Autism is a lifelong condition which affects how people communicate and interact with the world.
There are approximately 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.
1 in 100 people are autistic which means you probably know someone autistic in your life.
AUTISTIC TRAITS
- Needing more time to process questions, requests and instructions
- May struggle meeting new people
- May struggle to pick up on unwritten rules
- May find working environments overwhelming
- May struggle with small talk and building relationships
- Feel anxious about changes or unexpected events
- Be over or under sensitive to sound, smell, light, taste and touch(this is called sensory sensitivity)
AUTISTIC STRENGTHS
- Intense focus
- Attention to detail
- Considered and reflective approach
- Honest and integrity
- Creative thinking
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC EFFECT
- Tough on autistic people and their families
- Services have been closed and many have felt stranded
- The ever changing guidelines and restrictions can be confusing to understand and extremely difficult to implement for autistic people with high support needs
- 9 out of 10 autistic people stated they worried about their mental health during the pandemic
- 85% said their anxiety levels worsened
HOW TO HELP AUTISTIC COLLEAGUES
- Give clear instructions and put important points in writing for clarification
- Don’t rely on body language or facial expressions to communication
- Give anxious or agitated colleagues space and time to recover
- Offer to be a buddy for workplace social events
FOR FURTHER KNOWLEDGE ON AUTISM
Documentaries
- Best Kept Secret
- Life, Animated
- Sounding the Alarm
Books
- M is for Autism
- Odd Girl Out
- M in the Middle