How do I support an employee with asperger's?

Question

I supervise a young man who displays all the signs of aspergers, how do I support and respond to him?

Answer 1

Asperger's is a form of response to insecurity that comes from the unpredictability of our world and from the overstimulating nature of our culture. The more safe and accepted he feels in your team, the easier your job is likely to be.

Asperger's people benefit from tasks that are clearly defined and are broken down into manageable chunks. For example, they may find it easier to be asked to type a letter and then when it is done to be asked to envelope, stamp and post it than to be given the whole sequence of instructions at once. Similarly, they are at risk of being confused and disoriented by double-messages, changing your mind, or conflicting instructions. Once they know and understand what you want them to do, and are left to get on with it without interruptions, they may well be reliable, faithful, loyal and consistent in delivering it. Asperger's peole are often good at concentrating on a task if there are no distractions around them.

Apserger's people benefit from regularity and reliability -- tasks that are predictable and repetitious with clearly defined rules that have no exceptions, such as (for a supermarket shelf-packer) "always fill the shelves by putting replacements at the back of the section and moving the products that are already on the shelf to the front".

Asperger's people are likely to be more comfortable in a low-stimulation environment. Your particular young man may for example be sensitive to noise (in which case, it would help to work in a place with no piped or radio "music" (muzak), no road traffic noise, no noisy machinery, no chatty conversation around him.... to work in a private office with its own door is great, whereas a call centre is a disaster). Other asperger people are more sensitive to visual or nasal overstimulus.

Compassion/empathy always helps. This young man may be an opportunity for you to practise your listening skills. You have a better chance, I suggest, of developing a good and useful working relationship with him if he appreciates your concern for him. One-to-one time, real truth time with respect, every so often may be much more relationship-building than frequent but brief and distracted moments together.

It is said that people with aspergers do not hear/see the "cues" that mean "the words I'm saying are not the message I want you to hear". So it's useful to learn to use words literally, and not to use phrases like "nice weather - for ducks" when you mean "yucky day, isn't it!" or "that's a dull shirt for this office!" when you mean "a loud red and blue striped teeshirt doesn't suit the office culture here".

Good luck. Thanks for caring enough to ask.

Answer 2

Hi, you are gonna need a lot of patience. My bother and Nephew both have it. They go on and on repeatedly about the same limited subjects and it will drive you bonkers after a while. Be patient and calm and even if you've answered their question 10 times already just calmly answer it again. Also they can't comprehend sympathy or empathise with you very well. They can't help it, it's their way of life. Good luck!