Despite seeing an increase in diagnosis and awareness, autism spectrum disorder remains one of the least understood mental illnesses. Part of this is due to the wide range of symptoms that individuals on the spectrum experience. Hence the terminology of a spectrum and part of this. Is that there is still a strongly negative view of autism. And autistic people in mainstream society. Because of both of these factors. Many children who exhibit symptoms at school and home don’t get the diagnosis. That would help them access support and services. That would help them navigate the neurotypical world. This lack of diagnoses makes it hard for clinical researchers. To find a client base to work with, and the sheer range of symptoms exhibited. It can make it hard to make useful generalizations across the whole autism population.
What Research Tells Us About Autism
For many decades research on autism focused trying to link the condition to various medications. vaccinations, and diseases but there have been no concrete links between any of these factors and the presence of autism. Research then has focused on finding a common set of symptoms that affect the majority of individuals on the spectrum. These core symptoms include:
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Social struggles –
one of the most common traits of autistic individuals is a persistent deficit in being able to understand abstract social situations and subtle social cues. These include misunderstanding verbal tools such as metaphors, idioms, and sarcasm, and social cues such as facial expressions and changes in volume and cadence. These deficits can create problems, especially in the workplace where so much relies on interpersonal communication skills, both within the company and client-facing work.
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Repetitive actions –
another trait seen in many children and adults on the autism spectrum is the use of repetitive actions to self-soothe. These can be sounds and noises, but also actions like flapping hands or drumming of the feet. In any case, it’s hard for neurotypical colleagues to understand how these actions help to soothe autistic individuals, and these behaviors can come across as annoying and frustrating.
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Intense focus –
many autistic individuals have areas of intense interest, also known as fascinations, where they are completely consumed by a particular topic or idea. This leads to them obsessively researching it, and most of their conversation and thought process revolves around the topic. In the workplace, this can make for repetitive conversations and make it hard for neurodiverse colleagues to form meaningful bonds with their coworkers.
There are, of course, a whole host of other symptoms which is what makes autism spectrum disorder so hard to pinpoint. It’s also important to remember that autism presents itself differently in each person; the old saying goes that once you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.
Research and Autistic Workers
Another big area of autism research is social studies on how to help autistic individuals thrive in the workplace. While there are no medical treatments and a cure is unrealistic given the broad nature of symptoms, there are plenty of therapeutic supports and approaches that can help autistic workers:
- Adapted environments – many companies who hire autistic workers make accommodations to their environment to reduce external stimulation. This can include softer lighting and noise-canceling headphones to reduce their anxiety.
- Simplified communications abstract forms of communications can often exclude autistic workers. It leave them feeling frustrated and out of the loop. Companies with autistic employment will need to simplify their communication processes, both verbal and written, and focus all employees on using concrete terms that can’t be misunderstood.
- Social coaches to help autistic workers navigate the minefield of social interactions. companies can hire a social coach who will work with autistic individuals to review and prepare for different social situations.
The best thing about all of these adaptations is that they will provide benefits to all employees. For example, a simplified communication system reduces the chances of miscommunication. And people are less likely to gossip if there’s less chance of sarcasm and inappropriate innuendo.
The Future Of Autism Research
While there continues to be plenty of research into the symptoms of autism. And how best to help autistic individuals cope with mainstream, neurotypical society. There has been plenty of progress made on research on the genetic causes of autism. Some risk factors include the advanced age of the mother, complications during pregnancy, and air pollution. The future of autism research will continue to focus on finding the genetic components of autism. As these may lead to medical and therapeutic breakthroughs that will help autistic workers succeed alongside their neurotypical peers.
