Many businesses have two things very wrong about autism and the workplace. Firstly, there's a misunderstanding in thinking the level of accommodation is costly and challenging to implement. Secondly, there is the idea that being autistic is somehow at odds with innovation because there's a rigid need for structure and consistency.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
Now, let's dispel these myths.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
Surprisingly enough, autism is very cheap to accommodate for. The caveat being the support system needs to be in place, and the autistic person needs to be aware of their needs, limitations and requirements (just like any employee).<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
The same work structures that work for autistic employees work for neurotypical employees. And it's why we should see these as good management, not as accommodations.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
Nothing here costs the business; it's just good management practices. All reasonable workplace management practices allow an autistic individual to function; all employees benefit from these methods. In this sense, the idea of accommodation shouldn't be considered as accommodations, and instead should be seen as effective management.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
In the most straightforward terminology, accommodation is a tool for an employee to complete a task. Different workers require different artefacts. For someone autistic, these generally address workplace structure and the sensory. According to Scheiner and Bogden (2017, pp. 28–29), accommodations for autistic people are remarkably cost-efficient.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n
Success measures are usually slight environmental changes and effectively communicating needs or expectations.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n