How to Provide Truly Effective Workplace Support for Autistic Employees

In discussions about how employers can support autistic employees, the word "disability" is not taboo but rather a core issue throughout. Zoe Gross, Director of Advocacy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), told HR Dive: "I think it's really important to have disability pride and to embrace your disability identity. The civil rights of disabled people stem from this. Before we are ready to embrace our disability identity, it's hard for us to truly enjoy these rights."

Gross and ASAN's primary work is to ensure that autistic people have a voice in government and workplace policy-making. Many organizations view autistic people as "others"—focusing on the responsibilities and challenges of their families, seeking "cures," or describing neurodiversity in vague language. ASAN, however, is committed to putting power back into the hands of autistic people themselves.

Inclusive language: a paradigm shift

Take the Job Accommodation Network, for example, which describes autism as a disability characterized by "deficits" and views disability as a "limitation." In contrast, ASAN adheres to the "Employment First" philosophy, whose core principles include: "People with disabilities should be able to work if they want to," and "We should be able to work in the same places as people without disabilities."

These subtle differences point to a key DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) issue: inclusive and careful language. Gross said: "Using words like 'deficit' or 'impairment' to describe disability is inappropriate. Having a disability is not a bad thing. Describing our disabilities with the word 'deficit' is a highly derogatory framing." She further explained that, regardless of whether one has a disability, people should view neurodiversity as an organizational strength. "Having people who think differently in the room is important. Having different approaches to the same problem is important. A workplace that is welcoming to people with all kinds of bodies and brains—whether or not they have disabilities—is more inclusive for everyone. It's also a good test of workplace resilience, testing who it can accommodate and who it can set up for success."

Diversity hiring programs still have room to expand

Many employers, especially in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields, are actively launching talent programs for people with disabilities. DEI expert Mandy Price told HR Dive earlier this year that neurodiversity was one of the key trends for 2022, mentioning Hewlett Packard's Autism at Work program. HR Dive has also reported on Microsoft's "Neurodiversity Career Connector" program—through the company's "Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable," this computer technology company connects disabled talent with inclusive employers. Roundtable members include Dell, EY, IBM, Google, and Salesforce.

Against the backdrop of shifting attitudes toward neurodivergent people, Gross emphasized that getting autistic talent into big tech companies is only one side of the issue. First, current attention on autism inclusion is mainly concentrated in technology, mathematics, and finance. (In addition to the tech giants mentioned above, Bank of America, Fidelity Investments, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Prudential, and Wells Fargo are also members of the Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable.) But what about other industries?

Gross noted: "I also sense that this push to bring autistic people into the workplace is actually mainly focused on autistic people without intellectual disabilities." Furthermore, she observed that the core focus of this movement is on disabled people who are college-educated and working in jobs such as computer programmers, data analysts, and accountants. "Those who don't have these skills, or who want to do a different type of work, are being left out."

Rethinking interview structures

Due to differences in understanding social interactions, many autistic people find job interviews challenging. "This is an area where many autistic people struggle, because we may not make a traditionally 'good' first impression," she explained. This intangible quality often confuses hiring managers, "Someone might say after an interview, 'I don't like this person's vibe.'" But this "vibe" or "something hard to define" doesn't actually make the candidate a bad employee. "It's just that the candidate is autistic and didn't pick up on social cues or follow social norms," she added.

Gross said that ASAN advises employers that inclusive hiring programs should focus on whether candidates have the skills needed for the job—rather than abstract concepts like "cultural fit" or "vibe." Skills assessments and questions like "What would you do if..." can help employers better judge whether a candidate is suitable for the position, rather than relying on standards such as a firm handshake and eye contact.

She added: "There are anecdotes circulating among autistic people and the blind community about being held back from promotions due to eye contact issues." Gross believes such standards are only practically relevant for a very small number of jobs, "Yet, not making eye contact can become a barrier to employment, and even a barrier to promotion."

Having a disability is not a bad thing.

—Zoe Gross, Director of Advocacy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Plain-language workplace policies benefit everyone

Many DEI experts recommend using plain language to promote disability inclusion. When writing about user design, Gina Bhawalkar, Principal Analyst at B2B research firm Forrester, and user experience expert Senem Guler Biyikli proposed three key questions business leaders should seek to answer: Have you used words that people can easily understand? Have you verified that the words you use don't exclude or offend anyone? When writing content, have you considered the needs and feelings of your audience? These three questions can equally serve as a guide for Chief Diversity Officers or HR leaders.

Bhawalkar and Biyikli recommend referring to plainlanguage.gov—a resource from the U.S. General Services Administration and a comprehensive guide to plain language best practices, following the standards set by the Plain Writing Act of 2010. Gross said that writing workplace documents according to this standard is an excellent reasonable accommodation and benefits not only people with disabilities.

She continued that when communicating with the general public, a sixth-grade reading level is the ideal standard. Workplace documents, however, are often technical and require a higher reading level. Writing in plain language helps autistic employees, people with developmental disabilities that affect language processing, and those who speak English as a second language.

Reasonable accommodations in the office can be very simple

For example, open-plan offices and their accompanying noise can be a difficult work environment for people with sensory processing issues. Gross said that sometimes a reasonable accommodation manifests as requesting a private office, which can also benefit employees who are hard of hearing or have ADHD. For people with auditory processing disorders, written instructions are more helpful than verbal explanations.

Other times, a beneficial accommodation is allowing "autistic behaviors in the workplace without being penalized for them," Gross said. "If you can't sit still through an entire meeting, can you get up and pace? Can you stim during the meeting, like rocking back and forth or flapping your hands?" she asked. "If not, then why not?"

Gross said that for neurodivergent people, stimming or other self-regulating behaviors do not mean they are unable to participate in or are not engaged in a meeting. It's just that sometimes autistic people's bodies move differently, and "that needs to be accepted," Gross said.