6 Ways To Create An Autism-Inclusive Workplace

To mark World Autism Awareness Day, Caitlin Kirwan explores some of the challenges that autistic people face at work and considers how organizations can create a more autism-inclusive workplace.  

World Autism Awareness Day is recognized on 2 April each year as a day to increase the understanding, acceptance, and inclusion of autistic people.

This blog post will help you to create a more autism-inclusive workplace by understanding what autism is, exploring the challenges that many autistic people have to overcome at work, and sharing six actionable tips.  

What is autism?

Autism is a spectrum that affects different people in different ways. According to the World Health Organization, it constitutes a diverse group of conditions relating to the development of the brain. Also referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the requirements and abilities of autistic people can evolve over time.

While the characteristics of ASD may be detected in early childhood, it’s often not diagnosed until much later. Common characteristics that autistic people may share include difficulty with social interactions, repetitive behavior, sensory processing differences, and differences in communication styles. People with autism also commonly experience co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, epilepsy, or depression.  

Cases of autism have risen across the globe in recent years. In the US, it’s estimated that as many as one in 45 adults have ASD. And an estimated 7 million people are on the autism spectrum in Europe, but recent research suggests that the number of autistic people in England alone might be twice as high as previously thought.

Autism in the workplace

While having a neurodiverse workforce brings countless benefits, there are some unique challenges that people on the autism spectrum tend to face at work. The data is largely varied, but one study suggests that as few as 22% of autistic adults are in any kind of employment.

Many workplace cultures only cater to the preferences of neurotypical employees. And while this might be unintentional, it can result in individuals with ASD feeling uncomfortable, overwhelmed, misunderstood, or even discriminated against.  

Common work-related challenges employees with autism face include:

• Difficulty with time management
• Sensory hypersensitivity 
• An atypical communication style
• Anxiety or stress in response to unexpected tasks or changes
• Challenges building relationships with co-workers

We know autistic people can face barriers moving into employment and staying there. This is often down to the employers themselves not having the tools to support autistic people, or truly understanding the value of a neurodiverse workforce

          Tom Pursglove MP, UK’s Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work

Despite the challenges they may face, autistic professionals can be up to 140% more productive than their neurotypical peers. And while it’s not right to stereotype, people with ASD often provide subject-matter expertise, high levels of innovation, and excellent attention to detail.

Many neurodiverse individuals also possess above-average abilities in things such as emerging technologies, data analytics, and creative thinking.

How to create an autism-inclusive workplace

It’s clear that making it a priority to recruit, engage, and retain neurodivergent employees gives organizations a competitive advantage. It’s also just the right thing to do. We should all be working to make our companies as inclusive as possible for all employees.  

These six tips will help you start to build an autism-inclusive workplace, allowing you to attract, welcome, and retain a whole new talent pool.

1. Review your job application process

Individuals with ASD can feel as though they fail at the first hurdle when looking for a job, as traditional application processes tend to favor neurotypical applicants.

Autistic candidates might be confident in their skills and abilities to do the job, but intimidated or overwhelmed by the interview process. Interviews can often feel like a test of social skills, rather than an assessment of how well the applicant will be able to do the job.

While not all people will feel comfortable disclosing their autism early in the application process, make sure you provide an opportunity for disclosure so that you can arrange accommodations. These accommodations might include:

• Sending interview questions in advance so that autistic candidates can prepare
• Offering the opportunity for somebody to accompany them to the interview
• Ensuring the interview takes place in a quiet room rather than a busy office

2. Be clear and specific

Many employees with ASD thrive when they receive instructions that are specific and concise, so make sure team leaders receive adequate training on how to manage in this way. It might be a very different approach to what they are used to with neurotypical team members.

It’s often beneficial to help your autistic employees ‘decode’ the unwritten rules of the workplace by explaining office etiquette to reduce uncertainty or ambiguity.

And try to give employees absolute clarity when handing over a new task, explaining things explicitly and avoiding unnecessary confusion.  

3. Offer workplace adjustments

Simple workplace adjustments can make a world of difference to people with autism. They can help autistic employees manage workloads, prevent sensory overload, and avoid workplace stress. Aside from this, it is a legal requirement in many countries for employers to make reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities.

Many people with autism struggle with sensory issues, which can be intensified by noisy working environments, harsh lighting, and strong smells. Talk to your employees with ASD to understand their needs and learn what would be most helpful.

Effective adjustments could be as simple as providing noise-canceling headphones to block out distracting sounds, offering written step-by-step instructions for certain tasks, allocating a workstation away from the kitchen, or increasing remote working options.  

4. Ensure your policies support neurodiversity

Despite an increasing focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace, many organizations overlook neurodiversity in their policies and procedures.  

Having clear policies makes sure that all employees and leaders understand the organization’s standards and expectations in the same way. Policies should be written in a way that is inclusive to all employees.

When formulating policies for neurodiversity, organizations could consider targets for hiring neurodivergent talent, developed in consultation with legal counsel, in addition to common diversity headcount targets 

          Deloitte Insights

5. Consider the importance of structure and routine

Providing structure and routine can be an incredibly important part of helping autistic employees thrive at work. Individuals with ASD often prefer having predictable routines that allow them to plan ahead and stay organized.

While having flexibility at work is appealing to many neurotypical employees, a lack of clarity around things like schedules, hybrid working, break times, and PTO allowances can be stressful for neurodivergent workers.

Engaging regularly with autistic employees to ensure they are comfortable with what they need to do, and when and where they need to do it, can help ease this stress and build a solid routine.

6. Communicate openly and frequently

Autistic people are more susceptible to anxiety, which can be exacerbated by change and uncertainty.

It’s therefore important that employers provide regular feedback on performance, as well as reassurance during stressful situations.

When it comes to re-organizations and other workplace changes, try to communicate the change as early as possible with your autistic employees to give them time to prepare and become more comfortable with what will happen.

Create an inclusive working environment with Workvivo

Workvivo has been designed to take the ambiguity and uncertainty out of your internal communications by pulling everything together, in one place. Our platform creates a more connected and inclusive work culture, inspiring connection and enabling peer recognition.

Schedule a free demo if you’d like to find out more about how we can help your organization embrace inclusion!