Many autistic people tend to have extraordinary senses, like hearing, tasting, and vision. They are also very creative and can solve problems in a unique and imaginative way. These skills could have been useful when it came to activities like tracking animals, farming, etc. To add on to that, autistic people can also be efficient in today’s workplaces. Most of them are focused on their work extremely gifted to carry out different roles professionally, from programming to sales, from statistics to journalism. These skills might give organisations an advantage against their competitors.
Here are some suggestions for how employers can employ a workforce with greater neurodiversity:
Autistic employees might find it difficult to do jobs that require too much of change in the environment or in the course of their work. They also might find it demanding to feel what others do and interact with people outside their wellness area. This might be a setback when it comes to jobs that require too much geographic or occupational mobility.
However, if we see the bright side, the same set of characteristics might be beneficial when it comes to jobs that require someone to follow a rigorous schedule or remind others to do so, such as a managing position or authoritative figure.
Autistic employees might also struggle with attending or being a part of social gatherings such as parties, business meetings or a large gathering beyond their comfort zone. These gatherings should not be cancelled just for people in the spectrum, however, the employers could take the initiative of making them feel included by making arrangements accordingly. Equivocality should not be a part of any instructions or guidelines, and employers should make sure that there is clear, comprehensible conversation between the management and the employees, as they might also find difficulties in understanding sarcasm, or ambiguous discussions.
A few changes can be made by entrepreneurs in order to be more inclusive of the neurodiverse community, by re-checking the hiring process and somewhat making place for specially gifted people in companies. If they let certain things they find ‘peculiar’ or ‘odd’ for the job slip through the sieve, and if they see the expedient side of hiring autistic people for jobs they are qualified for, there will be much more acceptance and for them, and application of their flairs.
An example of this is when someone with autism might not be able to show their full potential in an interview, as they are not familiar with the situation and circumstance. They may have all the skills that are needed for the job, may not be able to accustom to the distressing and relatively uncomfortable environment.
This is why, teaching the management or hiring authority about neurodiversity and how to sensitively handle potential employees for the spectrum, is essential.
What are some suitable jobs for autistic people?
Nearly 80% of the people in the autism spectrum do not have full time employment, and do not have employment in general. While they shouldn’t be restricted from anything they want to do in their life, most of the time they will find it difficult to pursue certain occupations which most of the general population can easily go ahead with, however some career paths stand out for autistic people. These include:
Computing IT-Many autistic people have proved to be exceptional in computing and technology related jobs. They are skilled for it and can shine in this sector. Additionally, companies like Microsoft are setting up special boarding program facilities to help the people on the spectrum get jobs.
Gaming- Most autistic people have the skill and passion to take up gaming as a profession, as there is a lot of scope in this industry, such as creative designing, programming, advertisement, etc.
Self Employment- This is a good option for the creative people of the spectrum among us who are constantly coming up with the most innovative ideas. It would be a golden opportunity if they can use it to create something or open a website to sell their own products, start up a company, and a lot more.
Problem Solving / Tester- Many companies hire people to test, judge and suggest improvement for certain products or services, and this job would be perfect for autistic people, as we previously discussed about how they have an incomparable eye for detail and also have remarkable creativity and perceptions.
By Avishikta Basu
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