Managing and developing employees

Many autistic people have excellent technical and creative skills but may struggle more with the sensory and social environment. It is essential that you take the time to understand how autism affects the person you are working with, so that you are able to meet your legal responsibilities under the Equalities Act (2010) and Northern Ireland Disability Discrimination Act.

Autistic employees may struggle with:

• Communicating with other people, misunderstanding social cues and may be misinterpreted by colleagues as being rude or unfriendly
• Sensory environment in the office, especially being more sensitive to lights, sound and smell which can cause pain and increase anxiety
• Unstructured time, changes to working routines and unclear expectations
• Participating in meetings, team building and social activities