A look back: ‘Autism at work’ webinar

30 May 2024

During Autism Week, HumanCapitalCare organised a webinar on autism in the workplace. Over 400 interested participants attended, a sign that the topic of autism is alive and well among many employers. Host Jorine Schoenmaker (vocational expert) spoke with colleagues Jack Gulden (occupational physician) and Ramon Louwes. Ramon is commercial sales representative and has autism. Key findings and tips from the webinar are listed in this article. You can watch the webinar at the bottom of this page.

The broad spectrum of autism

'Autism is a spectrum disorder' stressed Jorine. 'A well-known saying goes: 'When you meet one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism'. In fact, autism comes in many shapes and sizes. And of course, not everyone is a Rain Man.

One of the characteristics of people with autism is that they perceive, think and understand differently. Because of this different way of processing information, they often face challenges to a greater or lesser extent with:

seeing the connections between different things (central coherence).
planning and organising work and regulating emotions (executive functioning).
understanding others and taking this into account. People with autism need to learn to recognise and acknowledge emotions and (body) language in others as well as in themselves (Theory of Mind).

Pitfalls in the workplace

'Because people with autism are 'wired' differently, they often run into similar issues at work' said Jack.

Keeping to schedules or appointments can be a regular challenge. Not because people are lax or forgetful, but because keeping to a schedule is secondary to completing the task accurately.
Distinguishing between primary and secondary issues is difficult, so employees with autism tend to get bogged down in the details.
People with autism find it difficult to enlist the help of others.

‘This often results in conflicts with teams and managers, resulting in frequent job hopping for people with autism.’

Tips & tricks

This 'different wiring' also brings unique talents along with it. This could include having an eye for detail, being reliable or finding surprising solutions. This means that people with autism can enhance the team they are in. But it is important to communicate properly in this case. Here are six practical tips for managers:

Pay attention to language use. Be clear and direct. Avoid using metaphors and stay factual. Don’t ask ‘How do you feel?’, but ‘I see that you are turning red. Is it true that you are angry?’
Use rational rather than emotional arguments and don't expect anyone to be able to listen or read 'between the lines'.
Be concrete and visualise things. Visual aids such as diagrams, charts and checklists can be useful. They help clarify information and provide a visual structure that is easier to understand.
Give people time to process, especially if decisions need to be made. In other words, communicate the message one step at a time.
Give people the opportunity to actively ask questions.
Ask for regular feedback from an employee with autism on how you can improve communication and the work environment.

Following these tips will help create a work environment where people with autism can thrive. Understanding and respecting individual differences is not only good for them but also strengthens the team as a whole.

Frequently asked questions

During the webinar, participants asked several questions. Answers to the most frequently asked questions can be found here.

Want to see the webinar?

Watch the video below.