Workplace Accomodations

For neurodiverse employees, the workplace is often a minefield of difficulties.

Neurodiverse employees have often lost jobs in the past, and from their perspective, they often don't understand actually why, leaving them in a state of perpetual anxiety concerning their employment.

Oftimes, it can be the case that, unbeknownst to the neurodiverse employe, neurotypical managers and colleagues have been telegraphing their displeasure about the Aspie/ASD employee and their behaviors for quite some time with facial expressions, language, etc., while the neurodiverse individual has been motoring along thinking they are doing exactly what they have been told. When the invevitable conflict occurs, a negative employment outcome can result, sometimes resulting in a change in employment status for the neurodiverse employee. Often the neurodiverse employee is more puzzled about what happened than before the event. From their perspective, "everybody at work ganged up on me all of a sudden, I had a meltdown, and then I was out of a job. I don't really know why any of that happened. Whatever it was, the meltdown probably didn't help. Now I'm ashamed, but I don't know what to be ashamed about."

With that experience in their past, a simple offhand comment from a manager concerning "budgets and headcount" could plunge the neurodivergent employee into irrational anxiety -- they think they're about to get fired. This then becomes a self-fullfiling prophecy as the neurodiverse employee "pulls out all the stops" to course-correct. The neurodiverse employee may have no idea what the actual problem is, they just know they have to do something, anything, and do it quick. So the employee begins going into overdrive to protect their job. Managers are often thrilled with this result, but come to the wrong conclusion: "All I have to do is hint at this person that there's a difficulty somewhere in the organization, and I can keep her working 18 hours a day!" Considering that employers and managers simply look at the neurodivergent individual at least as "that weird guy who doesn't fit in", or as simply a difficult person (in other words, an individual with deficiencies of character, not deficiencies due to neurological development), this assumption by the neurodivergent individual may not be far off the mark when, in what they see as a "flight or fight or shutdown" moment, they appear to behave quite irrationally, and, unintentionally, create even more conflict with their managers and colleagues.

To reduce these conflicts, education for employers and managers of Aspie/ASD employees is a must if employers want to have neurodiversity in their workforce. It should be noted though, that under the Americans with Disabilities Act, any employee with an identified disability must be given "reasonable" accommodations in a large enough organization:

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), companies with 15 or more employees cannot discriminate against them on the basis of disability. They must make "reasonable accommodations" that allow qualified employees to perform their jobs. State laws apply similar regulations.

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Workplace Accommodations for Aspie/ASD individuals

Workplace accommodations are a developing topic that seems to require flexibility for the circumstances of the workplace. For instance, according to the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN):

While there is no “one-size-fits-all” model for accommodating employees with disabilities[...] open office spaces can sometimes pose challenges for employees with processing needs.

Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN)

This advice would only seem to apply in environments where desks and workplace assignments are actually part of the workplace, it wouldn't really apply in a Service Industry setting, for instance.

However, the same website lists some common areas in which accommodations are typically recognized:

• The most important aspect of making any accommodation is conferring with individual employees about their specific needs

• Aim to provide clear job expectations, then work together to determine what accommodations should be implemented to help the employee meet these expectations.

• [E]mployers can also consider work schedules.

• Clarifying priorities and developing routines is often helpful for employees with neurocognitive disabilities.

• Written/email or recorded instructions to ensure they can be referenced later;

• Fragrance-free environments for sensory sensitivity;

• Flexible work days/hours to maximize “peak performance;”

• Image-based task lists to provide examples of work at various stages, or image-based calendars to mark projected milestones;

• Backup plans to help eliminate the stress of unscheduled needs/changes;

• Preparing employees in advance for drastic schedule changes, such as for office retreats, regular meeting schedules, or training days;

• Practicing and providing reminders of primary social principles, such as reminders to say, “Good morning,” or “Good afternoon,” or to take turns to use/maintain items in common areas, such as in the kitchen.

EARN

Resources:

Job Accommodations Network (JAN)

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN)