WORKING WITH PEOPLE ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM

What are the business advantages of employing people on the autism spectrum?

sustained concentration

superior memory

strong attention to detail

high integrity

faster problem solving. (48% faster and as much as 92% more productive JPMorgan Chase.)

Ideally suited for; Software Testing, Software Engineering, Data Analysis and Cyber Security

People on the spectrum can make incredibly valuable employees. They can offer the following advantages.

“By successfully integrating people with autism into the workforce, organisations can achieve the competitive advantage found with a neurodiverse workforce.” - DXC Dandelion Program

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The link between diversity and high performance is well established. Autism Spectrum has been associated with innovation, increased tenure and performance.

“Organisations and workplaces that have improved their efforts to hire inclusively are four times more likely to have higher total shareholder returns than those organisations within their industry peer group.” - Accenture. (2018). Getting to equal: The disability inclusion advantage.

“Embracing neurodiversity in the workplace carries a host of benefits, including boosts in productivity, innovation, organizational cohesiveness and inclusiveness.” - Michael Fieldhouse, DXC Dandelion Program Executive “For DXC, having teams of neurodiverse individuals has ‘enriched the diversity of thought’ in the organisation.”

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Individuals on the spectrum can be extremely loyal employees. Research developed for Amaze (2019) provided evidence of stability in employment among this population. From the cohort

45.9% were in their current job for 5 years +

39.5% were in their current job 1-4 years

Globally, knowledge-intensive industries like finance and technology are facing widespread talent shortages. Deloitte/ACS research indicates there are acute talent shortages in the technology sector, with an estimated gap of 200,000 ICT workers over the next 5 years. Yet in March 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported that 80% of people on the spectrum in the US are unemployed or underemployed.

“Hiring for diversity is good for business. Diverse thinkers boost morale, loyalty, team work, innovation and customer experience. Inclusion adds value like nothing else.” - Dr Manisha Amin, Centre for Inclusive Design.

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Over 80% of people on the spectrum are unemployed or under-employed worldwide.

The official unemployment rate for people with autism in Australia is almost six times the rate of people without a disability. Source: ABS 2017

More than half of unemployed autistic Australians (53.9 percent) had never held a paid job, despite often possessing the skills, qualifications and a strong desire to join the workforce. Source: Amaze 2019.

In 2015, difficulty changing jobs or getting a preferred job was the most common restriction, reported by 50% of people with autism and disability of working age (15–64 years old) Source: ABS 2016

What are the Employment statistics for people on the autism spectrum?

WHAT IS AUTISM?

Autism is a lifelong developmental condition that affects, among other things, the way an individual relates to their environment and their interaction with other people. (Aspect)

The word ‘spectrum’ describes the range of difficulties that people on the autism spectrum may experience and the degree to which they may be affected. Some people may be able to live relatively normal lives, while others may have accompanying learning challenges and require continued specialist support.

The main areas of difficulty are in social communication, social interaction and restricted or repetitive behaviours and interests.

An estimated 1 in 70 people has autism; that’s approximately 380,000 Australians. Source: Aspect https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/content/what-autism

The term neurodiverse or neurodiversity is often used when referring to individuals on the spectrum. Neurodiversity recognises the diverse and naturally occurring variation in human neurological function. This is a ‘way of being’ and does not need fixing but instead we should seek to have an understanding of individual differences and the related human behaviours. Neurodiverse can include those labeled with Autism Spectrum, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyscalculia, Tourette Syndrome, and others.

INTRODUCING

AT XCEPTIONAL, WE RECOGNISE, CELEBRATE AND HARNESS THE UNIQUESTRENGTHS OF PEOPLE ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM TO PROVIDE SKILLED SOLUTIONS TO BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES.

Mike Tozer, our CEO, founded Xceptional as a technology service company that offered employment for people on the autism spectrum who could provide exceptionally good software testing services for companies. Over a 2 year period, the company has evolved and now provides unique and accessible recruitment and services for companies looking for a competitive edge.

Xceptional has grown rapidly; partnering with leading global companies, winning $1 million of funding from the Google.org Impact Challenge. Xceptional’s unique work has been recognised through awards from Westpac, AMP and Optus. However the most important achievement is the lives impacted.

HOW DOES XCEPTIONAL SUPPORT AUTISM EMPLOYMENT?

