-
More Than Work: Autism, Stigma, and the Power of Belonging
What could karaoke possibly have to do with autism and workplace stigma? We’ll get to that, but first, allow us to explain what we do for a living. We are both privileged to work in the Employment Program at an agency called Job Path, where we match people with autism and other disabilities...
-
Co-Mentorship: A Catalyst for Fighting Stigma and Career Success
Autistic professionals bring critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and unique insight to the workforce. Yet many face persistent stigma and misunderstanding that hinder their full participation in professional spaces. Misconceptions about communication styles, social behavior, and sensory...
-
The Neurodiversity Movement: Promoting Acceptance and Understanding Through Employee Resource Groups
Devereux is known for its 112-year history of providing compassionate, evidence-based clinical care and treatment of neurodiverse individuals. The nonprofit is equally committed to fostering a welcoming workplace environment for its employees, many of whom are also neurodivergent. One way...
-
Autism and the Stigmas of Living with an Invisible Disability
Autism, at least for the less severely impaired, has been called an “invisible disability.” This is because the challenges faced by autistics are not as readily evident as those of other disabilities. A visually impaired person, or one using a wheelchair, is immediately seen as someone facing...
-
Neurodiversity is the New Trend!
Despite the fact that I managed to successfully earn my PhD while also managing to earn multiple awards as both a researcher and an author, I still find it mind-boggling when I’m given a puzzled look when I state that I am a Neurodiverse learner. Yet, whenever I say I grew up receiving special...
-
Designing a Sensory-Friendly Workplace for Autistic Adults
Autism is a lifelong condition, yet there is a noticeable lack of research on adults on the autism spectrum (Fairbank, 2023). Despite limited studies, challenges are emerging, one being a lack of sensory-friendly workplaces (Pryke-Hobbes et al., 2023). While the struggles of entering the workforce...
-
An Autistic’s Vision for Lasting and Successful Workplace Neurodiversity
Consider Dan Burger, a gifted and autistic computer science student at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. In spite of the challenges he faced along his journey through school and into the workforce, Burger's exceptional abilities at visual problem-solving and dealing with large amounts of data...
-
Six Steps for Greater Autism Inclusion In The Workplace
Imagine you have an employee who excels at pattern recognition, thinks “outside of the box” and has extreme attention to detail. Yet, they might not enjoy making eye contact or be the best at reading social cues. This was the case for one company’s new hire that I learned about during...
-
Ensuring Safety in an Inclusive Workplace
According to the Office of Disability Employment Policy, “Americans on the autism spectrum experience substantial challenges to attaining competitive integrated employment opportunities that match their interests, gifts, and talents. They experience substantial unemployment and underemployment,...
-
Fostering a Healthy Workplace Requires a Holistic Approach
Our home lives have invaded our workspaces, and vice-versa. The whole person, not just the employee, shows up at work, and likewise, it’s not just mom or dad who shows up at home. Because of the pandemic’s significant impact on employee work-life balance, employers can no longer assume...
