Bringing your whole self to work: supporting autism in the workplace

Hi, I’m Laura, I’m a Grade 7 Statistician in the Science, Research and Evidence Division in the Welsh Government and I’ve just joined the GSS Diversity and Inclusion Group.

I don’t usually openly disclose my autism in the workplace. It’s not that it’s a secret, I just don’t like making such a dramatic declaration about myself. I don’t want the attention, and most of all, I don’t want to risk experiencing negative judgement (from some) that often comes with this disclosure.

My worry is that if colleagues don’t already know me, and the first thing they learn is that I’m autistic, then there’s a chance they may view me (perhaps even unconsciously) as whatever their preconceived idea of autism is. Assumptions may be made that I might cause unnecessary issues or that I am unable to carry out certain aspects of my job effectively.

Perhaps I am being overcautious. To be fair, I have noticed awareness and understanding of autism has drastically improved over the last few years. This may be due, at least in part, to social media. I’ve also witnessed this awareness grow in the workplace.

Awareness of autism and neurodivergence matters

I recall correcting a colleague in autism training around seven years ago when he referred to his non-autistic child as “for want of a better word…normal”. I announced the better word was neurotypical. Everyone laughed as if it was some clever, funny word I’d just made up. It was such a surprise to me that it wasn’t common language, especially amongst those in the room, many of whom had autistic children or suspected they were autistic. It was eye-opening and taught me I was clearly in an autism echo chamber on X (previously Twitter).

Fast forward to now, and the term neurodiversity seems very well-known in the workplace. Training often focuses more broadly on neurodivergence rather than just autism.

Around eight years ago, a wonderful colleague in my organisation set up an Autism network. There were about 20 to 30 of us in the group for a while. We had our own Skype chat, and I was so grateful that this supportive group existed. Particularly because I promised myself, after a harrowing experience previously, that I wanted to raise the profile of autistic women in the workplace. I anonymously posted some points on the effects of autism in the workplace for a group member to use at a conference, and I intended to write blogs for our closed intranet site. Sadly, the blogs never materialised. However, I did openly share my autistic experiences on X/Twitter outside of work, contributed to research, did an interview for a well-known magazine, and had my own website! The Autism network has since expanded to become the Neurodivergence Network, with over 400 members – another sign that awareness and interest in neurodiversity have grown over time.

Feeling comfortable with your choice on disclosure

In work, and even outside of it, I always thought I hid the fact that I’m autistic quite well. Sometimes I find myself doubting the diagnosis. But I was caught off guard very recently when a senior colleague asked me whether I may have ADHD or autism.

I would have preferred not to have had to disclose on that occasion. If I had wanted to, I would have, in my own time, on my own terms. But I also didn’t want to lie, so I said yes, and when pressed, told him I had received a diagnosis of “Aspergers” when the term was still used. He had taken the opportunity to ask me this when I was discussing not doing anything sociable that week, as I was saving my energy for my brother’s wedding on the weekend. However, I think it’s likely he knew or had picked up on some traits over time at work and had perhaps been wondering.

A decade ago, a consultant at a recruitment company in London openly shared to a group of us that they wanted to avoid someone with certain traits in the hiring process as it could indicate “someone on the spectrum”. She nodded and laughed like it was some kind of joke that she had just obliviously openly discriminated against a whole group of potentially very capable individuals. Some people laughed along with her. I angrily sat in disbelief wondering whether to speak up, but I pondered too long and the moment passed, which I’m still slightly annoyed with myself about! Sadly, this isn’t the only discrimination I’ve witnessed. I have endured much worse, but those experiences taught me a lot and made me realise I needed to do my bit to raise awareness of autistic women in the workplace.

On the plus side, not only is neurodivergence (and therefore autism) more widely known about and better understood, it is also more widely accepted (at least in my experience).

With an increased awareness of autism has come an increased understanding and acceptance of it – not only from individuals within an organisation, but also from organisations themselves. Some leading UK employers recognise the potential of autistic individuals and the strengths an autistic individual may bring, such as good attention to detail, honesty, and focus.

Some autistic individuals may be starting to feel safer and more confident to speak out too. I was recently stunned when I overheard a very senior colleague on a call at work casually mention that she was autistic. It’s really important for leaders to speak out like this, not just for increased awareness and acceptance, but also so that more junior autistic colleagues have visible role models. It’s given me hope and makes me realise that perhaps I don’t have to hide such a big part of myself at work. I can openly talk more about my experiences and spread awareness through my role in the GSS D&I Group…starting with this blog.