1. Square Pegs: Autism in the Workplace
An exploration into dual citizenship (homosexuality and autism) and changing the work environment for everyone’s benefit.
Presented for the Out & Equal conference in Minneapolis
by Terry Walker, tiggerworld1 at earthlink.net,
on 2003 October 2 Thursday.
Full ASCII text at
MS PowerPoint at

2. Four Steps for Sociopolitical Change
Dispelling stereotypes
Educating
Connecting
Moving forward for change

3. Autism is NOT… Mental retardation Savant skill “Rain Main”
Violent outbursts or complete withdrawal
Obsessive-Compulsive behavior
Developmental “phase”
“Anti-social personality”
Emotional impairment

4. Autism Society of America (ASA) website
“One of the most devastating myths about autistic children is that they cannot show affection. While sensory stimulation is processed differently in some children with autism, they can and do give affection. But it may require patience on a parent’s part to accept and give love in the child’s terms.”

5. Autism IS… Neurological difference Social disability
Attention to limited topics of interest
Explosion of alternative thoughts, or simple literal-mindedness

6. Frequently encountered experiences
Sensory integration problems
Avoidance of crowded areas
Digestive system problems
Frequent inability to recognize, generate, or value deceptions
Gaze aversion
Notable memory for details
Clumsy, uncoordinated
Approximately 80% of autistics are male
IQ scores previously thought to be low

7. Some Autism History 1940s: Kanner’s and Asperger’s autism identified
1993: Asperger Syndrome enters DSM-IV

9. Adults With Autism
Q: What happened to the autistic children of yesterday?
A: They grew to become the autistic adults of today.

10. Autistic Strengths reviewed for the workplace
Strong conceptualization skill
Logical thinking
Exceptional memory
Attention to detail
Honest, straightforward
Intense focus
Willing and able to learn great depth of information in specific field

11. Autistic Weaknesses reviewed for the workplace
Sensory sensitivities
Need for sensory escapes or stimulations
Slow to recognize people or objects
Slow to verbalize
Slow to shift attention
Resists change to working procedures
Unable/unwilling to navigate office politics
Unable/unwilling to comply with some social norms
Poor skill with extemporaneous speaking
Poor understanding of metaphors

12. Allies and Advocates Q: Why link autism advocacy with gay advocacy?
A: Both communities would benefit from the association.

13. Resource Group Suggestions
Decide to become an Ally for the autistic community
Subscribe to an autism magazine, and add it to your diversity library
Get brochures/flyers from your local autism society, and give them to HR or your diversity library
Tell HR that many autistics have a strong opinion that they should not reveal their autism to their employer unless absolutely necessary (great distrust), so education in HR departments is needed
Give copy of this presentation to HR

14. Workplace Accommodations
Sensory
Social
Reactive/Planning

15. Sensory Concession Allow use of incandescent lighting at work area
Allow computer monitor/videocard with a high refresh rate
Allow sunglasses, earplugs, headsets to block stimuli
Allow workers to avoid attending meetings in rooms with permanent sensory problems
Provide scent-free work areas
Allow non-disruptive “stimming” devices and other coping behaviors in the work area
Allow non-standard clothing if the standard issue is a sensory irritant

16. Social Concessions
Allow the circumvention of some difficult forms of communication
Allow exemptions from attending group gatherings, always providing the same information in written or recorded form
Allow exemptions from attending “team-building” events, or find new creative process for allowing autistic participation
Allow exemptions from speaking before a group, instead use written material or substitute speaker
Recognize that the worker may not join meal events unless they can bring their own food and drink
Educate management and coworkers that “Look at me when we’re talking” is a counter-productive command, distracting the autistic worker rather than focusing their attention
Educate management and coworkers that the autistic worker is easily distracted when given confusing or conflicting information
Educate management and coworkers that they should avoid having different people give different instructions to the autistic worker

17. Reactive/Planning Concessions
Allow extra time to respond to bureaucratic forms, if they request it
Always provide text material that matches verbal communication
Allow extra time to respond to voice conversation
Remind employees that they can request more frequent and/or more specific feedback
Allow a reduction in the number of simultaneous tasks that the worker must cope with
Allow flexible work hours
Allow reduced work hours
Expect resistance to changes in work procedures. Allow more time for them to adjust. Their complaints may not be intended as a hostile threat to authority. Make the requirements clear. Expect them to change slowly, but require them to change eventually. Give as much advance notice as possible for workplace changes.

18. “Curing” Autism
Fitting in temporarily is absolutely a valuable skill. Just because we are capable of mimicking these desired behaviors for a short time, though, does not mean that we should be obligated to do so for a lifetime.

19. Metaphors for Autism “Vulcan” from Star Trek universe Geometric
Linguistic
“Engineer’s Disease”
Saltwater fish in freshwater environment
“Oops, Wrong Planet” syndrome

20. Autism Vocabulary LFA HFA AS ASD "on the spectrum“ NT
shadow traits/cousinhood AC
sensory integration
"stim"
overload
burnout
perseveration
nonverbal
prosopagnosia
echolalia
savant ability

21. Neurodiversity Vocabulary
Rett Syndrome
AD/HD
OCD
dyslexia
Tourette's Syndrome
depression
bipolar disorder

22. Theories of Autism neurobiological genetic socializing/systemizing
theory of mind: "mindblind"
exposure anxiety
mercury poisoning
"leaky gut"
Topological
"refrigerator mother"

23. Counterpoint Epileptic seizures Chronic diarrhea
Autism is not always a mild difference. It can also have severe “comorbidities” or other implications.
Epileptic seizures
Chronic diarrhea
Inability to understand language
Inability to speak
Head banging
Finger biting
Tourette’s Syndrome
Inappropriate outbursts caused by frustration/overload
Specific learning disabilities
Painful hypersensitivity to touch, light, or sound
Extreme withdrawal/isolation

24. Resources (websites)
Dr. Barbara Luskin and the Autism Society of Minnesota can both be contacted via the AuSM website,
Autistics.org
Autism Network International and
Asperger's Assc’n of New England
Autistic Advocacy by Frank Klein
"Oops... Wrong Planet!"
Autism Europe
University students with autism
some Autistic projects
essay about mainstream handling of autism

25. Resources (movies and books)
“Rain Main”
“Equilibrium”
“Finding Forrester”
“Being There“
“Daredevil”
“Elijah's Cup” by Valerie Paradiz
"Autism: Explaining the Enigma, second edition" by Uta Frith
“Women from Another Planet?” autobiographies compiled by Jean Kearns Miller
"Asperger Syndrome and Long-Term Relationships" by Ashley Stanford
"Nobody Nowhere" and "Somebody Somewhere" by Donna Williams
"Thinking in Pictures" by Temple Grandin
"The Essential Difference" by Simon Baron-Cohen