Day 11: Stims

"Stims" is a word meaning "self-stimulation". It's an activity that people do - not just autistics - when they are bored, tense, or want to do something to release endorphins to their system (a theory espoused here http://autism.wikia.com/wiki/Stimming).

Not all autistic people stim, and not all people who stim are autistic.

Stimming can be disruptive at worst and at least curious to people who don't understand it. I have seen people who

• get up from their chair and walk a circle around the room then sit back down and continue working
• tap their fingers
• shake or vibrate their foot when crossed over their leg, or tap their whole leg like a drummer on the floor
• rock in their chairs
• slapping their neck or face while talking

and other things like it. My daughter used to do the bass-drum thing in the car and it would drive her mother nuts! I also do it : )

The trouble with it can be mitigated by letting team members know about the behavior, or making sure the employee takes time to do other things during the day like take breaks, stretch, or relax in some other way. Specialisterne made stretching and taking breaks an integral part of their training. I know a teacher of autistic kids in the Bronx who does daily calisthenics with her kids.

It's just another example of the small accommodations we can make to adjust expectations and make the workplace friendlier.

Day 10: Sensory Life

Day 10 of the challenge I accepted asks me to speak about the sensory issues that autistic people face. To varying degrees and with different compositions, autisic people are sensitive and easily irritated by many things that can hamper their mood and ability to perform. Those issues include, but are not limited to:

1. Light - some autistics complain about flourecent lighting or bright lights.
2. Odors - when we put on the hiring pilot in Lansing, and when I have attended some events with many autistic people, I was warned not to use lots of cologne or perfume.
3. Touch - some autistic people loathe being touched or are easily startled.
4. Taste - flavors of some foods can be very off putting, and some autistics have a digestive sensitivity to gluten or other foods. @DUBISETTY, MALLIKARJUNA​ and others have posted here about autism-friendly diets.
5. Sound - loud noises can distract some autistic people.

Any one of these things can be easily ameliorated or mitigated, providing an environment in which the autistic person is not distracted and can work or enjoy themselves happily.

1. Flourescent lights can be replaced with incandescents, or lights can be dimmed or reduced in the area in which an autistic person works.
2. Although a challenge for some of us, we can lay off the perfumes and deodorants and be careful what chemicals are used in work environments with autistic people.
3. Be careful when approaching anyone from behind and startling them, and adjust your personal "touch" to each person.  Not everyone likes a handshake, slap on the back, or even a hug. Considering the news of late, we all ought to be careful about that anyway : )
4. As I mentioned, Mallik and others have posted autism-friendly diet information here.
5. Many autistic people I have seen like to wear headsets (like construction worker's gear) or use their headphones to listen to music or sounds that soothe them, and drown out distracting noises so they can concentrate.

How different is this for the rest of us "neurotypical" people? I see some of my employees like to work in darkness or near windows, and I have heard complaints about fluorescent lighting for years; not everyone appreciates the guy down the hall who drowns himself in Drakkar Noir or the person who, late in the afternoon, burns the popcorn in the microwave; we all have different preferences when it comes to backslaps and handshakes - I know manager who hug, but many more who never touch a person; working on an upset stomach isn't fun for anyone; many people in IBM wear headsets to enjoy music while working. I find it even helps me - and when I can I prefer to listen to monotonous music like The Crystal Method, Chemical Brothers, or Philip Glass. An intern I had years ago appreciated that so much he bought me a copy of The Crystal Method's new albums at the end of his summer with IBM (Hi, @Murray, Brian J​!).

These sensitivities provide constant challenge to parents of autistic children, however, as the parents discover, learn about them, and learn to anticipate the triggers and work to lessen them or eliminate them Autism advocates in our community work with retail and public spaces to teach these things and make their business more autism-friendly or at least autism-aware. It helps their business and the community. What sensitivities have you heard of or dealt with?

Day 9: Autistic Owned Businesses

A quick google search on this topic reveals very little. I was able to find this link at the top before the results turned into more about business supporting autistic people or hiring them (Autism Speaks, e.g.). I know of none of the business listed in the top result.

I know more about businesses like Rising Tide Car Wash,  ULTRA testing, the NonPareil Institute, The Precisionists, or GirlAgain!/YesSheCan - businesses that support hiring autistic people. Finding that there are some businesses owned by autistic individuals is new to me. Does anyone else know of some to share here?

A Recovered Poem

About 13 years ago last week fire destroyed our apartment in Ossining, NY and we lost a lot of valuable things - the most precious of which were just mementos or heirlooms. Chief among my losses were the poems I wrote in college.

There was one in particular that I wrote after going to the ocean in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, at the invitation of my college room mate, Pat, and his family.

I had not seen the ocean in my adult life at that point. I had dim memories of it from a child, but not much. We left Syracuse at about 10PM and drove through the night to arrive at a small harbor near where Pat's family rented a cottage on the beach of Saco Bay.

There, as the sun rose and we shook off the chill of night driving and stretched our legs, I saw the most amazing 15 minutes of sunrise up to that point in my life. Seals, gulls, wharf cats, the sweet grass and salt smell of a tidal marsh - and the sun woke all of it and brought it to life as it has done every day since we climbed from the sea.

I took a picture using a borrowed camera and when I developed it, saw that it faithfully captured the mood. I would make a print of it and give it to Pat as a thank you note when I got the chance. I wasn't happy with just that, though, so I sketched out this poem to go with it, put it in a hinged double frame, and gave it to him for Christmas that year.

