Give Autistic Employees a Chance

It’s Autism Acceptance Month and as promised, here’s part two of my latest article about autism.

Read part one here if you haven’t already, or don’t. I’m not your mum.

In part one we looked at autism in kids and what adults can do to help them in school. In part two we’ll be looking at what happens after, when autistic kids grow up to become autistic adults and join the workforce. 

For reference: I was diagnosed with autism in 2015 aged twenty-four and in with ADHD in 2022 aged thirty-one. Since receiving my diagnosis I have spent the last eight years studying as much as I can about autism, neurodivergence and autistic psychology. I’ve spoken extensively about this online, in print, on the radio and I also give talks and presentations on the topic on island. 

So let’s get into it. One thing that often comes up when I talk about autism is this strange persistent misconception that disorders like autism and ADHD only affect children. Spoiler alert: they don’t. It’s important to remember that autistic kids grow up to become autistic adults, it doesn’t magically go away once you turn eighteen. Like me, most of my autistic friends weren’t even diagnosed until they’d already reached adulthood, which can make things even more confusing because it’s often like you have to learn who you are all over again.

Last time I talked about how autistic children are more likely to face bullying at school and unsurprisingly, autistic adults are also more likely to be bullied at work. It’s hard enough for autistic people to get jobs, they shouldn’t have to deal with bullying as well. While I can’t speak for the figures on island, in the UK a mere 16% of autistic adults are in full-time paid employment. 40% of autistic adults working part-time want to work more hours but feel that their autism gets in the way of this whether through their own struggles, or intolerance or misunderstanding from their employers. People with autism are massively underemployed with fewer than three in 10 in work.

I don’t really count myself in this because i’m self employed (barely) and don’t currently make a stable enough income to call it proper employment. I’ve tried repeatedly to get a ‘real’ job and would love nothing more than a serious career to dedicate myself to and give me a proper purpose in life, but most employers won’t even give me an interview let alone an actual job. The last four jobs i’ve applied for have yielded zero interviews, I try not to let it get to me but it’s undeniably disheartening. So like a lot of other autistic people, I work for myself, because it’s an easier option that trying to grapple with an employment system built for neurotypicals. 

Like many neurodivergent people, I have been underestimated, overlooked and undervalued my entire working life. It’s a big part of why I ended up starting my own small business, because you’re in control when you are your own boss. It’s not easy though and as much as I like what I do for a living, I feel very unfulfilled and often get the sense that I could or should be doing more. This is a common feeling among autistic adults already in work or seeking employment, that they could be doing more if only they were given the chance. Autistic employees can be a major asset but often aren’t given the opportunities to prove this and even if an autistic person is lucky enough to find a steady job, it doesn’t mean they’ll be able to keep it. 

When I was twenty-one I landed my dream job as a librarian, I loved going to work each day and genuinely enjoyed my job. After about nine months of working there, I was signed off work for depression by my psychiatrist despite the fact that working at the library was my escape. The depression was very much caused by issues in my personal life and going to work was my ‘happy place’. My employers assured me that my job would be waiting for me when I was ready to return to work, they told me I was an ‘asset to the library’ and had nothing to worry about. 

After being signed off work for one month I received my notice of termination. Actually they didn’t tell me directly, they phoned my mum and asked her to pass on the news as they thought it would be better coming from her. I was twenty-two years old but they treated me like a child. When I emailed to ask why i’d been fired and pointed out how they couldn’t fire me if i’d broken my leg, they said there was no time frame for when I would be ‘healed’ and that I was a liability. It broke my heart and almost a decade later i’m still not over it (clearly). It’s the main reason why i’ve worked for myself for so long because I don’t want something like that to happen again. 

As part of this article I wanted to speak to someone on island who is autistic and in regular employment. A local worker (who wishes to remain anonymous) was kind enough to share their story with me. Let’s call them Ash*. Here is what Ash had to say about their experiences of living and working with autism.

“I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome the summer of my seventeenth birthday. I remember being devastated when I received my diagnosis. I had always felt different to others and now it was being confirmed. I found school a struggle and like most autistic people, I threw myself into my other interests in order to avoid how I was made to feel at school.

“From a very young age I would think about the future career I longed for and dream of a world where I fit in with my peers. After a few years of drifting from job to job I eventually found a permanent position. With the exception of a few people, I got on with my colleagues and stayed for five years. In my 20s I went off to uni to study in my chosen field. 

“Like everything else I’ve achieved it was something that I had to work extremely hard for. I was excited to enrol but I struggled at university. I was older than my course mates and didn’t find the sense of ‘all in this togetherness’ I was expecting even though we were all interested in the same field. I also had quite a difficult time in my personal life as well. I was raped at eighteen and sexually assaulted twice by the age of twenty-one. I read recently that many people on the spectrum are abused which I found sad, yet I blamed myself and my autism.

