The return of World Autism Acceptance Week, taking place between Monday, March 27th and Sunday, April 2nd 2023, inspires us to continue our work improving the awareness of autism, and more importantly, the acceptance of autism.
What is autism?
Autism is a neurominority with neurodevelopmental differences which impact the way a person experiences, interacts, and processes the world around them. This difference of experience provides a different perspective which brings a whole array of strengths.
The definition of autism is continually evolving and changing as we understand more regarding the neurodistinction. Ultimately, traits of autism can vary from person to person, with impacts varying for every individual. Some people may need little to no support, whereas others may require significant support every day.
The power of language
In the autism community, many prefer identity-first language such as “autistic,” “autistic person,” or “autistic individual” because it promotes autism as an inherent part of an individual’s identity. On the other hand, person-first language, such as “person with autism”, suggests that the person can be separated from autism.
Language is therefore one of the most powerful tools we have in relation to shaping the way we think and talk about autism. The language constantly changes over time, so it is essential to review changes to promote respect, inclusivity, and professional awareness.
Ultimately, when we use identity-first language, we are accepting that the individual is different from a non-autistic person, and we are showing that we are not afraid or ashamed to recognise that difference.
Autism in the workplace
As an employer, you can help make the world a more autism-friendly place. Many employers are leading the way, making strides to improve their understanding, awareness, and acceptance regarding autism. By adapting practices and implementing small, viable accommodations, the workplace can become a place to foster autistic flourishing.
Autistic people have a wealth of strengths and well-developed skills that enable thriving within the workplace. In addition to individual strengths and characteristics, as with neurotypicals, autistic candidates can demonstrate above-average skills in some or all of the following areas:
- The ability to harness hyperfocus and monotropic thinking;
- Time management, such as meeting structured deadlines;
- Being detail orientated;
- Excellent recall for subjects of interest.
A well-developed understanding, awareness, and acceptance of autism creates space for a supportive open dialogue, to help understand the personalised accommodations an autistic employee may require, based on their own strengths and challenges.
Potentially beneficial accommodations for an autistic employee include:
- Ensure clarity of what is required, avoiding ambiguity;
- Provide supportive and structured training opportunities;
- Consideration for the workplace environment and layout;
- Regular 1-1 meetings, fostering an open dialogue;
- Provide sensitive but direct and constructive feedback;
- Implement a wellness plan for stressful situations;
- Provide advance notice of change, where possible;
- Consider sensory sensitivities, such as office lighting, temperature, sounds, etc.;
- Offer and deliver disability awareness training to staff to improve awareness & acceptance.
So, what is best practice in our assessments at Health Partners?
At Health Partners, it is essential that we have a depth of understanding about autism, so we can better educate and support our clients. We must confront the statistics to understand the challenges being faced and work collectively to provide a service which supports autistic individuals. The autistic landscape is ever-changing, and it is imperative that as healthcare professionals, we are constantly reflecting on our practice, skills and knowledge to ensure we are competent in supporting neurodiverse patients.
It can be challenging for autistic individuals to access healthcare services for a wide variety of reasons; an avoidance of telephony, communication differences (often exacerbated by anxiety and high pressure), and potentially a feeling that autism is misunderstood by healthcare staff. A recent study reported that 55% of autistic respondents suggested they would delay accessing support and treatment if they felt that the healthcare staff would not understand their needs. This is compared to 6% of non-autistic individuals who feel there is a barrier to accessing healthcare.
We accept and celebrate that no two neurodistinct individuals are the same, ensuring that we approach each assessment without bias or preconceived notions. We gain consent, listen to the lived experience of everyone and believe their experience and the described impacts. We ensure that we use terms and language that the individuals prefer, both in the assessment and the documentation that we produce – the individual preference of each individual is key. We work to support the employees and clients to customise the working environment to maximise employee strengths, minimise limitations, and aim to create a supportive environment where autistic people can flourish.
We pledge to continue engaging in training and to listening to the autistic community. Only by involving autistic people, and being guided by them, can we collectively change our perspectives and work to improve outcomes for the autistic community.
Written by Roxy Partridge, Workplace Needs Assessor at Health Partners
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