Say 'No' to Human Containment Model for People with Autism
United Nations General Assembly has chosen employment as the theme of the 2015 World Autism Awareness Day and it was expected to launch an employment "Call to Action," inviting businesses to make concrete commitments to employ people on the autism spectrum. The rate of unemployment and underemployment among young adults and adults with autism is far too high.
Data regarding current occupation level occupational skill level and alignment with educational attainment; type of job contract; hours of work; support received to find work; support received in the workplace; and positive and negative experiences of employment, etc is completely missing from Indian scenario.
Till now the focus had been mainly on their safety rather than their own dreams, aspirations and choices. Even parents do not dream much for their autistic children but rather aim at shielding them and so sheltered work with cloistered facilities for them has always been thought as the only solution. But if these workers are typically assigned simple, piecework tasks that never change over the course of years, even decades, there would be no opportunity for career advancement or career growth. They would have to settle down with sub-minimum wages. We would then only be witnessing fragmented work histories that may limit their latent resources and scope of career development. This, in turn, would accentuate stress, depression, isolation, and financial insecurity in them. We do not need a human containment model but what is required is the unleashing of potential of these people leading not only their own growth but also of the whole economy.
The hurdles that need to be overcome include a shortage of vocational training, inadequate support with job placement, and pervasive discrimination. Corporates need to be educated that hiring someone out of charity is not the solution otherwise corporates would definitely miss out on abilities that that people on the autism spectrum have in greater abundance than “neurotypical” workers do such as, heightened abilities in pattern recognition and logical reasoning, as well as a greater attention to detail. Workers with autism have many advantages to offer prospective employers like:
- They may thrive on routine and be extremely reliable
- They may excel at pattern recognition and logical reasoning
- They may be highly attentive to detail and notice tiny discrepancies
- People with "high functioning" autism can be highly analytical and numerate
- They may have exemplary characteristics as employees, such as honesty, efficiency, precision, consistency, low absenteeism, and a disinterest in ‘office politics’
Thus few ways in which people with autism can bring value to the workplace:
They work well when unnoticed
Individuals those who have autism work hard when they are alone. They never slack nor do they like to take rest. They are focused and committed to whatever they are asked to do and so they can become a model employee.
They can bring creativity
Their minds are wired differently, and their imaginations can be extreme. Managers should take advantage of this when looking for creative ideas or new ways to solve problems. If autistic team members are given appropriate opportunities to share their ideas, those ideas can be gainfully be converted to brilliant new concepts. Give them a chance to show to their skills They must be offered a practice activity at the interview as it can be hard for autistic people to "sell themselves" and put their skills and qualities into words, even if they are excellent candidates.
Accommodation is the key to success
Accommodations to the autistic employees would help the company run more effectively while enabling them to be productive, leading to better products and services and more profit.
Options for accommodations
All employees must be given a menu of options of preferences for things like sound, light, physical work space and the type of communication desired or methods for performance appraisals etc. This would allow autistic employees to express their preferences along with everyone else, without feeling singled out.
For achieving the target of providing employment to autistics the initial step that has to be taken is to provide an environment which is ready to accommodate them. Work environment that fosters creativity and diversity, only then it would deliver results. Friendly workplaces can become instrumental in making businesses and people not only survive but thrive. An autism-friendly workplace can be a more effective and balanced workplace. Giving simple jobs to people with autism because of CSR activity or because of feeling sorry for them or for meeting some diversity goal will never lead to achieving the objective of sustainable growth. They must be hired them because they truly meet a need in their business and possess the skills needed to excel in their job.
Not only autistic employees’ strengths should be learnt, but their challenges must also be known to the employers in order to accommodate them for better productivity. They may not cope well in jobs that require immediate and rapid processing of requests or demands, such as a cashier, a cook, a waiter or a receptionist. They are also more likely to struggle in busy or noisy environments, such as fast food restaurants and factories. Care must be taken not to stereotype the vocational interests and capabilities of this group.
With appropriate training and job accommodations, these employees can aim for an independent living in true sense of the term thereby reducing dependence on disability benefits offered by the governments. They can stand on their feet with heads held high and become valuable team members in competitive industries. We cannot leave them just to work on the periphery. We demand their full integration into organizations, society and economy.
Abha Khetarpal
