Read Online Asperger's on the Job: Must-Have Advice for People With Asperger's or High Functioning Autism, and Their Employers, Educators, and Advocates by Rudy Simone - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rudy Simone
Tags: Asperger&rsquo
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will go by and I will think it was only one hour.”
- WALTER
It would also be ideal if a person with Asperger’s could work when they want if there is no need to force them to work within a strict timeframe (e.g., nine-to-five). While there is still not a lot of research on this, it is believed that many people with AS suffer from sleep apnea: difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and keeping regular sleeping hours. While sleep disorders are not confined to the spectrum population, those on the spectrum seem likely tohave them (three out of four interviewed for this book). Flexible working arrangements (FWAs) regarding either hours or working from home at least some of the time would ensure that they could stay productive:
“My ideal boss would be easy to talk to, understand me, and let me take flexible hours.”
- DIANE
“My issues are usually sensory, and the imperative need to actually be at work for a set period of time. I dread things that I have to do. I will usually do things I need to as long as they are not time sensitive.”
- TOM
Many with AS do work long hours, some virtually every moment of their day, including weekends. Even the unemployed people interviewed for this book kept constantly busy with creative projects and potential business endeavors. These included art, music, writing, invention, mechanics, software development, and more.
What the employee can do:
Being able to work from home is grand, no doubt. And I highly recommend asking for flexible working arrangements if you can get them. But as long as you are an employee you may still be required to go in for meetings, or to participate in conference calls. Take it from one who knows; you can still feel the same discomfort at phone meetings and you can still say the wrong thing. And you will still be scrutinized at those times, and your participation judged and rated. Another downside to working from home is that it doesn’t give you the social interaction and practice you may crave and require. But it is a great potential solution to many of the issues in this book
Be mindful of the times you are under scrutiny. Practice projecting confidence, not annoyance.
You can ask for more autonomy, but how you ask will affect whether or not you get what you need. For example, saying “I don’t like being watched” under your breath while avoiding eye contact will make your superior question what you have to hide and probably result in your being watched a lot more. Try smiling and making momentary eye contact and saying “If it is all right with you, I’d like to be given a bit more trust. I have a hard time being watched when I work (interact with customers, etc.). It makes me shy and self-conscious.”
Disclosure may help and will be discussed at length in its own chapter.
If you are not self-employed, you have to take instructions from your boss or supervisor, and listen to someone else’s way of doing things. Imagine that you owned the company. You would certainly want your employees to do things your way, within reason, would you not?
Following instructions, and taking direction does not mean you are subservient; it means you are reasonable and willing to learn. While the phrase “team player” is not normally identified with Asperger’s, you can certainly understand the benefits of cooperation in theory; try putting it into practice. For a visual metaphor, think of rock climbers or trapeze artists who work in pairs or teams, in which their very life may depend upon trusting the skill of another.
Difficulty sleeping regular hours is common and requires a combination of discipline and relaxation aids and techniques to overcome. There are plenty of non-pharmaceutical, non-addictive sleep aids available, many of them cheap or free. They include: melatonin tablets or other natural sleep tabs (available at health food stores, the organic section of your grocery store, or in the natural supplements section in drug stores), chamomile tea,
- WALTER
It would also be ideal if a person with Asperger’s could work when they want if there is no need to force them to work within a strict timeframe (e.g., nine-to-five). While there is still not a lot of research on this, it is believed that many people with AS suffer from sleep apnea: difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and keeping regular sleeping hours. While sleep disorders are not confined to the spectrum population, those on the spectrum seem likely tohave them (three out of four interviewed for this book). Flexible working arrangements (FWAs) regarding either hours or working from home at least some of the time would ensure that they could stay productive:
“My ideal boss would be easy to talk to, understand me, and let me take flexible hours.”
- DIANE
“My issues are usually sensory, and the imperative need to actually be at work for a set period of time. I dread things that I have to do. I will usually do things I need to as long as they are not time sensitive.”
- TOM
Many with AS do work long hours, some virtually every moment of their day, including weekends. Even the unemployed people interviewed for this book kept constantly busy with creative projects and potential business endeavors. These included art, music, writing, invention, mechanics, software development, and more.
What the employee can do:
Being able to work from home is grand, no doubt. And I highly recommend asking for flexible working arrangements if you can get them. But as long as you are an employee you may still be required to go in for meetings, or to participate in conference calls. Take it from one who knows; you can still feel the same discomfort at phone meetings and you can still say the wrong thing. And you will still be scrutinized at those times, and your participation judged and rated. Another downside to working from home is that it doesn’t give you the social interaction and practice you may crave and require. But it is a great potential solution to many of the issues in this book
Be mindful of the times you are under scrutiny. Practice projecting confidence, not annoyance.
You can ask for more autonomy, but how you ask will affect whether or not you get what you need. For example, saying “I don’t like being watched” under your breath while avoiding eye contact will make your superior question what you have to hide and probably result in your being watched a lot more. Try smiling and making momentary eye contact and saying “If it is all right with you, I’d like to be given a bit more trust. I have a hard time being watched when I work (interact with customers, etc.). It makes me shy and self-conscious.”
Disclosure may help and will be discussed at length in its own chapter.
If you are not self-employed, you have to take instructions from your boss or supervisor, and listen to someone else’s way of doing things. Imagine that you owned the company. You would certainly want your employees to do things your way, within reason, would you not?
Following instructions, and taking direction does not mean you are subservient; it means you are reasonable and willing to learn. While the phrase “team player” is not normally identified with Asperger’s, you can certainly understand the benefits of cooperation in theory; try putting it into practice. For a visual metaphor, think of rock climbers or trapeze artists who work in pairs or teams, in which their very life may depend upon trusting the skill of another.
Difficulty sleeping regular hours is common and requires a combination of discipline and relaxation aids and techniques to overcome. There are plenty of non-pharmaceutical, non-addictive sleep aids available, many of them cheap or free. They include: melatonin tablets or other natural sleep tabs (available at health food stores, the organic section of your grocery store, or in the natural supplements section in drug stores), chamomile tea,
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