02 April 2021 at 12:00AM
14th Annual World Autism Awareness Day - Project Management Tips
Diversity and Inclusion
Today is the 14th Annual World Autism Awareness Day and the official kickoff to Autism Awareness Month. As a project manager in an increasingly diverse workforce, you might manage workers with autism. If your company employs team members with autism, you and your projects can benefit from a few tips.
According to thebalancecareers.com, "You can definitely benefit your company when you hire the most highly qualified employee, even when this will require making a few accommodations when managing an employee with autism." You can read their short article "Tips for Managing an Employee With Autism in the Workplace" here: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/managing-employees-with-autism-4154667.
Things the AustiMedium.com writer Ashlea McKay lists "7 things the autistic person in your workplace needs from you" in her blog post here:
The 7 things are:
1. Accept and understand that no two autistic people are the same
2. Ditch the assumptions and the stereotypes
3. Ask how we would like to be referred to
4. Be open to having a conversation to discuss our needs
5. Give us the flexibility to customise our working environment
6. Help us to maximise our strengths and don’t place limitations on us
7. Provide us with opportunities to progress in our careers
2. Ditch the assumptions and the stereotypes
3. Ask how we would like to be referred to
4. Be open to having a conversation to discuss our needs
5. Give us the flexibility to customise our working environment
6. Help us to maximise our strengths and don’t place limitations on us
7. Provide us with opportunities to progress in our careers
In addition to these tips, remember to have empathy and patience - with the employees and yourself. Check out https://www.healthline.com/health/autism/dear-neurotypical-guide-to-autism#First,-lets-start-with-definitions for more details.
