The Dos & Donāts of Interviewing Job Candidates with Autism
How Employers Can Accommodate Neurodivergent Job Applicants
By: Hannah Hottenstein
Contents:
Introduction: Finding Employment in a Pandemic is Rough
Traditional Interview Styles are Not Always a Good Fit for Autistics
How to Properly Accommodate Neurodivergent Job Candidates
Take Time to Assess Your Interview Process for Potential Snags
The Dos
The Donāts
Good Job Matches are Possible with the Right Preparation & Mindset
Tell us about your best and worst job interview
Introduction: Finding Employment in a Pandemic is Rough
Large groups of U.S. workers are transitioning to remote jobs. Many workers are facing high rates of unemployment as a result, especially disabled and marginalized groups. For autistic adults already struggling to find work, the COVID-19 pandemic has only made this process even more difficult. Thankfully, for employers and autistic job seekers alike, there are actionable solutions to bridge this gap and find suitable job matches. There is a way to make a job interview for autistic adults more friendly.
Traditional Interview Styles are Not Always a Good Fit for Autistics
If you want more neurodivergent talent in your company, make sure you arenāt scaring off qualified candidates during your interview process. Job interviews are already inherently stressful and filled with unrealistic-expectations.
First impressions stick, and slip-ups can lead to not getting callbacks. For autistic job-seekers, these emotional and psychological pressures plus sensory or environmental stressors can mean interview failure even when they are perfectly qualified for the position.
How to Properly Accommodate Neurodivergent Job Candidates
Take stock of your interview process and environment before you interview an autistic candidate. If it will take place over phone or video call, consider these questions:
How is the sensory background environment for your call? Are there bright lights or high-pitched electronic noises?
What is the potential for environmental distractions during the call? Is there a potential for obtrusive background noises or movements?
Does your candidate have adequate instructions before their appointment? Do you have autistic-friendly interview questions ready to ask them? Have you supplied them with interview expectations or questions ahead of time?
If the interview will take place in person, consider these questions:
How is the sensory environment in the interview space? Are the lights or windows too bright? Is the room too cold or hot?
What is the potential for environmental distractions or stressors? How are the noise levels of the area? Are other people coming in and out of the space?
Does your candidate have adequate directions and instructions prior to their appointment? Do you have a relatively comfortable chair, writing surface, and autistic-friendly interview questions ready for them?
Take Time to Assess Your Interview Process for Potential Snags
The goal is to facilitate a mutually-informative, tailored interview process for both parties. Is this applicant a good fit for your job opening? They need to know if your workplace environment and job expectations match their needs, skills, and abilities.
To properly assess that match, there are a few things companies hiring autistic adults need to keep in mind. Whether those interviews take place over a video call or in-person, there are some crucial tips to keep in mind for how to accommodate neurodiverse candidates during that process adequately. Here are some dos and donāts of interviewing autistics:
The Dos
ļ»æResearch autistic interview and workplace accommodations. Use those resources to plan ahead. If you want to hire neurodiverse employees, you need to know more about them first. (Check out the guide to hiring your first autistic employee and the autism-friendly employer meter.)
Allow your interviewee adequate time to respond to your interview questions. Many autistics would prefer if you supply interview questions ahead of time, if possible.
Encourage them to make themselves comfortable and speak up if they need anything. Many interviewers already do this, but itās especially conducive to resolve any issues before you start the interview process. (This can look like offering a glass of water, pen & paper, a different chair, or making a temperature or location adjustment).
Offer alternative interview modes or venues. Depending on their needs, a phone, video, email, or in-person interview may be preferred. If you can, find out which theyāre most comfortable with and set it up for the interview.
Observe their body language and nonverbals during the interview. This is important. When an interviewer made me uncomfortable but didn't notice and kept going, it made me want to leave the room or go nonverbal. Pay attention to your ND interviewee and adjust your behavior or line of questioning based on what you see. Many autistics fidget, stim, or show signs of anxiety/distress when asked or expected to do unintuitive things.
When in doubt, ask for clarification. Something like āWe can skip that question if you like?ā goes a long way for making an autistic feel less attacked and more open to more questions. Or something like, āWhen you say āIām good at helping people,ā are you referring to displaying good customer service skills or something else?ā to find clarification.
Supply a writing surface if they need it. The most frustrating interviews for me were those where I had to balance my notebook on my knee while trying to concentrate on what the interviewer was saying.
Encourage them to share exactly why they are interested in the position. If you get a practical "Because I need a job" response, follow up with "That makes sense! But do you also enjoy ( specific job skill requirement)?"
The Don'ts
Donāt ask for improvisation or demonstrations on the spot without allowing for preparation time. This is usually extremely distressing for autistic individuals. Unless the job requires improvisation, most would prefer being allowed to prepare.