“I’ve found jobs I enjoy, but have experienced working environments that can only be described as ‘bitchy’. It was like they saw something in me that was ‘off’ and just decided that I wasn’t worth bothering with. I worked freelance for a while as I think I was a bit scared to go back to that kind of 9-5 environment. At the time my anxiety got so horrendous that I struggled to even go to the corner shop. I was waking up numerous times a night and would lie awake for hours worrying about what the future would hold for me employment wise.

“Life has been hard the past few years. A lot of my friends are married with children and life has become lonely. I suffer a lot more with anxiety than I did before. Life in the workplace is very hard. I am bullied by my colleagues for being ‘odd’ and feel like I am constantly acting and trying to make myself understood. I have have been in a constant state of anxiety since I started and have had to have time off on one occasion due to a panic attack regarding the bullying. My GP has told me to think long and hard over whether I’m in the right role, but after being unemployed for so long I don’t want to just give up. I was allowed to return to work full time at the end of last year and honestly a big part of me worries if I will ever be able to successfully hold down a full time job again as I am really struggling.” 

Ash’s experiences are harrowing and sadly all too common for many autistic people. From a young age we are made to feel ashamed and ‘broken’ for our differences so we squash ourselves down to try and fit in and avoid negative attention. The problem is that when you’re autistic, almost all of the attention is negative. Ash’s struggles in school and difficulties fitting in at uni and work are also common experiences for people on the spectrum. Almost every autistic adult i’ve spoken to had similar stories of frustration and regret from their years in full-time education and employment. I ended up staying on island for my own degree mainly because as much as I wanted to go off and have the full uni experience, I didn’t think i’d be able to hack it from a mental health perspective and that was before I even found out I was autistic. 

While not necessarily relevant to the topic of this piece, I want to make it clear that Ash’s experiences with sexual assault are also unfortunately very common for autistic people. Which is horrifying and yet another example of how a predominantly neurotypical society has failed those with autism. Research indicates that sexual violence affects about 30% of women in the general population and between two to three times more than that for autistic women. Evidence suggests that up to nine out of 10 autistic women have been sexually assaulted or experienced sexual abuse and that the majority of victims were very young when they were first assaulted. Autistic girls and women are particularly vulnerable to abuse and this is definitely a topic worth exploring in another article (hint, hint, Gef) but I wanted to include it here for context. 

So why is it so difficult for autistic people to get work? There are many answers to that but the main one is that the entire system is skewed against us from the start. Every autistic person i’ve spoken to has given similar reasons for struggling to get jobs: the application process is too complicated, the job descriptions are needlessly confusing, they require more flexibility than most applicants and that they’re afraid of disclosing their neurodivergence. We all had the same sentiment: there are plenty of jobs I could excel at, but I can’t get the chance to demonstrate my skills/knowledge. 

While some places like GCHQ and BAE Systems actively seek out neurodivergent applicants for jobs, the majority of employers are still more likely to see autistic/ADHD applicants as potential liabilities. While modern anti-discrimination laws prohibit places from not hiring purely on this basis, ask any disclosed autistic adult if they’ve experienced discrimination at work and they’ll almost undoubtedly say yes. Also, as wonderful as it is to see places like GCHQ seeking autistic employees in a positive way, this isn’t a feasible career path for many autistic people who aren’t very academic or mathematically minded. I excel at puzzles, languages, pattern recognition and cryptography (yo GCHQ please hire me) but i’d never be able to apply to them as my qualifications are all creative. 

The workplace itself can also be a less than ideal environment for the majority of autistic people. Many jobs place emotional or sensory pressure on staff to some extent, which can leave autistic people feeling constantly exhausted. In addition, many autistic people will work hard to mask their autistic traits at work and constantly putting on an act is tiring and stressful. Executive dysfunction is a common trait for people on the spectrum and this can make it difficult to maintain a steady job as it’s often hard enough dealing with ordinary daily tasks without adding full time employment into the mix. Working from home is the ideal solution but not every organization can or will offer this to all employees.

So what are autistic people supposed to do when every job application calls for an ‘outgoing team player with great communication skills who isn’t afraid to work hard and play harder’ (yes, that’s from a real job ad, I wish I was joking). The actual job specs will all be things the autistic applicant can do, but they’re unlikely to apply because of the ‘social requirements’. The language used in modern job listings is often aimed at attracting extroverted neurotypicals for positions, it’s immediately off putting to many introverted and autistic applicants despite how qualified and suitable for the position they may be. Many autistic people take things very literally. If a job calls for someone ‘assertive and social’ some autistic people will immediately think well, that’s not me and avoid applying on that basis, regardless of how perfect they are for the role.

The thing that myself and all of the autistic people i’ve spoken to about this struggle to grasp is why so many employers seem to think it’s more important that an employee is social and a ‘team player’ rather than how effective they are at their job. Everyone I talked to about this gave similar stories, how at previous jobs they were extremely efficient and often completed their work faster and to a higher standard then many of their neurotypical colleagues but were picked on or singled out for not joining in with team building activities (you already have the team, what do you need to build?!), for having a ‘tone’ in their voice or for not being very social in the workplace. 

