Asperger's on the Job: Must-Have Advice for People With Asperger's or High Functioning Autism, and Their Employers, Educators, and Advocates (19 page)

Dissatisfaction, job.
See
Job dissatisfaction

Diversity in the workplace,
63
,
103
,
106
,
107

Dress codes.
See
Clothing

Earning a living, difficulty for those with AS,
xiii

Education

     versus ability,
110

     and confidence,
113

     consequences, lack of,
110

     counseling, limits of,
111

     and diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome,
112

     difficulty with,
109

     doctoral studies,
109

     employee recommendations,
112

     employer and advocate recommendations,
113

     as individual responsibility,
111

     programs for Aspergians,
111

     questions for reflection,
114

     and self-esteem,
112

EEOC.
See
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. (EEOC)

Emotional detachment

     alexythimia,
27

     and body language,
33–34

     as diagnostic criteria,
31

     and empathy,
27–28

     employee recommendations,
28–29
,
34–35

     employer and advocate recommendations,
29
,
35–36

     and eye contact,
33

     and facial expressions,
32

     and facial recognition,
32–33

     questions for reflection,
30
,
36

     stimming,
34

Empathy, capacity for,
27–28

Employee recommendations

     Asperger’s Syndrome label,
9

     bluntness,
21–22

     bullying,
83

     clothing,
61–62

     disclosure,
119

     education,
112

     emotional detachment,
28–29
,
34–35

     environmental sensitivity,
41

     gossip,
75–77

     job disatisfaction,
123–125

     personality tests,
107

     praise,
90

     ritual and routine,
68

     social skills,
16–17

     strengths and interests,
98

     trust issues,
55–57

     visual over-stimulation,
48–49

Employer and advocate recommendations

     Asperger’s Syndrome label,
9

     bluntness,
22–23

     bullying,
84–85

     clothing,
63

     disclosure,
120

     education,
113

     emotional detachment,
29

     environmental sensitivity,
42

     gossip,
77–78

     job dissatisfaction,
125

     personality tests,
107–108

     praise,
90–91

     ritual and routine,
69

     social skills,
17–18

     strengths and interests,
99

     trust issues,
57–58

     visual over-stimulation,
50

Employing People with Asperger Syndrome
(National Autistic Society),
102

Employment Act 2002
(Great Britain),
57

Employment problems, Asperger’s syndrome

     interview versus job performance,
6

     change in existing management,
xi

     promotion,
x

Environmental sensitivity

     and depression,
46

     employee recommendations,
41

     employer and advocate recommendations,
42

     fresh air,
46–47

     noise, effects of,
39–40

     odors,
47–48

     and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
38

     and private workspace, advantages of,
40

     questions for reflection,
43

     sound,
37–39

     temperature, reasonable,
47

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. (EEOC),
82

Eye contact

     confidence through,
33

     difficulty with,
xvii
,
33
,
56

     in interviews,
137

     practicing,
34
,
137

Façade, maintaining,
72

Facebook,
34

Fight-or-flight response,
11
,
81

Freelance work as career path,
vii–viii

Gender issues for females

     and dress codes,
60

     emotional naiveté and gossip,
74

     tact, expectation of,
21

Gossip, as subject of

     Asperger’s Syndrome, misunderstandings about leading to,
71–72

     and confidence,
73

     employee recommendations,
75–77

     employer and advocate recommendations,
77–78

     questions for reflection,
78

     stress from,
73

     tension in the workplace from,
74

Grandin, Dr. Temple,
3
,
61
,
96
,
103
,
108
,
131
,
147

Gut and Psychology Syndrome
(Campbell- McBride),
124

Hidden Curriculum, The
(Myles, Trautman, & Schevlan),
17

Holistic medications,
41
,
98

Hyperlexia,
15

Interests.
See
Strengths and interests

Interview tips,
137–138

Interview versus job performance,
6

Jealousy, avoiding,
x

Job dissatisfaction

     anxiety,
122

     and Asperger’s preemptive strike,
121

     depression,
122

     employee recommendations,
123–125

     employer and advocate recommendations,
125

     questions for reflection,
125

     and self-esteem,
124

     stress,
122

Job map,
132–135

Label, Asperger’s Syndrome

     and disclosure,
117

     employee recommendations,
