Since we spend so much of our lives at work — about a third of it, in fact — we need to ensure that we’re comfortable. This isn’t just about employers ticking a box; it’s about creating autism friendly workplaces where you can be genuinely happy and thrive with all of the strengths and challenges that autism brings.
With the post-Covid trend of employees returning to the workplace, the traditional office is just as in vogue as it’s ever been, with its noisy open-plan layout, bright fluorescent lights, and the social expectations of idle chit-chat before meetings and catching up with colleagues by the water cooler.
In this guide, I’m going to share 10 tips to help you create autism friendly workplaces for yourself, so you can be as productive and empowered as possible.
1. Change Your Office Lighting
Those bright, flickering lights you often encounter in older offices drive me crazy. I find myself squinting my eyes and really struggling to concentrate. If you’re lucky enough to be near a window, you can at least hopefully enjoy the view, but then you’re contending with that annoying glare on your screen.
If you experience this where you work:
• Try using softer, adjustable LED desk lamps to control the brightness of your workspace.
• If you’re near a window, ask your manager for blinds or curtains to help reduce the glare on your screen.
• If your employer will agree to accommodate the expense, ask about replacing fluorescent bulbs with LED lights in shared spaces.
These simple changes can help to make your workspace feel a little bit calmer.
2. Try Using Noise Cancelling Headphones
As we all know, noise is a fairly big deal for us, and a scientific review in 2021 has backed this up. It found that 50 – 70% of people with autism are hypersensitive to everyday sounds at some point in their lives.
Here are some tips for creating a quieter working environment:
- Try using noise cancelling headphones. You can either invest in these yourself or if you’re comfortable doing so and you feel that the time is right you can request them as a reasonable accommodation. I use noise cancelling headphones myself, and in my opinion they’re fantastic. I can be completely absorbed in my own little world while I focus on what’s in front of me. They also have the added bonus of telling those around me that I’m busy with my work and would prefer not to be interrupted.
- If you wanted to go a step further with reasonable accommodations, you could ask for sound absorbing panels or carpets on the floor to help to reduce the noise levels in the room.
- It’s not unreasonable to ask for a quiet zone or a private space to be set aside for you and others to retreat to when you need time to recharge and be away from it all for while.
Having things in place that help reduce the overwhelm we experience with noise can help you to be calm and more productive in an autism friendly workplace.
3. Change Your Open-Plan Office Arrangement
The hustle and bustle of a busy open-plan office can feel overwhelming but there are ways of making it work for you.
- Ask for privacy screens to be set up around your workstation or request to be moved to a desk where there are fewer people walking by.
- Speak to your line manager about changing the office seating arrangements to minimize any disruptions. The conversation doesn’t need to be specific to autism, as in my experience any manager worth their salt is going to prefer a more productive workplace.
- Find out where the quieter zones in the room are and don’t be afraid to use them if it helps you stay focused on your tasks.
Putting these adjustments in place can help to make it feel like you’re more in control of the space around you.
4. Use Ergonomic Office Equipment
Who among us doesn’t like a comfortable chair (I’ve having visions of Frasier’s Dad in Frasier right now)? On a more serious note, having comfortable and ergonomic furniture and tools can make a really big difference.
Consider trying these:
- Ask your manager for a sensory chair that provides movement and sensory stimulation to help you stay focused on your work. These are chairs that can wobble, rock, spin, or provide compression or a feeling of being hugged. If your manager refuses to provide this as a reasonable accommodation, then ask if they’ll allow you to bring one into the office yourself, but only if you can afford it and you feel comfortable using it around your colleagues.
- Experiment with textured keyboard covers and ergonomic mice that offer tactile sensations.
- Try using cushions or footrests to see if they help make you feel more comfortable at your desk.
Using comfortable and ergonomic equipment can ease the physical strain of sitting at a desk for long hours, which can, in turn, help improve your focus and create a more autism friendly workplace.
5. Have a Look at Your Flexible Working Policies
In my experience, some managers lose sight of the basics – that people are human and that they just want to be treated with dignity and respect. In my role in the autism network at work, I often get asked to review cases where all that’s needed for the individual to thrive with autism in the workplace is a little bit of compassion, some flexibility and a willingness to understand their needs.
It never hurts to review your flexible working policies, and if they allow for these things, try:
- Ask for remote or hybrid working options if working in the office feels too overwhelming. Be prepared to explain to your manager (who may not know much about autism) why this would help you overcome some of your challenges and make you more productive.
- If you commute through busy traffic or on public transport, consider asking for flexible start times to avoid rush hour.
- Make sure to take regular breaks to reset your mind during high-intensity periods.
Simply knowing your rights and options can make your day much more manageable in autism friendly workplaces.
6. Ask Your Boss for a Designated Quiet Space
You know that feeling when your senses are overloaded, and you either want to shout to the rooftops or get away from what you’re doing? That’s completely normal for us and it’s a part of how we’re wired. I believe it’s the tradeoff for having the ability to focus intensely on a task and keep going long after most people lose interest or give up.