It’s a job. You’re there to work. What should it matter if you don’t want to lurk in the break room gossiping about your colleagues or talking about football/love island? Surely efficiency is more important than sociability? Apparently not. It’s clear that autistic people face many challenges in the workplace, but this doesn’t mean they should be excluded from working. It simply means that employers need to take extra steps to ensure their employees have the necessary understanding and accommodations needed to thrive. It’s worth remembering that autistic people possess varied skills and unique perspectives that can benefit any workplace. Finding ways to support and encourage autistic people in the workplace is essential for creating inclusive and prosperous working environments.

Some important takeaways as I draw this to a close. Human development is not a race. An autistic child is no less worthy because they take longer to tie their shoes, learn to read or start speaking. I find myself repeating it over and over again but every child is different. Stop comparing your child (autistic or otherwise) to other children and measuring their worth based on what they can and can’t do. Similarly, an autistic adult is no less useful because they struggle with some tasks that someone else deems simple. Everyone learns things at their own pace, everyone will excel in some areas while struggling in others. This is normal. 

For my first article back in 2021 I ended with a list of famous people with autism but this time it’s a list of ‘things that many autistic people hate with a burning passion’. 

Team building games: Trust falls, use what you have, scavenger hunts, mad libs. I swear part of the reason I ended up working for myself is because the mere thought of working in an office and having my boss march in and announce hey gang, time for some team building games! would send me into paroxysms of terror. Bosses that go absolutely feral for team building days, are you ok? Have you simply considered not building a team? 

Ice breaking exercises: I’m not sure what cruel and twisted monster came up with these but every single time in my life that i’ve been in a classroom, group or boardroom where someone utters the dreaded words let’s go around the table and each say something about ourselves I immediately want the ground to tear itself open and swallow myself and everyone else in it because surely that would be better than actually having to sit there and join in. See also: let’s go around the room and everyone make a different animal noise or tell us what food you’d be if you were a food. Let’s go around the room and… yeah. Let’s not. 

Small talk: Dreadful weather today isn’t it? yes Susan, it’s raining sideways and an escaped trampoline just flew past the window, do you really need to draw attention to it? Small talk is the bane of most autistic’s lives. We know it’s warm/cold/sunny/wet outside, we know the bus is busy, we know that man is very tall. Why do neurotypicals love talking about these things so much? Autistic people are supposed to be the awkward ones but no-one has ever been able to explain WHY neurotypical people are so compelled to state the obvious. 

Shaking hands: this is a tricky one for me because it’s something I don’t actually struggle with. But ONLY because my dad (also autistic) drilled it into me from a young age that handshakes and eye contact were very important. I remember having to practice shaking hands with various family members as a child while my dad observed. It sounds horrendous (and at the time it absolutely was) but in retrospect his messed up teaching methods worked because now it’s something I have no issue with, unlike a lot of other autistic folks who really struggle with both. BUT I can see why shaking hands is difficult and if i’m being completely honest, I don’t really like it either. Pre-pandemic it was a minor inconvenience but nowadays it’s a downright health risk. Also thanks for the accidental ABA therapy dad. 

Eye contact: why is eye contact so important? Eye contact doesn’t make you a better person. It doesn’t make you honest or calm or kind. Eye contact isn’t culturally consistently polite, it can actually be a sign of open disrespect in some cultures so WHY is it so necessary in ours? It doesn’t indicate that someone is untrustworthy if they avoid eye contact. If you’ve ever met someone who makes too much eye contact where it borders on creepy, they might just be autistic and struggle to maintain the ‘correct’ ratio. I’ve done this and accidentally given people the Kubrick stare while trying to do eye contact like a ‘normal person’. 

Corporate jargon: there is a special place in hell for the person who came up with the weird way people talk in corporate environments. Phrases like let’s put a pin in this and blue sky thinking genuinely boggle the mind. They always make me think of comedian Bob Mortimer’s iconic ‘train guy’ sketches. If you work in corporate or the civil service please go and watch one right now. That’s you. That’s how you sound. Also if I read one more job application looking for a ‘dynamic, innovative, data driven, scalable, team player or thought leader’ I will scream. Just say what you mean, cut the BS and use straightforward language. On a serious note, if we got autistic people to write job descriptions, life would be so much easier.

The bleep test: this is an honorary mention because while it affects autistic kids more than adults, it’s still horrible. I understand the importance of staying active and encouraging healthy habits in children but a lot of autistic kids will have co-morbidity issues with dyspraxia, co-ordination, and joint connectivity like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome so actually yes, the bleep test is awful for autistic kids and most kids in general, try something else you sadists. 

Disclaimer: for legal reasons this list is a joke, please hire me. 

Jade is a Manx artist and designer. You may have seen some of her designs for local companies including: the Manx Museum, IOM Creamery, Castletown Commissioners, the Gelatory, Moonlight Club, Mischief and Isle of Pride. She also runs the Candy Doll Club, an online business selling products featuring her designs to customers all over the world. Jade is also a member of the Isle of Man Arts Council.

Art – www.jadeboylan.com

Shop – www.candydollclub.com