Donāt interview in a noisy, overly bright, or environmentally uncomfortable place. My worst interviews were ones that didnāt pay attention to this. If the sun is in their eyes, the room is freezing, or people are constantly interrupting the interview, you wonāt get an accurate picture of the autistic person or their highest level of abilities.
Donāt use vague, generalized questions. Be as specific as possible. Instead of, "Why don't you tell me about yourself?" try "What is your experience with [a specific program]?" or "How many years have you spent [doing this specific kind of job]?" or "Tell me about your favorite project and why you enjoyed it," etc.
Donāt force or expect eye contact. This is interacting with an autistic person 101. A lack of eye contact does not mean anything, and for many, itās a way to concentrate better. Along these lines, seat everyone angled, if possible. The pressure of sitting directly in front of an interviewer can negatively skew the feedback you get from your autistic candidate.
Donāt discourage stimming (self-stimulatory behaviors) in any way. Interviews are stressful, so sometimes we need to stim during them. It does not mean we're unqualified, unable to handle stress, or lying. It just means weāre concentrating! Letting your autistic candidate know itās okay to stim during the interview will instantly put you in their favor.
Donāt require them to do something (like demonstrating a job skill) while you continue to ask detailed questions. Multitasking complicated tasks with equal care and attention is difficult for anyone. Itās counterproductive to expect this of an autistic person. I had a floral designer interview where I was asked to create a floral arrangement. At the same time, the owner kept asking me about my background and skills. Frankly, I did not know what I said or what the floral arrangement looked like until it was over. Give your autistic candidate time to do either task, separately, for a more accurate assessment.
Good Job Matches are Possible with the Right Preparation & Mindset
Suppose an employer thinks these kinds of accommodations can't be that important. In that case, I'll share this: I once bombed an interview for a job that was in my special interest field (with over ten years of experience on my part) just because I had forgotten to bring chapstick that morning and couldn't focus because my lips were dry. After that, I made an interview preparation bag and stocked it with things like tissues, lotion, nail clippers, chapstick, and hand sanitizer so that would never happen again. Long story short, planning ahead for accommodating autistic candidates during interviews is quite essential.
Tell us about your best or worst job interview experience
Go ahead and tell us about your best or worst job interview. Did you disclose your autism or not? Got interview tips for autistic candidates, share everything in our autism and employment forum.
How to Help Your Autistic Child with Sleeping
By: Vanessa Blanchard
There are several reasons autistic children can struggle with sleeping. First, their nervous systems struggle with emotional regulation, meaning it can be challenging for them to calm down at night. Autistic kids are known to have frequent nightmares, which makes staying asleep difficult. Some kids struggle with sensory issues, like a lack of stimulation, at night as well.
Establish a Routine
Autistic children thrive with routines. Establishing a consistent routine before bed will help your childās body regulate itself better.
Mindfulness for Kids
Mindfulness is a great tool for helping kids learn to fall and stay asleep. It can be challenging because traditional forms of meditation are hard for kids, especially kids who feel better fidgeting.
Luckily, there are many approaches one can take to mindfulness. Soothing sensory play, a playful bath, or cuddles are all valid approaches. Be creative and let their sensory needs guide you.
How to Address Sensory Needs
Make sure your childās bedroom meets their sensory needs. Some kids need their rooms to be free of stimulation, others will struggle with the lack of sensory information. Night lights, relaxing sounds, weighted blankets, comfortable pajamas, and cuddle toys can be helpful. So can blank walls, white noise machines, and very few blankets or toys, depending on the child.
What to Do
Listen to your child. For example, it might seem like thunder sounds and nightlights would hurt their sleep, but it can be very helpful to children who struggle without that information to soothe them.
What Not to Do
Donāt forget that their nervous system will need help allowing them to sleep.
Donāt give up if your first attempts donāt work. Learning to sleep well is hard for any child, let alone one with sensory sensitivities and increased risks of nightmares.
About the writer
Iām a writer, artist, and advocate who loves living in Maine among the trees and oceanside villages. Iām also autistic, ADHD, and PTSD. My education, both academic and personal, has centered around mental health and neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as discrimination and the socioeconomic consequences of living disabled in America. I work to plant seeds and spread ideas through my writing.
You can find me on Twitter @ladysnessa.
Tips to Get Your Autistic (picky) Child to Eat (and try new food)
By: Vanessa Blanchard
Autistic kids are known to be picky eaters, sometimes so picky that their parents worry they wonāt get enough nutrition. There are a number of reasons this can happen.
Sensory Sensitivities
Itās common for autistic kids to be picky eaters. This, like so many autistic behaviors, is seen as defiance when really it boils down to sensory sensitivities for the child.
