DESCRIPTION OF PEOPLE WITH AUTISM AND THEIR TALENTS AS WELL AS THEIR WEAKNESSES
Personnel policy in this section, awareness of the will to retain talented employees with ASD and awareness of a high level of turnover due to specific communication difficulties and, sometimes, limited opportunities derived from employee dysfunction will be addressed).
Policy to be followed in your company for people with Autism:
Defend the rights of people with ASD and their employment opportunities. For this reason, it is essential that your company participates proactively in regulatory developments and generating strategic alliances with other organizations of the Third Sector of social action, with the Public Administration, political parties and private entities.
• Social Incidence as a company that covers people with Autism in their workplace and adapts them: It is understood that as a company we influence society and are key agents in the processes of transition to adult and autonomous life of people with Autism and their families. Therefore, we promote through actions of sensitization and awareness raising in order to promote a real and positive image of people with ASD in their workplace and we will base ourselves on their abilities as well as their weaknesses so that they adapt and we all adapt within the company.
THE CAPABILITIES OF PEOPLE WITH ASD
It should be noted that within the characteristics of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) we cannot only speak of difficulties, but they are also associated with a series of capacities in the people who are part of this group that we want to highlight and it is very important for them to companies and employees have a broader vision of them
We highlight:
Due to the infexibility of thought and behavior, people with ASD often feel comfortable respecting and firmly adhering to established rules. Ideal to take into account the norms.
Having a limited repertoire of interests, for their part, predisposes to generate a great curiosity about very specific topics, which translates into a very specialized and exhaustive knowledge about the topics that interest them.
Communication difficulties, related for example to understanding non-literal language, double meanings, metaphors or ironies, makes people with ASD tend to be very logical and literal and have difficulties understanding, highlighting that employees take this type of relationship into account by enhancing their understanding. For this reason, they do not lie or manipulate, but are sincere and honest and can make decisions based on objective criteria and not on prejudices or intuitions that can lead to errors.
Many of these capabilities represent a competitive advantage for people with ASD over other workers. According to the study Employment and Autism Spectrum Disorder. "A potential to discover" (Vidriales, R., Hernández, C., Plaza, M. 2018. p.66), published by the Confederación Autismo España, "the preference for routine, good skills in mechanical and repetitive tasks that require a high level of concentration, perfection in details is identified by the employer as very positive aspects of their performance. "
Today we have put together a list of things that recruiters and companies should consider and know about people with autism and their worth in the job market:
• Talent and potential
Those with severe autism and other disabilities are believed to have less potential and talent, viewed as someone to employ to fill the quota for disabled people. However, one must understand the complexity of the TEA and know how to find the specific talent of each person, avoid relegating them to tasks considered "easy" in which they may fail miserably while they could shine in others more specific and according to their interests.
• Creativity when carrying out aid programs to find talent
It may be that taking the traditional surveys to find your talent the potential of the person is lost or overlooked. The person will likely have specific qualities in a particular niche, but these are overlooked if you simply limit yourself to giving talks about career opportunities and career checklists.
• Ability to think “outside the box”:
Traditional job search assistance programs sometimes focus more on the offer of courses and studies available rather than on the qualities and needs of the person, and on identifying what the person has an interest in doing. Due to the rigidity of routines and restricted focus of some people with autism, it is sometimes assumed that there are no employability options. On the other hand, there are times when a person is forced into jobs that are not at all suitable for them, causing them to fail and believe that, in effect, they are not employable. Some employment agencies may quickly conclude that the person is not employable, rather than looking for a job that matches the person's talents and abilities. It should not be assumed that the person with autism will have difficulties in all areas, it may be a challenge for him to understand social norms, but he can be very good in some other area.
• Take into account sensory problems:
These sensory dysregulations often limit the productivity of the person with autism if they are not addressed or ignored. The perception and ability to tolerate sounds / lights / other typical of the work environment can be very different from other co-workers. However, solving and solving them will make a difference and ensure the well-being of the person, allowing him to function correctly.
The problem at this point is that the person can feel overwhelmed, hide their problems and finally leave work for fear of misunderstanding or looking too exaggerated. On the other hand, this does not mean that the work environment has to be completely silent or has to adapt completely. It may simply mean giving the person the opportunity to have a few minutes to retreat to a quieter place without this being frowned upon or prohibited (just as a smoker may be allowed to retire to smoke for a few minutes). Small changes of this style can make a total difference, not only in the well-being of the person but in the quality and quantity of their work.
• Work from skills.
Perhaps in people with autism it may be less obvious what their qualities are. The ideal is to identify them and work on them, instead of focusing on improving the deficit ones, which are usually, after all, the ones that least interest the person.
• Communication does not necessarily mean a long talk
Few words are usually better than a long talk. People have a tendency to talk too fast and too much to people with autism, regardless of whether the person is verbal or not, and their level of understanding. It is quickly assumed that the person who is verbal communicates in the same way that others do, when it does not have to be that way. The person may be able to speak and use language in a common way but have difficulty understanding. There should be no problem in using more written language or shorter sentences to communicate the work to be done. It is worth informing about the written and unwritten rules of the work area. Finally, it should be noted that many people with autism have trouble understanding sarcasm, irony, and double meaning in language. Thus, it would greatly facilitate a clear and direct language about what is expected and confusion would be avoided.
SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS REQUIRE INSTRUCTION
Unwritten and taken-for-granted rules are the most confusing and problematic for people with autism. Don't assume that the person will "read" the social environment and adjust. That will not happen. Instead, help the person by telling them how they are expected to behave, and in case the person “messes up”, tell them calmly but directly. Suggesting things in a subtle way will only create more confusion.
In the end, with small modifications, we are all equally valid to enter the labour market. It just requires a little bit of interest from businesses. A shame because a lot of talent is lost by not doing it.
Download
