top of page

Autistic colleague in the workplace! How are they different from us?

Anson




The new colleague in your workplace seems to be completely out of hand. He talks loudly every day about the same boring things, never waits his turn in meetings, and seems to have zero sensitivity about the feelings of others—often speaking harsh truths with no regard to the circumstances! 


The above may all very well be symptoms of autistic people. Indeed, Autistic colleagues can seem out of the world at times. To many, they may seem unapproachable. Their traits and behaviour are often incomprehensible to the average person. You might wonder “ How can I form a stable and good relationship with someone so weird and unstable?” 


Well, to do so, we believe it is important for you to first get an understanding of how an autistic person differs from us. We would then provide appropriate suggestions regarding each point.  


Autism is classified as a disorder. It is not an illness. The difference between these two terms is that a disorder cannot be ever fully completely cured—it is like missing an arm or a leg. An illness, however, is a temporary malfunctioning— it can usually be cured. Therefore, it should be noted that autistic people have certain deficits and can never be fully “cured” to be like us. Over time, they may have adopted certain strategies to cope with daily needs, but still possess certain flaws in their everyday interactions with others that cause others to view them as “weird”. 


1st deficit: Difficulty in understanding implied meanings behind words or actions 


The autistic person understands things as what they appear to be. For example: They might reply to a statement of "I'm gonna die from boredom” by replying “ But you’re still alive!” while normal people would understand that the statement speaker does not really mean they are dying. 


This can obviously create miscommunications between colleagues. Therefore, we suggest talking to autistic colleagues with clear-cut and written instructions. Tell them what to do and what you mean in a straightforward manner; they’d appreciate that. Instead of beating around the bush and expecting them to be aware of the hidden rules, tell them everything black and white. An example would be to tell them clearly that the office expects everyone to clear up their own rubbish and belongings rather than expecting them to look at others clearing up and expecting them to follow. 


2nd deficit: Difficulty in thinking from others’ perspectives


They have trouble putting oneself in others’ shoes. They may often come across to us as selfish or inconsiderate because they may often commit actions that may seem to disregard the feelings of others. For example, they may talk loudly or interrupt others’ speeches in meetings, not realising that such actions may cause others’ discomfort. However, it is important to note that they usually do not possess any real intention to hurt others. Thus, we suggest reminding and stating to them which of their actions are socially inept. This is usually enough to allow them to realise and correct their behaviour. Remember: What comes as social common sense to you and me may be total new information to them! 


3rd deficit: Resistant to change 


They usually do not like any changes. As such, they may often engage in overly repetitive behaviour or interests. They may insist on doing things a certain way and not be able to adapt their method to the surroundings. When asked to change, they might react negatively as the change makes them feel uncomfortable (while we may feel indifferent about it). For example, an autistic person taking on the role of a social worker might talk bluntly to his/her client, because that is how he/she usually interacts with others.


We would like to provide two suggestions regarding this matter. 

The first one is to assign tasks to them that require less change or adaptation to different scenarios. Tasks such as filing records or post delivering would be appropriate. We strongly suggest, however, communication with the autistic person beforehand to check if he/she would enjoy this work arrangement, and not assume anything for him/her.


The second suggestion is to explain to him/her the reason or rationale for necessary changes that have to be made to his/her work routine. Do not assume that he/she would be able to get the meaning behind without explanation! The explanation can often provide a good enough reason for the autistic person to work hard to change his routine willingly, and understand more about what possible future changes have to be made for other situations. For example, if we explain to him/her that we must be careful with the choice of wordings we use when talking to counselling clients because they may be emotionally fragile, then he/she may be able to apply this concept to a future situation of needing to comfort an emotionally sensitive depressed friend in the future. 


We hope that the above content can help you understand more about autistic colleagues and how we can interact with them in the workplace!


7 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Kommentare


bottom of page