Tips for a more Autism Friendly Workplace
There are more people with autistic spectrum disorders in the workplace today than there have ever been and it is important to educate yourself to figure out how to make the working environment as pleasant as it can be for them. Many of the problems that people on the autistic spectrum face are sensory in nature, so this means that many of the solutions will necessarily focus on these areas as well.
The autistic spectrum is just as it sounds, it is a wide spectrum of different conditions that come under the one umbrella and this means that the experience of one autistic person may vary wildly from the experience of another. Many in the autistic community prefer the term “neurodivergent” for people with their condition and “neurotypical” for those who aren’t on the spectrum.
Changes to Make a Workplace More Autism Friendly
There are a great many changes that can be made to an office environment to make it better in general for most autistic people and these include things like:
Reduce Exposure to External Stimuli
People on the autistic spectrum can be prone to being distracted by sensory things. This means that if you know an employee is on the spectrum, try not to place their desk in a high-traffic part of the office or next to the kitchen area. This is down to the prevalence of both noise and smells which will make it harder for them to concentrate on their work.
Have a Quiet Room That is Actually Quiet
It’s all very well having a room that is meant to be for quiet contemplation but you have to ensure that this is what it is actually used for, rather than as a hub for those who want to gossip noisily. It needs to be a space that autistic staff can feel safe to retreat to if sensory overload in the general office environment becomes too much for them.
Maximise Natural Light and Temperature Control
It is a good idea to maximise the amount of natural light that is available but to make sure that both light and temperature are easily controllable. Neurodivergent people can have an extreme sensitivity to all things sensory and these include light levels and temperature so it is important that these can be adjusted as necessary, in order to maintain their proper comfort levels.
Ensure They Have a Personal Work Station Not a Hot Desk
Many people on the autistic spectrum struggle with changes and being forced to either come in to work early to claim the desk that they want, rather than being assigned a random desk on the day makes their day longer and more stressful.
Be sure that they are assigned their own desk and that this is not something that changes. This will also allow them to store things like stim toys on the desk and even sometimes a small plush toy in the desk drawer so that they can reach in when they feel the need for comforting sensory stimulation.
Relax Disciplinary Rules
This is one of the areas that can really benefit people on the spectrum. It can be hard for them to always be at work on time and there are times when executive dysfunction impairment gets in the way of meeting deadlines.
A Clear Routine and Work Schedule
Having a clear work schedule and routine can help many neurodivergent people to understand what they are doing better and what is expected of them. Having very clear instructions from the start can help to take away some of the problems that they may experience.
The clearer the instructions are, the happier your office neurodivergents will be. If you ever have to give a task to people on the autistic spectrum, make sure that you explain in as much detail as possible and offer them the chance to ask any questions that they have about the project. This allows them to plan out the steps that they need to take in greater detail.
Fixed Working Hours vs Variable Shifts
People who are neurodivergent need routine and stability in their lives and because of this, fixed working hours work far better than a series of variable shifts with different working hours. When there are variable shifts, you may notice that neurodivergent people will frequently come in at the wrong time for their shifts at a time closer to their normal shift pattern.
Assign a Mentor
Assigning the neurodivergent people on your team a mentor will give them someone they can build a rapport with and approach with any problems that they may be experiencing at work. A mentor should be empowered to give them any kind of assistance that they can, up to and including allowing them to go home for the day with no penalty.
Allow Them to Work From Home
The best piece of assistance that you can provide for the neurodivergent people in your company is to allow them to work from home rather than from the office. This is actually quite important as all of the things that bring them comfort are at home.
Working from home has been a step change for neurodivergent people in how they can approach the workplace. Instead of having to plan out a complex commuting pattern, they can have some extra water from their water bottle and prepare to face the upcoming day.
Working from home allows them to control their own environment and this is the perfect set of conditions to get the maximum amount of work from people who are on the autistic spectrum. If you are looking to be more inclusive in your workplace hiring practices and are prepared to employ more neurodivergent people then this is the trade off that you should be considering.
Neurodivergent people can produce some very high quality work when the conditions are right for them and it may be that with your encouragement and support, they feel like valued members of staff and will try their utmost to help you reach where you are going, as a company.
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