One of the most stressful and difficult things for a person to do is to interview for a job. I do not know a lot of people who enjoy being put in the position to feel uncomfortable. All eyes are on you watching your every move. During a job interview, most employers and Human Resource Managers conduct interviews to look for various things. Many employers are looking for social interaction and conversation. They are expecting eye contact from the applicant, while learning more about that individual through social interaction and communication. They want to see more than what they saw on paper. They want to see how that applicant handles themselves in stressful situations and expect to communicate about who they are.
While neurotypical people get stressed and uncomfortable, many are able to sit in an interview and articulate their goals and aspirations. They have social skills and communication skills that aid in the disclosure of that particular information.
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other Intellectual Disabilities oftentimes have challenges in these areas. It is difficult for them to maintain eye contact and socially interact with another person. People with Autism are aware of what is going on around them and are very sensory driven. They are absorbing everything around them. They hear the question, but sometimes have to process things in their head before they can answer. I worked with one young man on the Spectrum who would take 10-15 seconds to answer a question. I knew that I had to be patient so that he could process the question. He described his brain to be similar to a rolodex. He had to flip through it to get the answer to the question.
People with Autism are able to adapt sometimes as things become more and more familiar or routine. Individuals with ASD thrive on routine and they need that routine and structure in their life. I have known parents to keep their child with Autism in school for summer school just stay on a routine as school lets out for summer break. If mom takes the child to school every day and then she is unable, it could be a recipe for disaster. When dad has to take the child to school, it may disrupt the routine and lead to a meltdown of a catastrophic nature. This is a process of discovery throughout their whole life and requires a better understanding. They need consistency and will eventually become adults with Autism.
While the necessity for routine and structure may appear to be a hinderance to employment, in many cases it could be a huge benefit. Many neurotypicals are looking for a job at one time or another, and there are some jobs that many of us would really not be interested in. Sometimes they involve repetition. I visited a business in my locality on day and found that they hired many people with disabilities. They hired individuals with ASD and Intellectual Disabilities to stuff envelopes. With thousands of envelopes that needed to be stuffed with letters, these employees would do it for hours with smiles on their faces. They had a job. They took pride in the fact that they had that job and were contributing to society. They also got a paycheck for their hard work. The employees were learning how to integrate into society. This business was involved in inclusion for the benefit of the individuals and their community. With the rate of Autism at 1 in 59 births, there is a huge population out there that is an untapped resource.
Being a police officer, I had the opportunity to visit many convenience stores to properly maintain my caffeine intake. I remember one particular store and the young man was behind the counter. As people paid for their purchases, there was no conversation or banter. It was all business. I observed this young man and even tried to have conversations with him. He seemed so focused on what he was doing. I wondered if he even knew I was standing there. While many people are nervous or hesitant being around a police officer, this individual was not. He just worked. I would watch this employee and eventually found out that he was on the Spectrum. I began to notice that when he was told to go sweep up the parking lot, his whole demeanor change. He was on a mission and did not have to interact with anyone. He would spend all of the time it took sweeping and cleaning that parking lot. A piece of trash had no chance while he was on patrol. He focused on that parking lot because it was “his” parking lot. To him, he was doing something for which he could be proud. Most of us would have complained. This young man took pride in keeping “his” parking lot clean. Every time he had finished cleaning the parking lot, he had accomplished something.
It should also be realized that some people with Autism and other disabilities are brilliant. They may have social interaction challenges or communicative challenges, but they can do some amazing things. Some are artists while some are accountants. Others program computers while others become doctors. I often wonder where our country would be without Autism. How many people with Autism work for major computer companies? How many of them develop software? I wonder how many of them work for NASA? I personally believe that if it were not for Autism in the United States, we would be one of the dumbest countries on this planet.
It is my hope and wish that all companies around the world educate their Human Resource Managers, as well as all employees to understand Autism/ID, and other disabilities. The Disability population is an untapped resource that needs to be given an opportunity and cultivated for everyone’s benefit. We not only owe it to them; we owe it to ourselves.
