We’re taking part in Autism Awareness Week to get our colleagues chatting and share knowledge that can make our workplace an inclusive place for all.
We’ve made a commitment to our colleagues to make where we work a great place to be, for everyone. And we want our people to be able to offer the right support to customers as well. So this week we’re sharing tips on ways to support people with autism.
It’s estimated that there are around 700,000 people with autism in the UK but only 16% of them are in full-time employment.
There could be many reasons for this, but we don’t want a poor working environment to be one of them. That’s why we’re using this opportunity to talk more about how we can do more to support people with autism.
What is autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder, more commonly referred to as autism, is a term used to encompass a range of conditions relating to challenges with social skills, speech, repetitive behaviours and non-verbal communication. People with autism may find it difficult to communicate with and understand others, get anxious about unfamiliar situations, and/or take longer to understand certain information.
It’s important to remember that everyone is different, and it’s unhelpful to characterise a person based on terms associated with a particular condition. We’ve listed a bunch of useful organisations below which share more information about autism.
What are we doing where we work?
Our People Development Team are passionate about helping everyone thrive at Abri – that means our customers as well as our colleagues. And Get Curious is part of this. It’s a fancier term for awareness-raising workshops that everyone can attend.
As part of this, we’ve held Autism Awareness sessions. They’re an informal but informative way for our colleagues to learn more about autism and how someone with autism might experience life. This provided colleagues with practical tips on supporting people with autism, whether that’s a teammate or customer. We also provide autism training to our front-line teams who spend time with customers to do repairs and maintenance.
The sessions were run by our Autism Ambassador Zoe. We’re really fortunate that Zoe shares her knowledge with our organisation and below we share some of her tips on how to support people with autism.
What can we all do?
Be aware that:
- Autism is often invisible, so while someone might appear to be fine, they might be struggling. Remember to check in with one another, it makes a big difference.
- We’re all different and autism can affect people in a variety of different ways.
Be supportive by:
- Using text messaging or email where possible, rather than telephone. This is a more casual way to chat with a customer or colleague and puts less pressure on someone.
- Allow time for a response when you’re sharing a conversation with someone – don’t try to fill silence.
- Think about visual supports and consider asking if these might be useful for someone.
- Be as clear and specific as you can.
And be mindful that:
- People with autism can find change difficult to manage so advance warning is always useful.
Above all, everyone can benefit from us all being kind and patient.
Helpful resources
Check out these brilliant organisations for more information about autism.