Autism Soccer: A Guide to Plan Accessible and Inclusive Meetings

If you really want to make your events inclusive, there are many factors about the environment you must check.

The past article And Straight on Till Morning: Essays on Autism Acceptance addresses a subject of great importance for the integration of autistic people: acceptance. In a work environment context this term refers to “act according to the exigencies of the situation”; if you have autistic employees, you must take into consideration their needs to integrate them in the best possible way. But it’s not enough just to considerate those needs; it’s important to make some changes when a situation requires the active participation of a person with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).

Considering the changes

The changes that must be made in favor of a person with some type of disorder or disability are called accommodation. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) indicates that to make the modifications you must take into account several aspects: what are the work limitations of the person with ASD; what problems these limitations cause to that employee; available accommodations; suggestions from the employee about accommodations; and the need to give staff training regarding ASD.

Accommodation ideas for work meetings

While considering the aspects above, several ideas to facilitate the integration of autistic people may emerge; many of them may be directly related to specific activities such as work meetings. In this matter, the alternatives offered by JAN can help any employer regarding possible accommodations in this particular situation. Here you can read the most common:

When speaking/communicating: employees with ASD may have trouble communicating with other co-workers, in these cases, the employer can notify him in advance about a future meeting and its content so that the individual could prepare himself better and eliminate anxiety. Likewise, he could allow a friend to be present at the meeting to reduce the nerves. Finally, the employer could give the employee the option of submitting a written and non-oral answer.

When developing social skills: people with ASD don’t possess typical social skills. In these cases, the employee could interrupt talks, discussions or meetings. Their behavioral differences can affect their work relationship with the employer, other employees or even clients. To avoid these situations they can train with job coaches that will teach them to understand several cues about the situation. Employees can also offer them daily guidance, videos and role-plays scenarios that show appropriate behaviors.

These are simple but effective ideas for an easy and straightforward integration. There are many other options in the case of accommodations for people with ASD; it’s only necessary to adequately analyze the aspects mentioned above to find the one that best fits the situation of your employee. It’s necessary to remember that, although the employer should always take into consideration the individual needs of his employees, agreeing on appropriate accommodations is a work between the two parties involved. Employees also have the responsibility of addressing their boss and communicating any accommodation they may require.

If you want to know more about autism and work environment, you can read the manual created by JAN on accommodations for employees with autism spectrum disorders. Likewise, follow Autism Soccer through its social networks to know more about this and other topics.