Physical workplace audit

Hiring process audit

Role scoping

TRAINING

Xceptional assists organisations in developing autism friendly business environments by equipping your hiring managers and teams with the knowledge and tools to source, recruit and work with neurodiverse people. Services include:

RECRUITING AND PLACEMENT

Xceptional supports organisations to hire skilled staff and contractors through its unique recruiting and placement technology, process and methodology.

Xceptional supports the placement of staff and contractors in Software Testing, Software Engineering, Data Analytics and Cyber Security. As part of the recruitment process Xceptional

Qualifies candidates using proprietary technologies, processes and methodologies

Assesses sensory distractions in the workplace

Reviews current recruitment and on-boarding processes and

Provides in depth profiles of all candidates put forward for roles.

SUPPORT AND COACHING

Xceptional provides ongoing support and coaching to managers and candidates for 12 months through a blend of face-to-face and virtual communication, delivered by our team of dedicated job coaches.

Why do job coaches matter?

Our job coaches conduct a thorough strengths-based assessment of each candidate. Support is individualised to help candidates find and maintain meaningful employment that utilises their unique skills and abilities. Coaching not only focuses upon employment skills, but also on skills that are required within the workplace, including organisation, communication and social skills, all of which impact upon an employee’s ability to successfully perform their role and work within a team environment. By effectively supporting the growth of our candidates, they are more likely to remain in long-term employment and have a valued contribution to an organisation.

Our job coaches also undertake workplace assessments and provide education to employers and managers to increase their understanding of autism, resulting in a cost effective recruitment process and long-term retention of neurodiverse employees. We empower and increase the confidence of employers to manage and build the capacity of their employees with autism, to ensure seamless implementation of the organisation’s Diversity and Inclusion Plan. Increasing the talent pool of an organisation by employing a diverse workforce increases its innovation, creativity and productivity.

Manager and staff training

Autism simulation exercises

A STARTING GUIDE

There is no one size fits all for working with a person on the autism spectrum, accordingly this guide is general in nature. We ask you to consider the following three factors:

When you’ve met one person on the autism spectrum, you’ve met one person on the autism spectrum.

Management needs for people on the autism spectrum are different not greater.

Management practices that work for a person on the autism spectrum often benefit everyone.

BEST PRACTICE FOR JOB INTERVIEWS

COMMUNICATION

WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT

TEAM INTERACTIONS

SOCIAL EVENTSSENSORY

UNDERSTANDING EYE CONTACT

LANGUAGE GUIDELINES

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“Solve for one, and extend to many” - Centre for Inclusive Design. (May 2019). The Benefit for Designing for Everyone Report

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What challenges and barriers to employment do adults with autism face?

Traditional interview approaches including face to face interviews, phone screening and written resumes favours extroverts

Recruitment reliant on candidates articulating rather than demonstrating skills and experience

Lack of employer knowledge about autism

Adjusting to new procedures and routines

Remembering and following complex (verbal) instructions

Responding flexibly to unexpected situations

Communicating effectively with co-workers

Interacting socially

Managing sensory sensitivities (such as in busy or noisy environments).

(Source: Autism Spectrum Australia)

“You do not need to be “neurotypical” to succeed. Those on the spectrum are capable of amazing things, they just need opportunity.” - JPMorgan Chase - Autism at Work program

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Strengths and talents of adults with autism may include

Visual thinking strengths

Systematic information processing and analytics

Precise technical abilities

Attention to detail

Honesty

Efficiency

Consistency

Low absenteeism and loyalty

Educational qualifications

BEST PRACTICE FOR JOB INTERVIEWS

Provide clear instructions to your interviewee on how to get to the interview.

Ensure distractions during the interview are minimised. Areas to consider include; light, noise level, temperature and smells. For example, offer the candidate a seat facing away from a window or glass wall affording an open view of an office or people, a quiet space.

Psychometric testing can cause high anxiety, especially if there is time pressure. Consider using on-the-job assessment or other alternatives.

Consider whether a face-to-face interview is essential or if an alternative could work, such as offering the interviewee sample tasks, similar to those they would do in the job.

Also consider if alternative technology could be offered for the interview, Skype, Zoom, Hangouts, etc.

WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT

Ensure there is space available for a neurodiverse employee to walk and think.

Offer flexibility: many people on the autism spectrum prefer to work from home while some prefer to work alongside colleagues in the office.

