Music Publishers Association

As managers, making small adjustments and creating an autism-friendly workplace can make a huge difference to autistic employees. It is important to understand that even the smallest adjustments can be extremely beneficial to employees on the spectrum, firstly for employees, who may not be aware of their autism, for others who have not had a formal diagnosis and for those who do not have the confidence to ask for changes to be made.

Please see the below guidance on how to support staff on the Autism spectrum and information on what Autism is.

How employers can support staff on the Autism Spectrum
It is essential to understand that as an employer there may already be someone on your team who may be on the spectrum, diagnosed or undiagnosed. More importantly, as the world we live in becomes aware of autism, for many establishments, appointing staff with autism could be a reality. Therefore, as managers, it is essential to further your understanding that providing simple support and creating an autism-friendly environment will benefit all.

Do:

• Take into account the immediate work environment. Has the work area been assessed and adapted to the needs of your autistic staff?
• Keep up to date with valuable autism information on necessary help and support for staff on the spectrum. Information should be freely available so that all staff can access it.
• Communicate at meetings the value of diversity and how important it is to be inclusive in all areas of disability.
• Be clear and precise about your expectations for the job they are doing and provide structured monitoring and training where necessary.
• Be aware of staff on the spectrum that show unintentional behaviour such as being ‘aloof or uninterested’ when communicating with colleagues, gentle reminders to all staff that such behaviour may be due to communication difficulties or challenges.
• Be patient and show understanding towards your autistic staff if they seem to interrupt a conversation or try hard to ‘fit in’. Be subtle and considerate when explaining reasonable boundaries.
• Discuss with all staff about their approach towards autism. Reading and research can be invaluable to understanding behaviour conditions and that certain negative attitude can have a negative impact on the job performance of their autistic colleague.
• Be available for your staff if they become anxious or agitated. There will be a valid reason for their ‘meltdown’ or ‘shutdown’ (see below). Try to find out what is causing the problem by having a one-to-one session, preferably in a quiet room or area where they will feel safe and comfortable.
• Make sure that clear and explicit instructions are given when setting out tasks, projects, activities or goals including deadlines.
• Include a ‘zero tolerance policy’ and update policies to include harassment and bullying of autistic staff so that anyone who discriminates against or bullies autistic staff will be dealt with appropriately.
• Arrange fixed hours instead of flexible or variable shifts. Structure and routine is absolutely vital for your autistic staff to perform well.
• Provide, if possible, a mentor or ‘go to person’ for your staff, someone who is trained in supporting an individual on the spectrum and whom they can approach when you are unavailable.
• Make adjustments in their workspace, where a personal workstation is preferable to sharing one in a quieter space away from bright lights and noise.
• Check and update policies to include sickness absences for treatment or appointments, where possible ‘relaxing’ of triggers for disciplinary actions may be incorporated.
• Create sensitivity training and coaching opportunities for all. It takes effort from both sides to make the work relationship work. Awareness, understanding and acceptance of working with an autistic person are equally the same as an autistic person working with a neurotypical person; this will enable a professional and respectful workplace.

Don’t:

• Assume that anyone with a diagnosis of autism will declare that they are autistic as there is no obligation to do so. As leaders, it is absolutely necessary to be clear on behaviours – qualities and challenges associated with autism spectrum condition.
• Believe that all autistic people will have the same behavioural conditions; there will be some similarities (see below) and many differences. It is crucial to remember that not all individuals on the spectrum will fit within a stereotypical analysis of autism.
• Presume that an autistic staff will be comfortable in small talk or be able to understand jokes and sarcasm, such social interactions may be taken literally or misunderstood.
• Expect your autistic staff to know what you are thinking or feeling, they often feel challenged with facial reactions, tone of voice or feelings and emotions.
• Make unexpected changes without notifying well in advance as this can ‘trigger’ anxiety and distress in your staff.
• Presume that they will be able to remember things in sequence, hence have an itinerary created in advance and before any staff meetings in simple, precise and structured language.
• Generalise or impose strict policies as everyone is different. *Intersectionality needs to be taken into consideration when supporting staff and colleagues. Therefore, organisations need to be flexible when responding to individual needs and requirements due to their diverse backgrounds.

To create a balanced and enriched workplace, it is important to be inclusive, *intersectionality can bring substantial benefit to the organisation, be it an individual, a team or the whole establishment. When HR and Senior Leadership Teams work together with their staff to create effective solutions, then they are likely to be more successful and this in turn can be valuable to the employees.

