Legal Research

"Asperger Syndrome in the Office: How I Deal with Sensory Integration Dysfunction"

Posted by Penelope Trunk: "A lot of people ask me how I manage to keep a job when I have Asperger syndrome. So I'm doing a series this week on the topic, because it's true that most people with Asperger's are not doing well at work. The work place rewards social skills, and people with Asperger's have a social skill disorder.

I will never have great social skills, but I make them better by ensuring that I'm in my best social environment for work. For most people with Asperger's, inadequate social skills are exacerbated by sensory integration disorder, which is a tendency to be overwhelmed by outside stimuli. This frequently overwhelmed feeling makes one unable to concentrate on social skills.

Here are the ways I compensate for sensory integration disorder so that I can focus on having social skills that will make people want to work with me.

1. Establish routines to limit input...

2. Find people who believe in you, and then reveal deficits...

3. Assume that your most severe deficits relate to Asperger's; you'll understand them better...

4. Find people who are willing to help...

5. Watch the words people use in order to see where you are distasteful...

6. Pay more attention at work, where the judgement is most likely...

7. Stick to one-on-one meetings, and use email a lot...

I know this is a lot of information for someone who is trying to deal with Asperger's. The two most important things to take away from this are:

1.     Understand common deficits of people with Asperger's. You probably have them.

2.     Surround yourself with people who will coach you through situations.

Full text and active links are available at the source site listed below.

Source: Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist, 30 September 2009

Full post as published by Stark County Law Library Blawg on October 01, 2009 (boomark / email).