Following my post about studying as a neurodivergent, it makes sense that I write about working as a neurodivergent. Like education, it depends on the person and their experiences as to whether the journey is an enjoyable one or not. Some will find the journey exciting, whereas others will see it as a chore, dread the Monday and can't wait for Friday to come around.
Subject matter
In my case, the difficulty can affect the understanding and correct interpretation of information, particularly new information. So if I go from one subject area of work, eg Employment Law, to a brand new subject area, eg Real Estate, then that's new information that needs to be learned on a theoretical and practical level. There is of course crossover in that the academic teachings will be relevant to the role that you are doing, but at the same time it isn't always the case that school or university will teach you the exact practical skills needed to actually do your role. That's where the learning and training and development aspect comes in, which is something that you're expected to do in any job as a duty.
The effective learning of the subject matter in the workplace setting is dependent on 2 things:
1) your willingness and ableness to take in that new information and apply it as effectively as you can
2) supervisors and colleagues being there to fill in any gaps, affirm any new knowledge or teachings, and support you in further learning and development
For me, I don't find that my difficulty makes it impossible to learn a new subject matter or the practical skills needed to apply the subject matter - just a little more difficult at times. Whilst a learning curve is expected in a new role, it might just be that at times mine might feel that bit steeper and that I'm asking more questions or might ask for another go at a task or for another explanation and the chance to frame it in a way that suits me for future attempts. Nothing major, but something that would be hugely helpful to me.
Let's explore some of the things that we are uniquely placed to be able to do exceptionally well.
Don't forget that, as a spectrum disorder, we'll all be affected in our own individual ways, but some strengths could include:
1) a good logical and methodical thinking and approach to a role or a task,
2) a much deeper interest or proficiency in some aspects of a task than others compared to our peers, eg the more repetitive and (to some) mundane tasks,
3) a much greater drive and determination to do well,
4) a greater focus on our role, sometimes to the point of losing ourselves in the work as we are so engulfed in what we are doing
5) a great memory for facts,
6) many other positive character traits like punctuality, reliability, loyalty and honesty
But some things that we may need some further support with could include:
1) Difficulty with vague or ambiguous directions - make the directions as clear as possible for us,
2) Perfectionism (yes I know, the classic 'strength disguised as a weakness!') - remind us that not everything needs to be perfect
3) time management - because we may lose ourselves in what we are doing, it is easy to lose track of time so support or some training in this will be helpful
These lists are not exhaustive, but give an idea of some strengths and challenges from a work perspective.
So for me, I have certainly discovered that my mind works very logically and is very process-driven (which helped at school as I was brilliant at maths and science), my drive and determination to do well are super high, and I have developed a good eye for detail - not perfect yet, but certainly good. Though I struggle when instructions aren't clear, and I have on occasion got so engulfed in a task I am doing because I want to do it well that I lost track of time. It has got me into trouble at times, I'm not going to lie. However it isn't unforgivable, and it can be remedied by further support and training if necessary.
For different persons with different difficulties, or for other persons on the spectrum like me, that learning curve might be steeper or flatter, depending on the individual. It is important for employers and colleagues to be aware of this and that it is not a lack of ability or knowledge, its just a difference in learning.
Social and relationships
For a lot of folks, work is a great place to build up your social circle and build new relationships. We're at work for 8 hours or so each day so its natural that friendships and connections will be formed, especially with those who have similar interests, ways of working, who travel in together, work close to each other, the list goes on.
For those of us on the spectrum, it is exactly the same. We see work as a place to form relations and we certainly want to - we're human and we benefit greatly when we have good social connections. We just have our own ways of doing it which don't always correlate with the rest of our peers.
For instance, we may have quite niche or hyper-focused interests and so we may not really be interested in more mainstream interests like football or rugby or a new TV show.
We may also have different ways of working that don't always correlate with our colleagues', such as we thrive when there is order and clear process.
We can be very trusting, but that could lead to being taken advantage of by the wrong people and us being put in very distressing situations (I speak from experience!)
We can be quite direct with our communicating, but that might be because, say, we want to get to the point quicker, or we believe in direct honesty. We never mean to be rude, but understand that we may come across as such sometimes as a result of our value of direct honesty.
