I want to understand about autistic adults difficulties which they face in workplace.

Hello everyone,

I am postgraduate student and I am working on a project to understand about

difficulties faced by autistic adults in their day to day life particularly in workplace.

By research, I came to know that autistic adults are facing a lot of problems in workplace,

but I am not clear about what exact problems they face. I want to create awareness

about their problems in offices so that they get maximum support at workplace. By doing so,

the gap between autistic adults and their colleagues may disappear.

Hopefully, everyone will start understanding them better. If anyone knows about it,

could you please help me in understanding about their problems?

  • I don't know where to start with answering this question and would suggest sitting down with some of us, or email conversations or telephone might yield more in depth information, particularly as we all change over time. I would suspect there are quite a few common themes though:

    1. Noise in the office place, from computer fans to footsteps
    2. Lighting in the office place
    3. Having to interact with other people in a neurotypical way can be exhausting, autistics tend to be blunt with each other, just read a few threads on here
    4. Not knowing how to join in with group conversations
    5. Not knowing where the line is when chatting in groups
    6. Not liking telephones, or not liking to cold call someone
    7. Not knowing whether to tell people or not that one is autistic
    8. Meeting deadlines can be hard as it puts extra stress on, but for some it may be a comfort as it is something to work towards
    9. Having to jump from one task to another, I for one prefer just concentrating on one task in a day or one project in a day if possible
    10. Easily distracted by things around one
    11. Taking things to heart even when comments were not meant negatively. I had a boss that once that sued to say "that was good but....", as soon as I heard the "but" may brain would go that it can not be good and not be right at the same time.
    12. Trying to get the language right in emails
    13. Difficulty approaching other people
    14. Not knowing how to ask for help when struggling
    15. Having to follow ridged hours or coping with shift patterns, I know that my brain does not really come on line until 10am for instance so I prefer to start at that time
    16. Always worrying about putting a foot wrong, particularly with the opposite sex
    17. People not understanding my eye contact issues, that if I keep making eye contact I usually don't mean to, its just my eyes will pick up on a movement
    18. No knowing what to do when I find myself isolated because people think I am weird or creepy or or or.....
  • I thought the same thing. You can zoom into the photos a bit, and I found it just about legible that way.

  • The design looks nice but how is anyone else reading the text? For me it is far too small to be able to read anything, even when the photos are zoomed in. Is there a PDF or something available? Am I looking at the wrong thing?

  • Hey guys...hope all are having a good day. I have updated and designed book finally. The link to the book is https://www.behance.net/gallery/65322939/Ongoing-major-project-Autism.  Could you all please have a look? It would be great.

    I am extremely in debt of you guys. Thank you for helping me and discussing your problems with me. I have tried to include each of yours name. Sorry, could not include all. However, I have given credits to all in my acknowledgments and bibliography. 

    Please guys, if you have any suggestions or critique, you can write it down in the page on behance below the book.

    Thanks again. Love all

  • I'm currently dealing with some issues which thankfully higher management are taking seriously. I was diagnosed 6 months ago *at 30*

    I was off work for a day due to medications increase right after being off for two weeks when I tried to commit suicide. 

    During my back to work meeting I was asked when i thought i was going to get better, why couldn't i give specifics to why I couldn't say if i could make every shift and had a medical professional said I was okay to have a job.  This would have been bad enough if I hadn't been working for this company with no complains apart form my absence level for 8 years. 

    We work in teams and the one I'm in now barely speak to me. They talk behind me back when they think I cant hear them as have earphones in due to sensory issues around noise levels. They ignore me, exclude me from stupid things like anyone want anything from shop or canteen. I have ADD as well as autism so I know i'm an oddball and can be hard to work with but I'm extremely open and honest which apparently translates to attention seeking?

  • Hmm. You can't take them to Employment Tribunal, but you still have a couple of months to put in a discrimination claim under the Equality Act. There is the Equality Advisory Service or you might find some no-win no-fee lawyers, maybe these. (I am not a lawyer, and only lawyers can give legal advice.)

  • After seeking legal advice I was told it was discrimination, but due to only having been there 3 months there was nothing I could do 

  • I think I'm being set up to fail. I've been told that he "doesn't believe in autism", from which I can guess he thinks autistic people are lazy and / or stupid. This would also explain why we can devote afternoons or even entire days to fund-raising for cancer charities, but me selling my books to raise money for the NAS to staff during my lunch breaks is "inappropriate".

    I'm wondering how exactly he's qualified for his position.

    But I've been offered no other coping strategies, so I'm going to seek medical assistance for the depression I am now experiencing.

  • I agree - seems like bull **** to me.

  • This looks like outright discrimination to me. Unless discussing your personal life is part of the job specification, the activity should be optional.

    If anything, your bosses are untrustworthy.

  • I always believe you should keep work and your private life separately and it drives me nuts when people love to just gossip about nonsense at work.  Surely they should be praising the fact they you are working hard rather than chit chatting?  And people are bewildered as to why productivity levels have dropped....

  • Hmmm I would like to know how the branch manager has come to the conclusion that your coping strategies are inappropriate.  That would surely require an understanding of your struggles and what it would mean to remove them or replace them with alternative strategies - something they clearly haven't done.

  • Sorry to hear it.

    I am still on sick leave from my new job.  Not sure if I'm going back.

  • Last month I lost my job because I am autistic. I was told that my bosses could not trust me because I do not discuss my personal life - something I was never aware I was supposed to do. Maybe I missed some social clues? I do not go to work to chat to people. I go to work to do my job. I think a lot of people at my last job were chatterboxes and only wanted someone to talk to not work with

  • I'm quite often given more details than I can remember (usually from the same person) even though everyone has been told to set me tasks using an electronic messaging system.

    Then when I get told off when I've forgotten something important even though it was never written down.

  • Hey guys, I wanted to understand how do you feel when lots of information is given to you? 

    Do you feel pressurised?

    It would be great if you guys could please share about your feelings.

    Thanks so much.

  • The union has told me to comply with the ban, but I'll look into the equality act.

  • Sorry to hear you've been treated badly by incompetent management. Your 'coping mechanisms' sound reasonable and positive for the organisation. Are you a member of a union? Have you considered putting in your own grievance - presumably you could city Equality Act provisions, and suggest a way forward suitable for you.

  • You are not alone.

    I also struggle in the workplace.

    Noises and forced to be around people affect me negatively.

  • I've been having problems at work since a change of management. To start with, the team I worked with has been cut down to just me, while retaining the vast majority of the workload.

    I also have to appease managers who are based in a head office in another city, while also meeting the needs of my colleagues in the site where I work on a day-to-day basis.

    My communication skills have been cited as where I fall short; skills a person on the autistic spectrum disorder such as myself typically has difficulty with, especially when they feel uncomfortable.

    On top of this, my coping mechanisms have been deemed "inappropriate" by the branch manager, who has banned me from meeting with the people I trust, who for just 15 minutes a day, could encourage me to give my all to my work. Without them, I'm a crying, screaming mess in a store cupboard who has to come out only when required and put on a brave face so as not to upset people.

    Due to my increasing failure to meet standards, I have been put on a capability review and I face losing my job.

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