9

     employer and advocate recommendations,
9

     questions for reflection,
10

Medication and Asperger’s Syndrome,
41
,
95–97

Mentors,
viii
,
25
,
28
,
29
,
99
,
124

Motivation issues,
51

Namie, D. Gary,
83

Namie, Dr. Ruth,
83

Obsessive interests,
94
,
132–135

Office of Disability Services,
111

Personality tests

     versus aptitude tests,
102

     Aspergian response to,
104

     controversy over use,
102

     as discrimination,
103

     versus diversity in the workplace,
106

     employee recommendations,
107

     employer and advocate recommendations,
107–108

     opposition to,
105

     preparation for,
106–107

     purpose,
104

     questions for reflection,
108

     sample question,
104

     versus uniqueness,
105

Portfolio, advantages of,
vii
,
xi
,
138

Positive reinforcement.
See
Praise

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
38
,
80

Praise

     and confidence,
35
,
87

     employee recommendations,
90

     employer and advocate recommendations,
90–91

     and perfectionism,
88

     and productivity,
87–88

     questions for reflection,
91

     rationale for,
87

     reasonable expectation of employer,
89

     and valued behavior,
88

Psychometric testing,
102

PTSD.
See
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Questions for reflections about Asperger’s Syndrome and employment

     characteristics,
3

     bluntness,
23

     bullying,
85

     clothing,
63

     disclosure,
120

     education,
114

     emotional detachment,
30
,
36

     environmental sensitivity,
43

     gossip,
78

     job dissatisfaction,
125

     label,
10

     personality tests,
108

     praise,
91

     ritual and routine,
69

     social skills,
18

     strengths and interests,
99

     trust issues,
58

     visual over-stimulation,
50

Quitting a job.
See
Job dissatisfaction

Recommendations.
See
Employee recommendations
;
Employer and advocate recommendations

Ritual and routine

     employee recommendations,
68

     employer and advocate recommendations,
69

     organization,
66–67

     questions for reflection,
69

     as stress management,
65–66

     versus stubbornness,
67–68

Routine.
See
Ritual and routine

Savant skills and talents,
xvi
,
94

Self-esteem

     and bullying,
124

     and education,
112

negative,
xiii

Shore, Stephen,
61

Sleep apnea,
54–55

Small talk.
See
Social skills, difficulty with

Social skills, difficulty with

     employee recommendations,
16–17

     employer and advocate recommendations,
17–18

     fight-or-flight reaction,
11

     as hardest part of the job,
13–14

     as “hidden agenda,”
12

     isolation from lack of,
14

     as learned behavior,
15–16

     meetings,
12

     questions for reflection,
18

     sense of humor,
14–15

     as “unspoken job requirement,”
12

Stimming,
34

Strengths and interests

     and confidence,
125

     employee recommendations,
98

     employer and advocate recommendations,
99

     and job satisfaction,
93
,
125

     and job suitability,
94

     “obsessive interests,”
94
,
132

     questions for reflection,
98

Strengths, areas of

     pattern thinkers,
viii

     visual thinkers,
viii

     word-detail thinkers,
viii

Stress management

     control as,
65

     meditation,
41
,
123

     natural remedies,
41

     ritual and routine,
65–66

     social contact, withdrawing from,
66

     yoga,
41
,
123

Stress, sources of

bullying,
80

     criticism,
27

     job dissatisfaction,
122

     meetings,
95

     sensory overload,
41

     social situations,
73

“Survival in the Work Place” (Shore),
61

Trust issues

     clear instructions,
52

     and confidence,
53

     deadlines,
52

     downtime,
53

     employee recommendations,
55–57

     employer and advocate recommendations,
57–58

     and flexible arrangements,
54

     questions for reflection,
58

     versus scrutiny,
53

22 Things a Woman Must Know If She Loves a Man with Asperger’s Syndrome
(Simone),
127

Visual overstimulation

     employee recommendations,
48–49

     employer and advocate recommendations,
50

     fluorescent lights,
45–46

     versus natural light,
46

     questions for reflection,
50

WBI-Zogby W.S. Workplace Bullying Survey (2007),
79

Workplace Bullying Institute,
83
,
84

Workplace failure,
xviii–xix

Yoga

     and body language mastery,
138

     and stress management,
41
,
123