Autism Positives
This past week, a condition called autism has been in the news because of the rapid rise in the diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder in children. We are not going to focus on the rise. We are going to talk about something that is rarely discussed, the positives that people on the autism spectrum bring to the workplace.
Some of this overview comes from an insightful session that was given during Safety 2024, last year’s conference held by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP). A program was presented on this topic by Noah and Randy Cadieux, the founders of Divergent Performance. The topic centered on neurodivergent workers. Noah, who holds a Master’s Degree in Advanced Safety Engineering and Management, mentioned during the presentation that he is on the autism spectrum.
There are some positives in people who have autism that make them excellent employees. Here are a few reasons why:
1. Autistic people rarely lie. When asked for an opinion about a project or work-related issue, they are more likely to tell you the truth. If there is a safety concern or hazard in the workplace, you can trust them to let you know.
2. They are detail oriented. If you have a project that requires focus on the little details, this is the person you may want involved in that project. The details will get done no matter what else is going on around them that might distract someone who is not autistic.
3. Many who are autistic are passionate. They will spend the time, energy, and imagination to master their tasks and will stick with that task even when it seems difficult or frustrating to others.
4. Most autistic people have good memories. How many times have you explained multiple steps in a task to someone, only to have them ask you what the first steps were again? It is more likely that someone on the autism spectrum will only need to be told once, will remember the entire process, and with their attention to detail, will follow your directions.
5. Autistic people make good coworkers. They are more accepting of others, are not tied to social expectations, and rarely judge others. In other words, people on the “spectrum” create a healthy and often happier workplace.
April 2025 is World Autism Acceptance Month. SCM joins with Divergent Performance in celebrating our workers with neurodivergences.
Weekly Safety Challenge:
Do you know any coworkers with neurodivergency? Sometimes this is noticeable and sometimes it is not. If you have an exceptional coworker, talk to them about autism. You might be surprised at what they say to you.
