The autistic experience of an in person staff meeting
“This meeting could’ve been an e-mail” is a common refrain that I’ve heard a lot. But many beyond our community do not understand the stress, anxiety, and inner turmoil that participating live in work meetings causes. Employees often report fear of being judged as not being seen as a ‘team player’ or ‘on top of your work” and for many people living with autism, these meetings- and many other parts of daily work-are a recipe for disaster.
It’s a war for talent in right now in the job market. Yet many trained adults with autism are unemployed. (Autistic adults have an employment rate in Canada of only 14.3 percent) Considering the majority of higher functioning adults with autism are said to be deeply skilled in S.T.E.M. subjects they present an untapped resource? Why aren’t they getting hired?
People with autism struggle to fit in with the status quo, and try not to rock the boat. The data shows that most workplaces however, reward neurotypical behaviour without realizing the bias in their work expectations and system set up. (Propensity for live meetings is a good example). There are also few accommodations available in workplaces so autistic employees struggle to manage with little accommodation.
Adults with autism have the lowest employment rate in Canada. Our attitudes must shift in how we view a ‘good worker’, One size does not fit all.
Source: medium.com
