Image by Okan Caliskan from Pixabay
Mad, Bad, Difficult?
Jen Blacow
18th November 2020
“Well, we all know what they are like, don’t we? Quick to point out when we are wrong but cannot take criticism themselves!”
“You know how difficult she is. She has to have it her way, or it’s no way”
“He’s a bit of an oddball, isn’t he?”
These are just a few of the things you might hear people say about autistic people, especially at work.
But let us consider these more closely:
“Well, we all know what they are like, don’t we? Quick to point out when we are wrong, but cannot take criticism themselves!”
Just think, what if the person who is ‘quick to judge’ actually did not make judgements quickly. What if they spent the time, that others in the office spend socialising, pouring over research papers, and coming to informed conclusions about whether a certain approach to a project was right or not, for example.
And what if this person did not accept most of the criticisms that were levelled at them, because they were not entirely true, and the criticism was a result of a misunderstanding? And they would gladly accept criticism if it were genuine and the criticism giver had a legitimate and logical point.
“You know how difficult she is. She has to have it her way, or it’s no way”
In this instance, what about if ‘her way’, was the logical way. What if she had difficulty understanding the confusing and complex socio-political reasons behind why particular decisions were made, because of her extremely logical brain? And it was not just a case of wanting it ‘her way’?
“He’s a bit of an oddball, isn’t he? He proper freaks me out when he stares!”
Maybe he wears coloured glasses because he is hypersensitive to bright lights in the office. Maybe he eats the same weird thing every day in the same way because he is hypersensitive to the taste, smell, and texture of most food, and maybe he stares at people across the canteen while he sits alone because he is longing for somebody to talk to but does not know how to initiate a conversation.
As with the above examples, many people with autism grow up being told that they are mad, bad, or difficult. Sometimes even stupid. When in fact, they are misunderstood. This can reduce confidence, burden them with emotional baggage, and can even trigger defence mechanisms, such as over or under confidence.
This also can cause real problems in employment.
Essentially what can happen, is that the very qualities for which they are employed, are precisely what is causing the problem.
For example, think about the person described above, who is ostracised for their ‘criticisms’ of other people’s ideas.
That might be this person’s greatest asset!
Is it not a good thing to have a person who can see holes in ideas and arguments and point them out bluntly to you before you go ahead and waste a lot of money and resources on a project which was never going to work?! What is so bad about that? Notwithstanding, this person’s alleged difficulty with being criticised themselves might be a misunderstanding.
And how about if the person who appears to want to have it their way all the time (but just needs things to make logical sense), is the one that you can always go to when you are struggling with making sense of something, or rely on when you are not sure what decision is the right one to make?
When you need an objective, non-emotional assessment of something, this person can be gold.
And what if the person who ‘freaks you out’, is the most caring and generous colleague you might have. Who, when you are feeling at your most vulnerable, senses something is wrong with you, comes over, and eventually makes you smile? All this time you never spoke to him, and it turns out he is the nicest and most intelligent guy you have ever met.
Taking the rough with the smooth
There are a lot of claims from people and the media today, that many autistic people are simply brilliant, talented, underappreciated, and underemployed, and that companies are missing out not employing them.
I agree with the point that many autistic people are underappreciated and underemployed. In reality, autistic people can be extremely valuable assets to companies.
But what makes them extremely valuable is precisely what can create some difficulties for employers managing them. Making it out as any different is both confusing (is it a disability or a difference?) and does not help the cause for autistic people or companies alike.
If an employer wants their workforce to represent or possess a diversity of thinking, innovation, and creativity, then they may well have to deal with some apparently ‘difficult’ or ‘strange’ people, and the challenges that this might create.
But if employers are trained to understand the underlying issues behind autistic symptoms, then it is quite simple to accommodate for them (thus getting the benefit of employees who think differently).
So for example, if an employer would value an employee who would quite happily do the same thing every day, demonstrating a rigid adherence to a process or boring repetitive work, then they will have to be prepared to accommodate for when that person has major difficulty with change.
It is the old age saying: ‘you can’t have your cake, and eat it too’.
If you want a homogenous workforce then do not employ neurodiverse people. But you will encounter all the problems of ‘group think’ (which can arguably cause as many problems as clashes in ways of thinking and working).
If you fancy standing out, then learning to accommodate difference (and understand neurodiversity) is key!
This blog is an introduction to a truthful series of blogs on the difficulties employers may encounter with managing autistic employees, along with the benefits that dealing with these difficulties could reap.