Re: (recommended article) Autistic workers: loyal, talented... ignored

[Guest guest]

CJ wrote:

> I thought this was a positive little article about spectrumites in the

> workforce. Perhaps a few unnecessary generalizations about traits, but

> otherwise a good read, IMO.

Good catch, CJ -- Thank you.

>

> Autistic workers: loyal, talented... ignored

>

> Employers could recruit a whole army of unique workers. But ignorance

> and fear get in the way. Lynne Wallis looks at why autism is so

> misunderstood and what sufferers can offer

>

> Lynne Wallis

> Friday 6 April 2012 17.57 EDT

[ snip ]

>

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/apr/06/autistic-workers-employers-ignorance\

?INTCMP=SRCH

> . . . . . . . . or at

> http://tinyurl.com/cjrlv93

Let me add: The 125 comments appended are *fully worth the time* taken

to read them all.

Here's one with an interesting take-away lesson useful to AS and NT/NS

alike:

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REDLAN1

7 April 2012 11:02AM

Response to JoeMcCann, 7 April 2012 5:26AM

[ quote: And the unwritten rules shift continuously. ]

What you describe is a rather toxic workplace environment even by

" neuro-normal " standards (whatever that is - TBH I haven't noticed that

there is such a thing as neuro-normal)

When it comes to social interactions there is no such thing as a

rule set - The rules aren't written and there are no rules as such.

What people actually do is to try to gauge the intent/reaction of

their listener. If I comment on the fact that when a colleague bends

over she exposes her cleavage, my choice of words will depend on my

current relationship - is she serious, shy, flirty? What's her mood like

now - is she bubbly, distracted, sad, annoyed, frustrated? So I might

choose to take my colleague to one side and tell her quietly, or I might

say " That's a sight for sore eyes! " (or something in between) My

colleague's reaction will depend upon her mood, how she reads my intent

at the time. All the while this can happen in environment where there is

an overt (written) rule that sexist comments are not permitted.

The point is that I don't go through a rule checklist to

determine what I will say. What happens is that my colleague bends over,

I respond, and it takes place in the time it has taken you to read this

sentence.

People with autism very frequently can not read the intent of

others. One of the main reason's for this is that people with autism are

unable to imagine themselves in the position of the other. So if I as a

neuro-normal see a colleague crying because they have experienced a

bereavement, I am able to use my experience to get some sense of their

experience. I will get an emotional reaction in response to their

sadness - I might feel sad myself, or worried, or embarrassed and unsure

what to say. This process happens very quickly - less than a second -

it's not largely a conscious process.

How many people with autism cope is by creating a rule set, which

might be to say " I'm sorry for your loss. " As a neuro-normal I might say

exactly the same thing, however what happens when I speak, I

automatically without thinking add in an emotional component - I will

sound sad, sympathetic, or caring. This is what the other person hears,

not the words spoken. In contrast the person with autism will very often

sound emotionally flat. And this is where many of the problems between

the communication between neuro-normals and people with autism occur.

I experienced something very similar to this when a young man

with autism congratulated me on gettng married, and gave me a wedding

present. He sounded emotionally quite flat, and a bit offhand. Later he

explained the effort he had gone to, to ensure he brought me the right

present. If I did not understand him and his autism, then I could have

been offended. Instead I was very touched by his gesture.

And that is the point of this article, isn't it? People with

autism have a unique way of looking at the world, as do " neuro-normals "

and a little understanding goes a long way.

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- Bill ...AS, retired clinical/research geneticist

--

WD " Bill " Loughman - Berkeley, California USA

http://home.earthlink.net/~wdloughman/wdl.htm