Maintaining positive interpersonal relationships and effective communication with others promotes the integration and job retention of people with disabilities. This is especially true for individuals with autism, who frequently face challenges in this area. To support Quebec businesses and organizations in this regard, the Centre de recherche pour l’inclusion des personnes en situation de handicap (CRISPESH) created the guide entitled Facilitating Neuromixed Communication in the Workplace. This tool aims to support the development of more inclusive work environments and provide resources to help facilitate neurodiverse communication. It focuses in particular on communication between autistic and allistic people (those who are not autistic). The summary below outlines the key principles found in the guide to help you enhance your inclusive workplace practices in Quebec.

The Importance of Sensitive and Individualized Communication

Communicating in a sensitive and individualized manner with employees offers many benefits for organizations and for employees with autism:

• Creates a welcoming work environment for everyone.
• Maintains engagement, satisfaction, and well-being.
• Contributes to skill development.
• Enhances organizational productivity and performance.

To gain these benefits, organizations must recognize that communication is a shared responsibility, and must also create the conditions needed to establish open dialogue with all involved.

Communication: A Shared Responsibility

It is common to place the burden of communication challenges solely on individuals with autism. However, communication necessarily involves at least two people. Each person has a role to play and a responsibility to establish communication that is both sensitive and personalized.

Therefore, everyone involved in the exchange must adapt to one another, choosing methods and ways of communicating that are effective and comfortable for all parties.

Communication: Myths to Debunk

Recognizing the shared nature of communication also means challenging common myths about how people with autism communicate.

Myths:

• People with autism don’t feel emotions.
• People with autism lack empathy.
• People with autism are grumpy.
• People with autism speak like robots.
• People with autism don’t want to interact with others.
• People with autism don’t know how to communicate.
• People with autism can’t make eye contact.
• People with autism retain all information, regardless of importance.

Reality:

In truth, individuals with autism, like any other employee, have unique strengths, needs, and preferences in terms of communication, both verbal and non-verbal. It’s essential to adapt to the individual, rather than relying on generalized stereotypes.

How to Communicate Effectively: Establishing Open Dialogue

To communicate well with individuals with autism, it’s essential to establish open dialogue between employers and employees with autism.

Here are some tips to support this process:

• Develop a positive view of neurodiversity by recognizing the many strengths and contributions of people with autism.
• Identify each employee’s individual communication style and needs (e.g., frequency and length of exchanges, tone, pace, volume, preferred methods such as email, phone, or text).
• Recognize that oral communication is not superior to other modes of communication.
• Practice active listening, show openness, and avoid value judgments.
• Ask questions and verify whether current communication methods are suitable.
• Create physical environments that support communication (e.g., consider noise, lighting, etc.).
• Reflect on how workplace communication tools and social norms can present barriers to people with autism.
• Be open to changing your communication style or methods as needed.

Want to Learn More?

Consult the guide Facilitating Neuromixed Communication in the Workplace.