Adult Asperger's Syndrome in the Workplace

Common Issues & Practical Interventions

Rob Crawford

EAPA Central Arizona Chapter

February 3, 2012

What do employers want?

What the ADA says about AS

• That it must be a substantial impairment

• That the person must be qualified for the job

• That the person must be able to perform the essential functions of a job with or without a reasonable accommodation

• A person must disclose the disability to receive accommodations

• The accommodations must be reasonable and not present and undue hardship

In the work world, consideration for

accommodations is not based on

whether the worker has a disability,

but whether they have one

UNDER THE LAW

5 coherent/reliable dimensions of Asperger’s syndrome

• Perspective taking

• Understanding and expressing emotions

• Fact orientation

• Sensory sensitivities

• Rigidity in thinking

Psychological Factors for

ASD · Stress, frustration and anger reaction to change or interruptions

· Struggle to take initiative

· Higher anxiety levels particularly when meeting new people or encountering change or new situations

· Abrupt manner in expressing thoughts, ideas, or opinions

· Single-mindedness, unwilling to see the viewpoint of others.

What is social thinking?

Social thinking is a way to train your brain to help you figure out

the people around you.

What is the Hidden Curriculum? Practical solutions for understanding unstated rules in

social situations

What are some of the

typical workplace

challenges?

Some typical workplace challenges

• Binary thinking

• Odd or unusual behaviors

• Beginning/ending projects on time

• Empathizing, relating, or interacting with customers, coworkers, supervisors

• OCD

• Sensory issues

• Mega-anxiety = poor judgment/decision making

• Appears to be oppositional or defiant

Typical barriers to success • Odd or unusual behavior such as talking

to herself

• Difficulty beginning projects - unsure where to start

• Difficulty empathizing with others' thoughts and feelings

• Difficulty relating to and interacting with authority figures

• Difficulty interacting in a team environment

• Difficulty multi-tasking

• Difficulty seeing the full scope of a project

• Difficulty with unstructured time

• Difficulty writing reports

• Exaggerated or overly sensitive reactions to feedback

• Low motivation to perform tasks of no immediate personal interest

• Asking excessive questions, or the same question repeatedly

• Perfectionism

• Poor judgment and decision-making skills

• Poor manners

• Reluctance to ask for help or seek advice

• Resistant to change

• Sarcasm, negativism, critic

• Slower productivity/performance

What’s Missing?

• Individuals with AS are unaware of how to determine if their KSA’s match position

• Employers are not well informed on AS

• Individuals with AS are not prepared to be effective self-advocates

• Employers are ill-equipped to determine accommodations

• Neither has not been taught how to determine accommodations based on task

What are some useful strategies for workplace challenges?

Some useful strategies for workplace challenges?

• Tap into their: – Excellent rote memory

– Absorption of facts

– Generally good math & science skills

– Good language skills

– Rules-oriented

– Detail-oriented

– Kind hearted

– Honest to a fault

– Guileless

What is the person with AS’ understanding of competitive employment?

• Wants to work?

• Motivated to learn new skills?

• Open to constructive feedback?

• Willing to take responsibility for their actions/reactions?

• Willing to work on issues that arise?

• Committed to being on time, doing their best in everything they do, and to make sacrifices?

• Able to handle a reasonable amount of stress?

• Willingness to disclose AS work-related issues?

Speak in a direct & clear

manner

Statements w/ implied meanings

• Are you going to work on

the database assignment?

• Brian, you’re the last one

leaving today.

• I feel like lunch.

• We are behind schedule on the

Jacob’s job.

Direct statements

• I want you to work on the

database assignment.

• Please put the alarm on because

you are the last to leave the

office.

• I’m hungry, let’s go out for lunch.

• You are going to have to stay

late to meet the deadline.

State expectation & show how

to meet it • Become gifted at stating the obvious:

– Deadlines-time frames, schedules, etc.

– Outcomes- what they look like, format, etc.

– Behavior- dress, hygiene, appropriate

conversation.

Looking at functional assets/limitations

relative to a specific setting

• Must know how personal skills, abilities, training,

education, and experience relate to specific position

within the company

• Identify essential functions & environmental

considerations of job

• Identify potential functional assets & limitations

• What CAMS are practical & reasonable for this employer?

• How or will I disclose?

Situational Assessment Focus Areas Types of workplace behaviors to be observed and

assessed

1. Ability to get along with co-workers/staff

2. Ability to follow directions

3. Ability to learn new tasks

4. Speed of work

5. Accuracy of work

6. Frustration tolerance

7. Safety

8. Motivation

9. Ability to follow complex directions

Consequence Chart: Potential employers

Objectives Alternatives

ADEQ-

Environmental

Health

Specialist

Family

Practice

Specialists-

Lab Tech

Sonora Quest

Labs-Lab

Technician

Intellectually interesting 1 2 3

Know what to expect 3 1 2

Social considerations 2 1 3

Benefits / Compensation 2 1 3

Work environment 3 1 2

Physical problem

accommodations

3 1 2

Education 3 2 1

Personal considerations 2 1 3

Totals:

*Good jobs for visual thinking people with AS

• Animal trainer or veterinary technician -- Dog obedience trainer, behavior problem consultant. • Automobile mechanic -- Can visualize how the entire car works. • Building maintenance -- Fixes broken pipes, windows and other things in a commercial setting. • Building trades -- Carpenter or welder. These jobs make good use of visual skills. • Commercial art -- Advertising and magazine freelance work. • Computer programming -- Wide-open field, especially in industrial automation, software design,

business computers, communications and network systems. • Computer-troubleshooter and repair -- Can visualize problems in computers and networks. • Drafting -- Engineering drawings and computer aided drafting. • Equipment designing -- Many industries, often a person starts as a draftsman. • Factory maintenance -- Repairs and fixes factory equipment. • Laboratory technician

*Some

*Why are these examples bad jobs for a person with AS?

• Air traffic controller • Airline pilot • Cashier • Casino dealer • Futures market trader • Receptionist and telephone operator • Short order cook • Taxi dispatcher • Waitress

Uncertainties Chart: Am I able to

work?

Outcomes I am unable to work I am able to work part-time I am able to work full-time

Chances Most Likely Likely Least Likely

Consequences I will remain at home

and become my

wife’s homemaker. I

will be able to attend

to my interests as I

will no longer be “on

the clock”. Least

anxiety and stress.

I will work and will be

unable to attend to

household duties. I will be

unable to attend to my

interests. Moderate anxiety

and stress.

I will work and will be unable

to attend to household

duties. I may not be able to

sustain this work pace for

more than a year or two. I

will be unable to attend to

my interests. High anxiety

and stress.

Self-Accommodation

Take 1

• Sectioning in progress.

• Please be so kind as to knock on the door

before entering as this process is very

sensitive to vibration and air currents.

• Also, your friendly ultra-microtome operator

has an over-developed startle reflex… ;)

Self-Accommodation

Autistic Jihad • Please Knock On The Door Before Entering.

• Please be so kind as to knock on the door before entering as I am very easily startled and I do not wish to die prematurely as a result of a heart attack.

• Also, I have no wish to conduct an uncontrolled experiment with an un-capped syringe full of Uranium salts… ;) - Carlos

References used for this presentation

Local Resources

National Resources

Employer Resources Employer Resources

In case of emergency: Rob Crawford Life Development Institute www.lifedevelopmentinstitute.org rcrawford@life-development-inst.org (623) 773-2774, ext. 217