• Make the job interview ASD-friendly:
    • Preparation to the jobinterview: give the person with autism the interview questions in advance so that he can prepare for the interview
    • The interview method: concise, with clear and direct questions, ask concrete examples, test the skills of a potential employee by having a task performed
    • Avoid abstract language: many people with autism interpret this literally.
    • Avoid hypothetical or abstract questions: 'Where do you see yourself in ten years' time?" can be very difficult for people with autism to answer, as they may find it impossible to make future projections -> what should a WM do to do?
    • Open-ended questions are sometimes problematic, as someone with autism may find it difficult to determine what and how much to say about their experience.
    • Allow an intermediary to the conversation: the intermediary can rephrase questions to make them easier to understand: job coach
    • Give the candidate extra time to complete written tests
    • When asking questions, allow for processing time and don't keep repeating the same question over and over. Not too many instructions at once.
    • Give the candidate the opportunity to demonstrate their practical skills
  • Make the job package autism-friendly:
    • Ask the employee what he or she needs to function properly.
    • Let the employee do work that he or she is good at.
    • {mlang en}Communicate clearly; give clear, unambiguous instructions.
    • Put the tasks clearly on paper.
    • Distinguish between priority tasks and 'reserve' tasks.
    • Avoid 'unstructured' time in the task package (such as, for example, 'waiting').
    • Provide a step-by-step plan or a task analysis for each task.
    • Make clear where, when and to whom questions can be asked.
    • Discuss changes in the range of tasks and provide sufficient explanation.
    • Show where assignments lead to within the bigger picture.
    • Do not rely on non-verbal communication to be picked up. Ask clarifying questions: what are you going to do first, what do you remember from this conversation, ...
    • Evaluate regularly and then ask as explicitly as possible about any bottlenecks
  • Make the work environment ASD-friendly:
    • Take into account a possible hypersensitivity to stimuli such as light, smell and sound.
      • Design the workspace visually sober and well-arranged.
      • Limit auditory stimuli
      • Provide a quiet place to spend breaks.
      • Hang a clock in a clearly visible place.
      • Announce touches in advance.
      • Provide sufficient physical space between colleagues
    • Take into account social skills support
      • Always use concrete and clear language in all your spoken and written communication.
      • Complement your spoken and written language with diagrams and drawings.
      • Do not make unrealistic or unnecessary social demands.
      • Ensure knowledge and understanding among colleagues.
    • Provide a fixed point of contact/'buddy' in the workplace, for example a colleague. This buddy acts as a social mediator
      • Thinks along about a good workplace context (places, employer, colleagues)
      • Provides a good welcome
      • Recognizes signals when things are going less well with the colleague with ASD
      • Thinks along about reasonable adjustments to the range of tasks or the work environment
      • Explains the unwritten rules, traditions, etc. in the workplace
      • Translates situations, e.g. When is it an informal work moment, was it a joke or cynical comment that should not be taken literally, etc.
    • Provide predictability.
      • Create clarity in relationships and functions, explain clearly who does what in the company.
      • Always explicitly introduce new colleagues and trainees.
      • Discuss the course of the morning and evening greetings used in the company.
      • Communicate clearly the absences of important contacts (eg because of illness or leave).
      • Discuss the course of the breaks.
      • Dlearly announce 'festivities' and training courses and discuss their progress.
    • Give enough time to process information, for example, let there be silences in a conversation.


Guidelines for Employers

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This booklet provides practical guidelines for the employer or for the employee with autism and his colleagues to make the work environment as good as possible!


10 Suggestions!

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With a little understanding and some minor adjustments, many people with autism can thrive in the workplace, with major benefits for companies. Get inspired by this 10 suggestions!