Routine is very important to some autistic
people, and the ability to change or "just go with the flow" is not easy
for them. Following rules, establishing a pattern, and knowing what to
do when any situation presents itself is comforting and stabilizing.
This has several important implications: while they may not
like change, they adapt well to a routine and like following it. Other
people may not. Parents can use this knowledge to know how to help their
autistic children; management and colleagues can use this knowledge to
find the right work for them and plan on how to help them cope with a
change in assignment or schedule of their work. As mentioned earlier
when discussing workplace accommodations, this is crucial for helping
some autistics succeed.
It is also an important consideration in choosing the right
person for a job. The Autism at work community is fond of saying that
it makes a good case for using an autisic person as a tester - they have
to follow a routine of using the product as advertised in a specific
set of processes. They can follow instructions to the letter and
evaluate documentation, and they do not get bored of repetition or feel
that some things become a drag.
But as with all things about autistic people - not all are
the same. "Once you've met one person with autism, you've met one person
with autism" is a popular expression in the autistic community. The
important thing for family and coworkers to do is to figure out what
works best with the person and creatively determine what works best for
planning a family trip or a new release. Furthermore, autistic people
don't just make good testers - they can make good developers, graphic
artists, editors, writers....anything.