*Intersectionality – ways in which systems of inequality based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, class and other forms of discrimination ‘crossover’ so, therefore, need to be addressed simultaneously to prevent one form of inequality from reinforcing another.

https://www.intersectionaljustice.org/what-is-intersectionality

What is Autism?

Autism, a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people on the spectrum communicate and interact with their surroundings and the world around them. Research shows more than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and approximately around 700,000 adults and children with autism in the UK (https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism). This is an estimate and not definite as more research is needed to gather an accurate figure.

Being Autistic

People on the spectrum, like all people overall, have their own strengths and weaknesses but the spectrum condition can affect people in different ways and day-to-day challenges and difficulties may vary depending on the individual.
To gain a deeper understanding of autism one needs to first understand the key areas of difficulties a person on the spectrum may experience.

Social communication

• People on the spectrum may find it difficult interpreting verbal or non-verbal language; such as gestures or the way a person is using their tone of voice. Some people with autism may also have limited speech or are unable to speak, whereas others may have exceptional language skills but find it challenging to understand certain remarks such as sarcasm.

Social interaction challenges

• People on the spectrum often find it challenging to ‘read other people’ and therefore struggle to understand others’ feelings and intentions, especially in social gatherings. This, in turn makes it very tricky for people on the spectrum to find their way around the social world. They may appear insensitive or behave in a way that may seem ‘strange’ and socially inappropriate. Feeling agitated and anxious in crowded places may lead them to seek out time alone avoiding comfort from other people.

Repetitive and restrictive behaviour

• The world can be a very perplexing and unpredictable place for autistic people; therefore in order to understand what is going on they often favour routines. Travelling to and from work on a regular route maybe more preferable then accepting a ride with a friend or colleague. Wearing certain clothing for comfort, carrying objects to calm themselves or even eating the same food for breakfast, lunch or dinner are examples of routine.
• They often find repeated movement such as rocking, hand flapping, or repetitive use of objects for example tapping, twirling; clicking pen lids calming and relaxing. Often engaging in such behaviours when situations are stressful around them and they feel anxious.
• Certain changes can ‘trigger’ anxiety or distress in autistic people. For example, big events like festivals and celebrations, facing uncertainty at work, travelling route detours can be extremely stressful and overwhelming to a person on the spectrum.

Over- or under-sensitivity to light, sound, taste or touch

• People on the spectrum may have extreme sensitivity to sounds, light, colours, temperature, pain, touch, taste or smells. For example, loud music in a restaurant or sudden or abrupt noise may be unbearable and distracting to them, this in turn can cause anxiety or even physical pain.

Highly focused interests or hobbies

• Autistic people can become experts in their favoured interests or hobbies at a very early age and often enjoy sharing their knowledge but these can change over time or be lifelong.
• They do well academically and in the workplace, being highly focused, they are able to complete challenging tasks or topics but they neglect other aspects of their personal and private lives.

Extreme anxiety

• Social situations or changes in routine can affect an individual on the spectrum psychologically and physically which in turn can trigger extreme anxiety. They often find it difficult to recognise and regulate their emotions which can impact quality of life for themselves, their families and their immediate surroundings.
• Mental health has been a serious concern with one-third of autistic individuals having serious mental health issues and many have been failed by mental health services.
• Recognising triggers and coping mechanisms to help reduce extreme anxiety for an autistic person can be beneficial to learn for themselves but it is supportive for families, friends and colleagues to also understand and learn such triggers.

Meltdowns and shutdowns

• An autistic person can experience very intense and exhausting experiences when everything around them becomes too much for them to control. Such experiences can cause the individual to have a ‘meltdown’ or ‘shutdown’.
• The terms meltdown and shutdown are often used synonymously and are reactions caused by an overload of sensory, information or emotional set-off. An increased level of distress and anxiety is triggered in an autistic person when they are experiencing a meltdown, whereas, a shutdown is a little more discreet and often go unnoticed. Signs of shutdown can include being completely withdrawn and silent, not being able to move or lying down on a flat surface motionless.

For further information, please contact Helen in the DEI team:
Helen Choudhury
Head of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
MPA Champion for Menopause
Mental Health First Aider
[email protected]

For support, help and advice, please contact the following articles and organisations:
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism
https://www.insperity.com/blog/autism-in-the-workplace/
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/employment/employing-autistic-people/employers
https://livingautism.com/support-autistic-colleague-employee/