can offer appropriate support and help build opportunities for workplace social interactions that are comfortable for the employee with autism and their colleagues.

Common social traits of individuals with autism that may cause challenges in the workplace:

• Difficulty making or maintaining eye contact or understanding personal space

• Inability to interpret sarcasm, idioms or jokes

• Making inappropriate comments

• Talking too much, providing excessive detail, or using inappropriate voice volume

• Recognizing and interpreting facial expressions and body language

• Responding to social cues

• Difficulty understanding another person’s perspective

• Offering extreme honesty or operating in a strictly fact-based reality

Best Practices For Workplace Social Interactions

• Provide training to educate managers and teammates on common social interaction challenges associated with autism. *TailoredtrainingismadeavailableatnocosttoElsforAutismemployerpartners.

• Understand that employees with autism may desire interaction in the workplace but avoid social situations due to social skills challenges.

• An employee with autism may choose not to participate in social workplace gatherings, such as team lunches or birthday celebrations. Understand that declining an invitation to participate is not meant to be offensive and continue to make strides to help the employee with autism feel comfortable with their teammates at their own pace.

• Unwritten workplace culture norms can be challenging for employees with autism. Take time to provide an explanation of your workplace social customs.

• Provide suggested phrasing for managers and colleagues to aid in their communication with an employee with autism. For example, an employee with autism may interpret the question “Would you mind…” as a yes/no question instead of as a request. Suggest that managers choose clear, direct phrasing when providing job instructions and performance expectations.

• Work with the new team member to create a list of suggested topics to avoid discussing in the workplace that may make their colleagues uncomfortable. For example, an employee with autism may need clear guidance that they should not point out or discuss a co-worker’s appearance or features that may be sensitive or cause hurt feelings.

• Provide clear instruction on the appropriate chain of command for asking questions or making requests. The “who” is often as important as the “what.” Detail should include how the individual is to be addressed. For example, the owner of the company may be referred to as “Mrs.” or “Mr.” instead of by first name.

• Help the employee with autism to reframe comments that may be offensive to a colleague. For example, instead of telling a colleague that their idea is “stupid,” suggest they try responding with “have you considered trying…”

Job Accommodations & Support

Employees with autism or other developmental disabilities may require certain reasonable accommodations or supports to assist in their successful completion of job requirements. Involve your company’s human resources professional or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) resource provider to ensure legal compliance for providing requested workplace accommodations.

Examples of reasonable accommodations may include:

• Visual job aids

• Computer screen magnifiers

• Written and/or verbal task instructions

• Mentors or job coaches

• Modified work schedule

• Accommodations for adverse sensory experiences (e.g., noise cancelling headphones)

Reasonable accommodations in the workplace do not have to be overwhelming for the employer. As shown in this short list of examples, many accommodations are inexpensive and easy to implement.

When it comes to considering workplace accommodations, it is important to be open-minded, creative, and flexible. The best approach is to maintain an open dialogue with the new team member, to involve your company’s Human Resources Department (or ADA resource provider), and to make use of the resources and support available to Els for Autism Employer Partners.

Job Supports And Visual Aid Samples

The Job Coach will assist the employer to determine optimal training approaches based on the employee’s learning style. He or she can also provide any appropriate job supports to assist with training objectives and ongoing performance management. Job supports are customized to be specific to the organization and the employee’s role. Examples of common job supports include visual task analyses, visual schedules, social narratives, and visual cue cards.

Other Autism Resources

Autism Speaks http://www.autismspeaks.org/ Autism speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions.

Florida Atlantic University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) http://www.autism.fau.edu/ FAU Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) provides expert consulting, training and support, at no charge, for people with autism and related disabilities, their families, employers, the professionals and community and governmental agencies serving them.

Accessible Boynton Beach https://www.boynton-beach.org/accessible-boynton-beach/ Boynton Beach was the first municipality in Palm Beach County to be named an “Autism Friendly City.” The City’s Inclusion Support Team is comprised of 18 local agencies, serving or advocating on behalf of individuals with disabilities.

Job Accommodation Network (JAN) https://askjan.org/

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a leading source for workplace accommodations and disability employment support. JAN provides individuals with disabilities with employability resources, and assists employers in understanding and maximizing the value that individuals with disability can add to their workplace.

Employer Assistance and Resources Network (EARN) https://www.askearn.org/

The Employer Assistance and Resources Network (EARN) is a service of the National Employer Technical Assistance Center (NETAC). EARN supports employers in recruiting, hiring, retaining, and advancing qualified individuals with disabilities.

US Business Leadership Network (USBLN) https://disabilityin.org/ US Business Leadership Network is a national non-profit that helps businesses drive performance by leveraging disability and inclusion in the workplace, supply chain, and marketplace.

Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT) http://www.peatworks.org/ Promotes the employment, retention, and career advancement of people with disabilities through the development, adoption, and promotion of accessible technology.

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) http://dol.gov/odep/ ODEP is the only non-regulatory federal agency that promotes policies and coordinates with employers and all levels of government to increase workplace success for people with disabilities.