Asking Autistics: What advice do you have for employers?

A post in the Embracng Autism Facebook group asked a few questions of Autistics that included "What advice do you have for employers?".  This was in relation to the USA's National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which some Canadian governments also recognize.

I never had what I believe are thought of as accommodations. Until I reached the Autistic Burnout phase, by ability to mask meant I didn’t even need any support relating to noise or lighting.


What I always needed was understanding: understanding that “human nature” is not universal, and that my brain is wired such that my thinking and motivations for doing things will be different.


I’m Autistic. It is not something separate that I have, but a core part of who I am. If there was a pill that would eradicate Autism in me, I wouldn’t want it as some of the things I am most proud of myself for are related to being Autistic. That doesn’t mean I don’t struggle, and that struggle is huge while I’m dealing with burnout. It is the lack of understanding and bigotry against anyone who is different that dis-ables me, not something relating to my specific form of Autism.


I’m speaking and thinking in a different dialect of English.


I ask questions to get clarity as I have noticed humans can be playing “broken telephone” even with only two people when assumptions are being made and people are trying to “read between the lines”. When I am asking questions I am not trying to challenge your authority: I am really just trying to ensure accurate communication.


I don’t see social hierarchies the way an Allistic or otherwise non-neurodivergent person might. I am an outsider to those social norms.

I believe all living things are deserving of respect. To me respect is like treating all humans with dignity. If you believe “respect” is about treating you as an authority figure because of some social hierarchy like an organisation chart, and that your treating me and others with basic decency is dependent on us treating you as an authority, then we aren’t going to get along well.


Please don’t require that I do immoral things as part of my job. I had an employer who wanted me to take broken parts from when I fixed computers, put them in a brand new computer, and ship it back to the manufacturer as “dead on arrival” (Note: that employer and vendor no longer exist, so I'm not sharing something about current entities). If you feel the desire to reprimand or fire me because I don’t put your profit above all other considerations, then that is on you and not on me. Chances are I will only tolerate those types of requests for a short period of time, and will resign on my own.


Please be specific about priorities. If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. If you get upset at me for not “guessing” which thing should be the top-top-top priority, or you constantly contradict or block priorities previously set, that is on you and not on me. Your lack of ability to set and communicate priorities, especially any changed priorities, is a management and organisational problem and not a problem with any individual employee.


If you say one thing, and do another, I will learn not to trust you. Please don’t engage in “social lying” on my behalf as I strongly value truth.


Recognize that Autism is also not universal, including whether an individual considers Autism part of their identity or not, and what level of support they may need at any given moment. While I am an Autistic person with Canadian citizenship, there will be other people who are Canadians with Autism.