Autistic At Work

You may also be interested in my post about Autistic people finding jobs and my first post about coming out at work.

It's been a month and a half since I came out at work, so I thought I would update.

I pretty much just drop subtle hints here and there. I have put up the "no puzzle piece" logo on my desk, as well as a pin that says, "I love my Autistic brain."

One of my teammates confided he believes he might also be Autistic. (Autism must be contagious)

I have a great work environment that is most interested in using people's natural talents, rather than trying to force us into molds. While I do have to learn certain things for my job, the tasks I am given are based on my strengths. I also have a boss who freely gives praise where its due. This really helps me.

He also praises me for accomplishing things he now knows are harder for me than other people. At the same time, he tells me where I've done less than optimal things and shows me how to correct them (usually communication with other departments). In other words, he's slowly teaching me social skills. In general, he takes care of the social aspect for the team, but he's also teaching us to be able to fend for ourselves.

In general, I believe I owe a lot to just being in a great environment. I don't have any regrets disclosing my diagnosis. I simply feel freer to just be myself.


You might also be interested in reading, Asperger's on the Job (Canada) or Asperger's on the Job (US version). This book helped me make the decision to come out at work with confidence and I lent a copy to my boss to read. 

Autistic Adults: Finding A Job

It seems some companies are realizing what a lot of people already knew - some people on the spectrum have highly prized skills:



The New York Times has coverage also.

Belgian company, Passwerk, employs people on the spectrum.

I think it's great and if you've ever been inside a tech company, you will be quick to be able to diagnose a whole bunch of people with ASD. I'm not saying all tech people are on the spectrum, but I think you'll find a high percentage are.

I think in the future, it makes sense to use people for their strengths and not wasting time making people do tasks they're not suited to. I think this is good for any company. There will always be a few "Jack/Jane of all trades" kind of people and they're just as needed. But for those who can specialize and are quite happy to do it, there should be a place for them! So what if his social skills aren't the best?

He's not at work to be the life of the party, he's there to find bugs in your code - bugs no one else found. That's amazing. That's a money-saver, a time-saver, and maybe even a life-saver. Some people's skills are priceless.

Who knows what the future holds for our kids? But there's always hope our Autistic children will grow into Autistic adults who can be productive members of society.

EDIT: More companies jump on board.