Unagreeable textures can cause a picky eater. Tastes, temperature, etc. can also contribute to food aversions. If your child has synesthesia, these sensory aversions can be multiplied and harder for your child to describe to you.
Other Reasons for Picky Eating
Another common issue in refusing food is stress. If your child is being bullied or feels out of control in their life, they might be unable to eat. Fight or flight stress states suppress digestion and feelings of hunger. Some even report being unable to swallow, as if their bodies are rejecting food.
Sometimes, being a picky eater is about needing routines. Trying new foods is outside of an established routine and therefore uncomfortable or overwhelming. Likewise, routine foods can be a huge source of comfort.
Autistic kids canāt always read signals from their bodies, either. So, theyāll miss physical cues that theyāre hungry.
What to Do
Let your kid eat foods they enjoy.
Work with your child to figure out what sensory issues or stress issues they might have with food.
Introduce new foods in a low-pressure way.
Make meals and trying new foods very routine so that eating and trying new things is more predictable.
What Not to Do
Donāt force them to eat things they donāt want to eat.
Donāt let people judge you for your kidās diet. Theyāre kids and youāre doing your best to help them out.
About the writer
Iām a writer, artist, and advocate who loves living in Maine among the trees and oceanside villages. Iām also autistic, ADHD, and PTSD. My education, both academic and personal, has centered around mental health and neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as discrimination and the socioeconomic consequences of living disabled in America. I work to plant seeds and spread ideas through my writing.
You can find me on Twitter @ladysnessa.
How to Teach a Non-speaking Autistic Child to Communicate
By: Vanessa Blanchard
Learning to speak can be difficult for autistic children. People sometimes assume that this means that their child is unable to think or to comprehend the world around them.
This is so not true.
There are tons of autistic authors that dismantle this notion. I highly recommend reading the book, How Can I Talk if My Lips Donāt Move? by Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay. Itās a wonderful book about the inner world of a non-verbal autistic boy as he grows. (The way he talks about his mother is beautiful as well.)
What is AAC?
AAC, or Augmentative and Alternative Communication, is a collection of speech alternatives that allow people who struggle with speaking to communicate.
There are multiple options for AAC, so talking with a specialist or other autistic adults who might help you find a match that works best for your child. Some autistic kids eventually develop the ability to speak, others rely on AAC over their lifetime, some will find that they need to switch back and forth.
What to Do
Research different methods of communication and find what works best for your child.
Reach out to autistic folks for advice and insight into what has helped them or their loved ones.
What Not to Do
Donāt panic when your child expresses anger as they begin to communicate, even if itās directed towards you or another authority figure. Imagine how frustrating it must be to be unable to express yourself. Itās normal to exercise a newfound freedom with a strong display of rebellion.
About the writer
Iām a writer, artist, and advocate who loves living in Maine among the trees and oceanside villages. Iām also autistic, ADHD, and PTSD. My education, both academic and personal, has centered around mental health and neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as discrimination and the socioeconomic consequences of living disabled in America. I work to plant seeds and spread ideas through my writing.
You can find me on Twitter @ladysnessa.
Tips for Parents & Teachers on how to Teach Autistic Children
By: Vanessa Blanchard
Autistic kids are passionate and talented, but their learning styles are usually different than their peers.
Is Autism a Learning Disability?
No. It can come with a variety of co-occurring learning disabilities (LD), but autism itself is not one. Common LDs include dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. A lot of autistic kids are also ADHD, which will increase the chance of LDs occurring.
Thereās a common myth that being āintelligentā means you canāt have a learning disability. Beware of this idea. The concept of intelligence is tied to ableism and eugenics, and autistic folks deal with a lot of fallout from that. Those perceived to be smart canāt get support and those thought to be intellectually disabled are dehumanized.
How to stop fidgeting
Donāt. Fidgeting is stimming and itās an important part of autistic self-regulation. Allowing kids to fidget can improve their ability to focus overall.
You might find your child has a kinesthetic learning style, meaning they learn better by acting rather than listening. This might make traditional learning environments challenging, because they require you to sit still to show youāre paying attention.
Being in motion or performing a task improves our ability to process information.
What to do
Identify your kidās learning style and any LDs they might have and develop an education plan that meets their needs.
Be prepared for some schools to be unwilling or ill-equipped to help you with this. Advocate for your children and be willing to switch to a new school if necessary.
What not to do
Donāt assume that traditional learning is the only way to learn.
Donāt force your kids to stop doing things that help them learn or process information.
About the writer
Iām a writer, artist, and advocate who loves living in Maine among the trees and oceanside villages. Iām also autistic, ADHD, and PTSD. My education, both academic and personal, has centered around mental health and neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as discrimination and the socioeconomic consequences of living disabled in America. I work to plant seeds and spread ideas through my writing. You can find me on Twitter @ladysnessa.