Some companies provide quiet pods in the workplace to accommodate sensitivity to noise.

Adapt lighting to accommodate sensitivity to this stimulus.

Explore communication preferences and adjust team and management meetings from face-to-face to digital forms (Messenger services like Slack are a good option)

Adapt desk configuration to allow for independent work with fewer distractions.

Ask each individual about what environment will suit their needs

Not all considerations are relevant to each person – ask each individual about their sensory needs.

SENSORY

Some people with neurodiversity prefer to avoid noisy areas such as kitchens, meeting rooms and common areas. Noise-cancelling headphones can help.

Lights can be distracting. Ask your staff member what sort of lighting works for them.

Strong smells can be distracting e.g. coffee, spicy food, perfume.

Interruptions can be frustrating – keep them to a minimum.

People on the spectrum can work well with clients and colleagues, but these interactions are often particularly exhausting.

Many people on the spectrum perceive more than one other person in a room to be a roomful of people.

More than four people in a room makes eye contact and listening especially difficult.

Many people on the spectrum find small talk unnecessary and a time waster. Some may avoid it and others enjoy this contact with colleagues.

Physical contact, such as shaking hands, is not enjoyable for many but acceptable to some.

Many will avoid office politics.

COMMUNICATION

Just like neurotypical people, people with neurodiversity prefer different communication styles.

Many people like to have clear directions for specific tasks.

Some prefer clear goals and the space and time to achieve those goals.

Many prefer written instructions rather than verbal.

Group presentations can be highly stressful for some; for others, presenting is OK but exhausting.

Ask each individual how they prefer to communicate; or ask for communication methods to be ranked in order of preference.

TEAM INTERACTIONS

UNDERSTANDING EYE CONTACT

Eye contact may prove difficult or stressful for some people on the autism spectrum.

Sometimes this reluctance to make eye contact is mistakenly labelled as uncaring or not paying attention.

Trying to maintain eye contact can distract a neurodiverse person from the conversation.

SOCIAL EVENTS

Some people neurodiverse people will avoid social events.

Events focused solely on networking or talking can be tough.

Many people prefer events focused on an activity.

It is helpful when introducing an individual with autism to a new colleague to provide a linking interest where possible. For example, Katherine and yourself are big fans of Star Wars.

Think about timing: lunch or dinner? Find out what your staff prefer.

These considerations can benefit other staff: for example, introverts and parents.

person on the autism spectrum

person on the spectrum

individual on the autism spectrum

person who has a diagnosis of autism

suffering from autism

coping with autism

struggling with autism

plagued by autism

victim of autism

retarded

abnormal (we value difference)

person with autism

living with autism

autism spectrum disorder (ASD) outside of diagnostic contexts

LANGUAGE GUIDELINES

TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE

People on the autism spectrum may use a variety of different terms to describe themselves or autism. We use “person-first” language:

We do not use:

When talking about people who are not on the autism spectrum, we use:

We do not use:

neurotypical

typically developing

general or mainstream population

normal

LANGUAGE GUIDELINES

the autism spectrum

developmental condition

disability

cognitive disability

developmental disability

When talking about families, we do not use “autism mum” or similar.

When describing the experience of someone with autism, we prefer to say: “For Julia, autism means ...” or “For some people, autism means ...”. This captures the diverse individuality within the spectrum and avoids generalisations.

In Australia, best practice is to use “person with disability” or “people with disability”.

Person-first language is the most widely accepted terminology in Australia. We also prefer to say “person without disability”, and do not recommend the terms “non-disabled” or “able-bodied”.

We avoid euphemisms and made-up words “differently abled”, “people of all abilities”, “disAbility”, “diffAbled”, “special needs” and the like – these are all euphemistic and can be felt as patronising.

We avoid language that implies a person with disability is inspirational simply because they experience disability. Conversely, we don’t imply that people with disability are victims or objects of pity.

Most importantly: focus on the person not the disability.

disease

illness

special

disorder

ASD

autistic tendencies

Asperger’s, Aspie or autistic (but many people on the spectrum do when talking about themselves). It is acceptable to use the terms autistic or Aspie only if this is the expressed preference of the individual

TALKING ABOUT AUTISM

We use:

MORE SUGGESTIONS

We do not use: We prefer not to use:

W W W. X C E P T I O N A L . I O

THANK YOU