Asperger's on the Job: Must-Have Advice for People with Asperger's or High Functioning Autism, and Their Employers, Educators, and Advocates

ISBN-13: 9781935274094 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 156 str.

Rudy Simone

Opis

This title addresses a very significant challenge in the American workforce. Over 1.5 million people are affected by autism or Asperger's Syndrome (AS) and this population is entering the workforce unprepared, clashing with unprepared coworkers. Over 85 per cent of people with AS are without full-time employment, and the United States is spending almost $90 billion annually for autism treatment and research. Author Rudy Simone surveyed people with AS and their employers to provide solutions for employees with AS, and their parents, educators, and coworkers. Although people with Asperger's Syndrome (a mild form of autism) are often highly intelligent, it is thought that over 85 per cent are without full-time employment. That is an outrageously high percentage. This book is a resource to help employers, educators, and therapists accommodate this growing population, and to help people with AS find and keep gainful employment. Simone looks into all aspects of employment - because there is more to a job than what the tasks are. From social blunders, to perfectionism, to bullying by coworkers, Simone presents solutions to difficult challenges. Readers will be enriched, enlightened, and ready to work - together.

Spis treści

• Introduction
• Chapter 1. Believe It
• AS can be invisible; this can confuse employers and co-workers
• People with AS may be told they don’t seem autistic; this is often invalidating
• Problems with adult diagnosis
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 2. The Big Consequences of Small Talk
• Small talk is difficult and the source of great discomfort
• Needing to know the ‘unspoken job requirements’
• The AS view of small talk and its apparent importance over quality of work
• Social rituals, humor, hyperlexia
• People with AS like to work—they aren’t there to be popular
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 3. Bluntness, Blunders, Boundaries and Emotional… Detachment
• People with Asperger's have an irrepressible urge to inform
• Blunders, politics and appropriate topics of conversation at work
• Being misunderstood is a constant source of pain
• Being logical rather than emotional can make an AS person seem cold
• Being genuine is extremely important to the person with Asperger's
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 4. Please Do NOT Fill In The Blank
• Blank facial expression
• Trouble with facial recognition
• Eye contact
• Body language (incl. stimming)
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 5. Quiet Please
• Overstimulation and the need for quiet
• People with AS have a ‘fight or flight’ reaction to social contact
• Getting confused by noise
• The comorbid condition of post traumatic stress disorder
• The Asperger ability to focus
• Private workspace
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 6. Good Common Sense
• Environmental sensitivity – the canaries in the coal mine
• Visual overstimulation
• Fluorescent lights v. natural light
• Fresh air and temperatures
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 7. Trust me, I have Asperger’s
• Internal motivation and a diligent, perfectionist attention to detail
• The need for clear instructions
• Deadlines and flexibility within time frames; flexible hours
• Scrutiny v. trust impacts performance
• Telecommuting as a possible solution
• People with AS often work long hours and don’t need to be watched
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 8. Perfectionism and that Famous Asperger Arrogance
• People with AS are perfectionists
• Intentions often misunderstood (wanting to make it better v. complaining)
• Ability to perceive problems and what is wrong but not expressing it tactfully
• Fluid Intelligence v. Crystallized Intelligence (people with AS have higher FI)
• Feeling underutilized and underappreciated
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 9. Polyester Prisons, Neck-tie Nooses and High-heeled Hell
• Comfort is very important due to sensory issues
• Certain work requirements seem impractical
• Choosing what to wear
• AS skin sensitivity and food allergies
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 10. A Little R&R Goes a Long Way: Ritual and Routine
• Maintaining control over a situation is a stress management technique
• Little changes can cause big stress
• Withdrawal is one form of control
• Finding comfort in routine
• Rigid adherence to ritual or control can be mistaken for stubbornness
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 11. Don’t Tell Them Where You Heard This, But…
• People with Asperger's often become the subject of gossip
• Disclosure and/or keeping separate from the crowd doesn’t always help
• Often familiarity breeds contempt (as ‘quirks’ come out)
• The constant struggle to be accepted saps confidence over time
• Gossip often destroys a person’s enjoyment of their job
• Young or old, educated or not, we all gossip
• Females often possess a naivetÉ that is mistaken for flirting or promiscuity
• Getting along with coworkers is a major hurdle
• Some get more comfortable over time—acceptance is key
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 12. The High Cost of Low Behavior
• Bullies cost employers money: in sick pay, turnover rates, and lost productivity
• Definition of workplace bullying
• People with Asperger's are very likely to be bullied at some point and make easy targets
• The bully is sometimes the boss
• Inadequacies in legal protection
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 13. The Power of Praise
• Obvious positive reinforcement is necessary due to AS inability to read subtle cues
• Motivate people for the right reasons instead of punishing them for the wrong
• Positive reinforcement must be done in real time, not after the fact
• What people with AS want from their boss
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 14. Working with Natural Strengths and Interests
• Don’t push someone into a role they are unsuited for
• Social weaknesses can be career strengths
• An AS person might excel at just about any solitary activity in which they can control all the elements
• Job-sharing or job-pairing
• Medication controversy: AS is not psychological but neurological, although depression can and does occur as a comorbid symptom of Asperger's
• There is no pill to cure autism and many would not want to be cured of AS
• The Personal Job Map
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 15. Psychometric Testing and the New Segregation
• People with AS are non-conformist
• The rise of the Personality Test (PT)
• The controversy over PTs / unfair to autistics
• Examples from a PT
• The AS perspective of a PT
• The role of the maverick or eccentric in the workplace
• You can prepare for the PT
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 16. Asperger's and Education: Star-crossed Lovers?
• Despite high intelligence, love of learning, many have difficulty finishing school or getting a degree
• Universities lack awareness and resources
• AS employee may have abilities and intelligence greater than their education would indicate
• Lower level jobs often require people skills
• Switching jobs and careers several times is not unusual
• A degree is no guarantee if workplace concerns are not addressed and needs met
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 17. To Tell or Not to Tell, That IS the Question
• Disclosure Pros and Cons
• AS perspective
• Discrimination and protection
• What the Employee Can Do
• What the Employer Can Do
• Chapter 18. Bye Bye Black Sheep – Avoiding the Asperger Pre-emptive Strike
• Avoiding the preemptive strike of ‘quit before you fail’
• Warning signs
• Reasons for early self-termination of employment (recap of issues)
• Lack of meaning in life and feeling suicidal
• Re-cap of all key advice and strategies for AS person
• Chapter 19. REACH to Succeed
• Explanation of acronym
• The AS person can’t expect the whole world to change around them
• Use the gifts of Asperger's to succeed
• Summary of the main points of the book
• Appendix A: Interview Tips for those with AS
• Appendix B: DSM-IV-TR Criteria for Asperger's Syndrome
• References
• Resources