With that in mind, it’s important to have a designated space where you can retreat to at work. If you don’t already have one, consider suggesting it to your boss. It doesn’t necessarily need to be framed as an accommodation for autism, as it would likely benefit most people on your team.
The features of the quiet space could include:
- Soft seating like beanbags or recliners where you can sit and relax for a few minutes before returning to the mayhem.
- Weighted blankets or other calming tools if you plan to be there for a while.
- Headphones for listening to binaural beats (sounds that mimic brainwave frequencies).
If you can get something like this set up, it would provide you with a safe space to retreat to as and when sensory overload happens.
7. Simplify Your Communication with Colleagues
We’ve all been there. You say something to a colleague that comes across in a way you never actually intended, or maybe you write an email in your usual direct style, only for your colleague to read it and think you’re a jerk (been there, done that!).
It’s important to communicate clearly with colleagues in a way that aligns with their neurotypical expectations. Yes, that’s right—if you want to keep a job and be successful, you need to communicate in a way that fits in with most of society, and unfortunately, that’s not likely to change in our lifetimes:
- Ask your manager and colleagues to back up important verbal directions in writing. This could be a few bullet points after a meeting or discussion.
- Use tools like ChatGPT to rewrite emails for you. I use this all…of…the…time, and it’s fantastic. I’ll write my email the way I normally would and then I’ll ask ChatGPT to rewrite it in a friendly and professional tone. I can’t stress enough what a great tool ChatGPT is for professionals with autism. Just make sure that you’re not putting anything sensitive into it like company information or personal details. To get round this you can simply swap out the sensitive details and then change it back to the real details when you copy and paste into your e-mail.
- Ask your manager for advance notice of any significant changes or meetings to prevent anxiety leading up to them.
- Stick to email or instant messaging when you’re feeling overwhelmed or not in the mood for small talk.
By using the tools available to you and ensuring that those around you communicate in a way that fits both your needs and theirs, you can reduce the chances of misunderstandings and strengthen the teamwork needed for collaboration.
8. Use Tools for Self-Regulation
I’m lucky in the sense that my employer kindly provided me with a number of tools to help me stay regulated. I was initially reluctant to use them, as they’re the kinds of things I associate with my kids, but I can’t recommend them enough—not just for people with autism, but for anyone looking to focus or decompress.
- Use fidget toys and stress balls to offer tactile stimulation, regulate sensory input, and improve your focus. My personal favorite is a tin of magnet putty (yes such a thing exists – see above photo of mine) that I keep on my desk and pull out whenever I need to calm my mind.
- Try using weighted lap pads that provide calming pressure.
- You could even try discreet sensory aids like chewable necklaces or bracelets that produce a calming effect and help reduce stress and anxiety.
By having these tools nearby, you can feel more in control of your emotions and state of mind.
9. Educate Your Manager About Your Needs
We all have different types of managers, and it’s a fact of life that some are better than others when it comes to understanding autism. Right now, I’m incredibly fortunate to have a manager who has an autistic relative themselves, and my experience has shown me that they intuitively understand what autism means for someone in the workplace.
But I’ve also had managers who knew nothing at all about autism (which is understandable, as I didn’t know much about it myself until I realized I was autistic), and I’ve even encountered managers who, to put it mildly, were less understanding or supportive in the past.
If you’re comfortable disclosing your autism to your manager, consider:
- Sharing articles or resources about autism with them. These don’t need to cost the organization money, as there’s plenty of free material available. One of the most powerful demonstrations I’ve seen of what it feels like to be autistic in the modern workplace is the video below. I highly recommend you watch it and share it too.
- Suggesting training sessions or workshops to educate the team on neurodiversity.
- Having open conversations with your manager about the types of accommodations you need to help you thrive.
Building better awareness can go a long way to creating a more autism friendly workplace.
Here’s the video that I recommend showing to others:
10. Personalize Your Workspace
If you’re fortunate enough not to work in one of those places with a hot-desking policy, then your desk is your domain – your castle – your safe-space. It’s important to make it work for you:
- Add plants or other objects that cheer up the space and bring you joy.
- Adjust the room layout to suit your preferences. For example, I personally can’t work with my back to the door and always avoid that setup.
- Use a small fan or heater if the office temperature isn’t quite right, so your zone stays comfortable.
When your workspace feels comfortable and personalized, you’re more mindful, relaxed, and able to focus better on your tasks.
Conclusion
It might feel awkward to take charge of your workplace initially but you don’t need to achieve everything all at once. Each small adjustment you make brings you closer to having a space where you can feel happy and relaxed in the third of your life that you spend there.
Which of these tips do you plan to try, or maybe there are things you’re already doing that work?
It would be great if we all shared what works for us and what doesn’t, so please be brave and leave a comment in the section below.
