They see Autism

Could you stand rejection?

This is the latest question from the National Autism Society.

Working in the role I work in, I interact with a multitude of different people. Each with their own unique take on life. It's fundamentally one of the reasons I enjoy my job.

Watching the attached video has reinforced my wish to make employers more aware of the challenges individuals face. I previously wrote a piece around the BBC programme 'Employable Me' (http://insights.sciproglobal.com/post/102d9up/employable-me-an-enlightened-approach-to-recruitment) which featured an array of characters each with a difficulty to over come. The programme received some brilliant reviews and some fantastic outcomes for the participants.

This video really hits home how what can be deemed a simple question or task for many individuals, myself included, can be a real challenge to others. However, it doesn't mean they aren't capable, just that the proposition and interaction needs to be adapted.

Some of the most brilliant minds have been believed to be autistic including:

- Mozart

- Albert Einstein

- Andy Warhol

- Charles Darwin

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Just because someone doesn't think the same or act the same as you, it doesn't mean they can't offer value. My Director Adam has always said, "if you can't learn something or see a different perspective from your peers, why do you work there? What value do they add to you?"

As much as this pains me to say, he is completely right. If I was surrounded by only versions of myself, I would never improve, never develop and most importantly never push myself.

{ Employers don't see my abilities. They see my autism. They see a problem.

And that makes them quick to judge me, to dismiss me. Simply because they don't understand me.

https://youtu.be/h8iF0TAmyr4