Returning to the difficulty in communication that is not uncommon with those of us on the spectrum, it raises a barrier to understanding and acceptance of our differences and also our strengths.
Because of that lack of understanding and acceptance, and at times sheer ignorance, from colleagues and from employers, I experienced bullying and harassment many times over. I am horrified to this day that someone at a previous workplace of mine uttered the words "he's special needs, he's untouchable!", that others would try and push and push and push me in an attempt to trigger me and claim that I get so angry, and that I was dismissed from another role because I wasn't at the stage that the manager would expect someone (neurotypical/non-disabled, like my colleagues at the time) to be after only 4 months despite being aware of my difficulty and the challenges that come with it and that I learn differently from my colleagues at the time, and despite my colleagues at the time having obtained significantly more time under their belts, therefore making it an unfair comparison, and finally one person I worked with saying to me that they were of the (narrow-minded and ignorant) belief that autism means "you're a little sh*t".
I have moved on since, but no doubt there are still unacceptable instances of blatant or indirect bullying, harassment or discrimination due to these difficulties in different workplaces affecting different people.
So all things considered how can employers support employees on the spectrum? Here are a few suggestions:
1) Have conversations with the sole purpose of listening, educating, and trying to understand. Often being heard, first and foremost, is the catalyst for that real learning and understanding to begin. It is often said that if you know one person with autism, you know one person with autism. Because it is a spectrum disorder, it will affect different people in different ways. But the more conversations that are had, the more learning can take place as well as a much wider understanding.
2) Explore if there are any adjustments that can be put in place. Difficulties like autism and dyslexia are defined as disabilities as they are long term impairments that affect a person's ability to carry out normal day to day activities. Even though they can vary in severity, employers are required by law to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace where required so that neurodiverse workers can carry out their role to the best of their ability.
3) Ask regularly, or have catch-ups, and routinely to see how they are coping, all things considered. I find that an employer who takes an active interest in my wellbeing at work is more likely to retain me because they show that they care and want to know that I can do the work but also that there is nothing keeping me from doing the work. Treat us like assets to grow and to maintain
4) Use our ways of working to your advantage. We all want to feel valued and worthwhile at work, so use our strengths (persistence, analytical and logical thinking) and recognise our worth.
5) Be aware of and avoid triggers or disruptive stimuli. Triggers that may seem trivial or non-events to some can set off acute stress reactions. These might be casual off-the-cuff negative feedback, a big change to a routine or accepted norm, or visual or auditory distractions when we are stressed or when we need to focus.
Again, these are just a few examples. But the most important point is the first point. Understanding starts with listening, and when we are understood for who we are, not just our difficulty and everything it brings, what an employer will have in its employee is someone loyal, honest, reliable, focused, and who wants to succeed and wants their employer to succeed!
So that's my perspective as a worker on the autistic spectrum. For this second part, I'm thankful that Emma Bush has again kindly agreed to share her perspective and experiences of working with dyslexia and answer a few further questions to follow on from her last contribution.
Hi Emma, thanks again for agreeing to share your experiences. You've spoken about your educational journey with dyslexia. How does it affect you at work?
Regarding work, my main obstacles are reading and time management, I often have to read long reports/text at home in my own time in order to keep up with my workload and ensure I understand the contents correctly. That can be frustrating but it benefits me day to day allowing me to be able to give a better service to clients. I get letters proof-read and I often dictate work which also helps.
What support is available?
It changes depending on employers to be honest.
Have supervisors been supportive?
Some have been, others less so.
When you were training, how easy was it to raise and ask for any reasonable adjustments (if relevant)?
I usually go straight in and ask for work to be sent before training seminars to allow me to read up beforehand. Most people are pretty helpful.
My hope is that more employers and our colleagues will understand that disability doesn't mean inability and that we will be valued for who we are, not what we are. We just need a bit of help to be our best at work. Might be a bit more than others, but I promise you that we give much more than we take with the right support and the right people supporting us.
If this post helps, fantastic! If it starts a conversation, brilliant! If it raises questions, there are answers - let's get talking!
Be safe and be well!
Credit: Cover image photo by Perry Grone on Unsplash
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