Brief Details
Managers are actively passing over mildly Autistic employees for promotion because they do not have good social skills, a practice that is waiting to backfire at an employment tribunal.
Employers in industries where autism rates are high are setting themselves up for a range of tribunal cases especially when the European Union’s discrimination legislation is fully implemented in the UK, it was claimed today.
Chartered Clinical Psychologist, Dr David Ruthenberg, told HR Gateway that many employers are passing over Asperger’s suffers for promotion as they lack the ‘soft skills’ demanded of managers:
‘In my experience of working in the “Golden Triangle” around Cambridge, employees are feeling very frustrated by colleagues leapfrogging them into management positions because of their lack of social skills.
‘This is a time bomb waiting to go off, especially when EU legislation is fully implemented in the UK, as there are many ways to help them. BT, for example, actively recruits Asperger’s suffers through the National Autism Society for certain roles and career paths. There is no excuse,’ he said.
Currently working with Nortel, Ruthenburg warns that industries such as IT, engineering and pharmaceuticals are some of the most at risk, but many steps can be taken to help sufferers, and not steps that demand a severe amount of company reorganisation:
‘Managers need to be educated on matters of Asperger’s and Autism, while firms could take into account the personality of sufferers. Open plan spaces and networking all go against the Apserger personality. Sitting in a small office undertaking meticulous tasks that need attention to detail is what would suite them.
‘Many firms have the problem that sufferers tend to be very bright, talented people which they end up losing because they do not understand their position. Create roles for them where they can excel and advance so that they are not looked over for promotion,’ he advised.
Rates of Asperger’s in the population may be as high as one on 100 although the diagnosis is difficult. It is caused by different hardwiring in the brain meaning social skills, planning and the inability to learn from previous social encounters may be prevalent.
Suffers may have mild obsessions about personal behaviour or domestic rituals which could concern colleagues unless they understand that it is necessary to reduce personal anxiety.
I hate the phrase "Asperger's sufferers".
But at least this article recognizes that routine is necesary, not some meaningless terror that needs to be wiped out, like the cure parents think.
yes i didnt like the "sufferers" term but forgave it. The line "Open plan spaces and networking all go against the Apserger personality" made me want to hug the author... cept I dont like hugs. Pity i'm not brave enough to post it at work. I'm not "out" at work. I've tested the water on the topic of alternative wiring and concluded they would not be understanding. However I did print out a list of good Aspie qualities that make someone a shining employee and posted that list in my cubicle. I hope to remind them of my good features.
I have never suffered from this gift, I cherish it, nourish it, make it so I have solace in knowing that I am biologically superior to NT's, you should too
I, too, don't like the use of the word "sufferers". That just shows that the general attitude is not yet where it should be. If they don't bother to find out what Aspies prefer to be called, how do you know they'll be respectful once you're dealing with them in-person? (I may sometimes suffer other people's intolerance, but I don't suffer from my own brain. After all, that's the brain that got me a master's degree in computer science.)
Am I correct to assume that selected positions at a company were being set aside so that the only way to apply for them was through this NAS group? What if I didn't want to go crawling to a group like that? I would be inclined to bypass NAS and send a resume directly to the company.
Besides, with sites like AFF and Wrong Planet, there are places for Aspies to network. If I was trying to fill a position and believed that Aspie traits were the most appropriate for that position, then I'd go to where the Aspies hang out. (As a matter of fact, at work I lead a small team where introverts typically handle it better than extroverts. A couple of them plan on quitting soon. So If I'm looking for introverted candidates... )