Extracted from the National Autistic Society Website: This is a a website to raise acceptance and awareness of the autistic community, a charity to try to offer support
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. More than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.
Link to site below: Autism loves consistency and structure. Change throws me off balance!!
When researching I came across an education campaign:
They state that every autistic person should not be made to feel like a 'disruption', isolated because of their disability, listen to both parent and child voice in order to make reasonable adjustments and not get to the point of desperation (which is a cry out for help) being excluded from school or forced to drop out of mainstream education. Some families are not provided with the right support to manage their son or daughters educational needs from home and therefore feel at a loss. Home schooling if suits the child I would suggest is the best option, but if worried about their social life or them being held back as want them to grow in independence for example learning how to be around others and cope in mainstream schools. I learnt so much from being in a mainstream school, even though home schooling would have been the safest environment for me to be in. For example taking the bus to school and dance was a massive step for me. To begin with I was very anxious about being so close to people I did not know and what if I have to speak to them?
What stands out to me the most and from experience is how long it can take for someone to receive a consistent support system and once one has been put in place is it suiting you?
Autistic Employees:
We are a Disability Confident Employer and through this scheme, we are:
• challenging attitudes towards disability
• increasing understanding of disability
• removing barriers to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions
• ensuring that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.
How can someone with autism feel comfortable at work and what adjustments can be made?
Instead of adding to the pile of overwhelming paper work, try to reduce the first layer by having a comfortable working environment and space to work in.
In the office
desk placement or adjustment
adjusted lighting
noise-cancelling headphones
amended working hours
opportunities to work from home if possible
Support in your role
regular catch-up meetings with manager either in person or via video call
assistance with work planning
scheduled breaks including morning and afternoon
regular use of meeting rooms for working
adjusted hours
peer mentoring from another autistic employee
Outside the office
reduced travel to different work locations
help with creating a work and travel routine
flexible working hours and regular breaks.
Understanding
all members of staff receive e-learning in understanding autism as part of their inductions
Autistic colleagues network
Any employee who identifies as autistic is able to join our Autistic Colleagues Network. The network is a peer group that functions as a consultative group for our charity, with members regularly being called upon to sit on interview panels and offer advice to colleagues.
My perception as someone with autism currently studying a masters - accessibility is vital in the success and achievement felt by someone with autism.
What I have found from my experience and research is that autistic people need a support system where people are trained in autism so can relate or show empathy and an understanding towards the way in which the autistic mind functions. This is different for everyone and there will be similarities between individuals. Having a level of understanding is vital in relation to meeting the individual with autism's care plan. They need someone they can connect with in a setting that allows them to be themselves, I have witnessed how important this is to those with autism, not just from my own experience, but from watching how others work with them and I noticed from watching the DVD autism and intensive interaction that allowing oneself to almost behave like them 'tap into their world of communication' is like watching animation. By this I mean the way in which they use gesture, sound and movement. What I noticed is how interesting the communication is to watch, nothing or silly or stupid behaviour. If we can overcome the fear of looking or feeling silly, allowing ourselves to feel connected to the person with autism and for them to feel settled that someone is speaking my language. Connecting through movement and sound is so beautiful to watch - full of imagery.
I am currently studying a masters in Dance at the University of Chichester and successfully completed a dance performance at the University of Chichester too. My aim is to raise awareness for those with autism and hopefully people who read my blog entries can relate or connect with what my reflective experiences and opinions. I discuss from knowledge that I have read or witnessed and also drawn upon personal experiences. I feel that it is very hard to function in a world that you feel you have to mask for self protection and conform to the way other people are behaving to make life feel less vulnerable.
The worst place to find yourself in, is those situations you cannot get yourself out of so the easy solution for the autistic person is to remain in silence becoming more and more isolated in their own worlds and thoughts. I find myself becoming glazed over and shut down a lot due to the pressure I feel to be something I am not in an academic setting. It is a daily battle to stay on top of our daily routine, eating, sleeping, staying hydrated, balancing our mental health, keeping clean etc... All of this is enough with adding studying into the mix. Sticking to a time schedule is frustrating when you have autism, for me I become frustrated and quickly overwhelmed if a task has taken me far longer than it should have.
From researching towards my dissertation, I was shocked to see the number of those with autism not able to go onto further education and it does not matter the age of the person they will require a support system in some way. Some need wrap around support and others may be better at self studying and find themselves able to live independently or be very academically smart. Understanding emotions are a common struggle for most people with autism, for example having continuous meltdowns is very exhausting and impacts the ability to complete tasks. I have to work on one thing at a time in my mind to prevent my bucket from becoming too full 'tipping point'.