I help businesses overcome the technical talent shortage and skills gap, resolve retention issues, and scale their business whilst improving recruitment processes and saving time and money | leorecruitment.net🦁♌️
I’m back at school 📚 and it’s exciting… Yesterday I submitted my first assignment for the “Understanding Autism” course. I am not autistic myself, nor do I think I’m autistic. Sometimes I can be slightly awkward, shy or apprehensive in some social and professional settings (this may be why I have always communicated relatively well with autistic people) but that’s just my slightly introverted personality. I am neurotypical and the reason for doing this course is purely to learn about autism. I want to help autistic people during the recruitment process and in the workplace, if I can. I also want to help employers support autistic people during the recruitment process and in the workplace, if I can. 💭 What have I learned so far? A LOT actually! I’d like to share some points that may help neurotypical people understand autism differently (especially if you don’t know anything at all, like I didn’t). 💛 Autism is not a disability❗ - An autistic person just thinks, behaves, and processes information differently to neurotypical people. There is no right or wrong. 💛 There are varying levels of autism (Level 1, 2 & 3) - This does not mean that some people are “more autistic” than others. - It just means that those diagnosed with L1 Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) will have different needs or require different levels of support to those diagnosed with L2 or L3 ASC. 💛 Not all autistic people are the same. - Traits and characteristics can be displayed differently. Just like neurotypical people have different personality traits, so do autistic people. We are all different. For example: → Some may be able to maintain conversations, some may find this difficult. ↳ Being unable to maintain a conversation does not mean that they are being ignorant or are disinterested in what you are saying. → Some may be able to hold eye contact for a short (or even long) time, some may not. ↳ Lack of eye contact does not mean that they are being rude or are disinterested. → Some may be able to 'mask' stimming (fidgeting, flapping arms, fiddling with objects, foot tapping, etc.), some may not be able to mask/stop it quite so easily. ↳ A person who stims is not trying to be annoying, they are doing this to self-regulate. → Some may be able to adapt to change easier than others. ↳ Routine is important and often needed, and even small changes to routine can cause anxiety. They are not being inflexible. 💛 Not all autistic people have been able to receive a professional diagnosis, particularly adults. - There are long waiting lists, diagnosis complexities, and lack of professional resources. - It is also more difficult to diagnose autism in adults than it is in children. 💚 Next time you interview/hire someone who is (or may be) autistic, please show them some kindness. Listen to their needs. Make their interview/work life more comfortable for them. Try to understand their characteristics and love them for who they are.