I was so happy with it that it was the only poem I entered in a yearly contest at school. I got a second place prize, but a better compliment from my teacher, who was the judge. "If you'd entered more, you would have won." That was good enough for me. I was happy with it.

After the fire I searched my parents' house to see if they had a copy. My father sent me a box full of all the things he had that I'd written. Neither source had my masterpiece. I remembered Pat had it, though, so I sent him an email, requesting a copy. He said it was buried in his attic during remodeling and it would be some time before could send it to me. Ten years later, here it is. I only regret one thing about writing it - that I included no sense of that sweet smell of the tide rushing inland. I catch a glimpse of it when I have oysters, though.

Day 8: Favorite Autistic Blog

The challenge today is to name my favorite blog by an autistic person. I don't follow long-form blogs much but I do watch @neurorebel on Twitter and follow her community on Facebook. I like hearing what actually autistic people have to say. Some of them are non-verbal or have great difficulty speaking, but their words and frustrations flow on this page and others. I also follow:

• Autistic Allies on Facebook. To follow this, you have to make sure you don't break certain rules, and all posts have to be approved by a moderator.
• Supporty McGroupFace - a site meant more for autisics to support one another. Again, you need permission to join and have to follow the rules of a pinned post - or else!
• Carly Fleishmann - a nonverbal autistic woman who does interviews of celebrities using an iPad - they are hilarious. She's also an incurable flirt.
• Emily Brooks on Twitter - I have seen her a few times at the UN conferences on Autism Awareness Day. She is a very good speaker.
• The Autistic Beekeeper - because I also keep bees, someone pointed this out to me. I have not seen any posts in a year, however.

 What blogs or news sources do you follow?

Day 7: The Autism Community

What does the “Autistic Community” mean? Many different people with manifold and different aims, some of which conflict, many that overlap:

• Non-profit advocacy groups such as Autism Speaks, Autism Society of America.
• Non-profits with specific aims such as promoting employment of autistics, such as The ARC, AHRC, Specialisterne, Autism Alliance of Michigan, or Music for Autism, a group that provides arts for autistic people and their families
• Social media groups run by autistics like Autistic Allies, Neurodivergent Rebel on Facebook and Twitter
• Social media groups run by parents of autistic children
• Government agencies at the national, state or municipal level
• Autistic Individuals and authors of renown like Temple Grandin, Carly Fleischmann or John Elder Robison
• Non-autistic Authors like Steve Silberman of “Neurotribes”
• Business Resource Groups (BRGs) or Employee Resource Groups like ASDaaS, our community in IBM, and IBM Autism Reseach Alliance (AURA)
• Business run by or for autistic individuals, such as ULTRA testing, the NonPareil Institute, The Precisionists, or GirlAgain!/YesSheCan

I created an internal website in IBM  to promote autism hiring specifically. Up until that time I knew about Temple Grandin, Specialisterne, and maybe Autism Speaks.

Since I created the community I have learned of the different organizations listed above and many more. The scope of the community has changed to include support, news, and a gathering place for all of us with this interest.

From all of these groups – and the one I created – I have learned many things: the idea of neurodiversity, the paucity of resources available to parents in some places and the wellspring in others, the disdain that some autistics have toward some organizations, and the various companies and nonprofits engaged in helping autistic people from children to adulthood. Each offers some clue to reaching the aim that we all have in common – helping autistic people find productive and happy lives in the world.

Day 6: Supports and accommodations for autistic staff

Today’s topic is about supports – what accommodations can a manager provide to help autistic staff?

Typically, they involve:

• Clear communication about policies and work – clearly explain what work policies with catch names mean and give explicit instructions about a person’s work. An “open door” policy might confuse some people and make them think they have to leave their door open all the time, and giving someone vague instructions that a neuro-typical person might easily understand could cause others to do the right task the wrong way
• Providing social cues or clues – some people may not understand the social environment of the neuro-typicals and may need a little help getting on in such an environment or may need to avoid it completely. On the flip side, your neuro-typical staff may need to understand that a co-worker’s reluctance to participate in social activities does not mean they are a bad team player.
• Altering the physical environment to remove irritants – autistic people might need fluorescent lighting changed, noise reduced, or distractions removed. They may also need to wear noise-cancelling headgear and their colleagues may need to learn to accept that and work with it.
• Giving notice of change – some autistic people like regularity and may need careful and advance warning of change – such as in a schedule – and the manager may need to explain why the change is happening – e.g., to explain that it is not a fault of the employee, or what change is attempting to produce.
• Providing short breaks and flexible work hours – autistic people need time to relax, work off stress, or stim. Fellow staff need to understand this and allow for it during stressful work times. Specialisterne taught this to our staff in the autism hiring pilot, and also taught the new recruits to take time each day to have a walk or relax in some personal way.
• Developing an understanding of autistic behavior – autistic people may prefer to be alone, may not look you in the eye, may perseverate on certain topics, or may stim by getting up in a meeting and walking around the room. Training your neuro-typical staff to tolerate, expect and accept this behavior helps.

These points are adapted from Marcia Scheiner’s “An Employer’s Guide to Managing Professionals on the Autism Spectrum”, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2017.

What I find ironic about them is that, barring only a few things I listed, these are accommodations all employees would enjoy, and managers can all easily implement. Who doesn’t want clear instructions on their work? Advice on how to deal with one another, or insight into why their fellow staff are aloof? A comfortable physical workspace? Advance notice of change? Breaks – which are allowed by labor law?