One of your employees came to you and asked for accommodations for autism or ADHD. As a manager, you want to support your employee, but you realize you’re out of your depth. What accommodations are available? You wonder how your team navigates social situations to ensure they are comfortable. Luckily, you have come to the right place.…
Social Skills in the Workplace Series
Autistic in the Workplace: Dealing with Mistreatment as a Neurodiverse Employee
You’re neurodiverse, and finally realizing that it is a superpower more than a “disability.” Now if your boss would only see it that way. You may have asked for accommodations in the past only to have your request brushed aside by your boss or HR. The accommodations you need may have been seen as unnecessary.…
How Autism Masking Drains Your Social Battery and Affects Relationships
“I mask from the time I get up to the time I go to bed all day, every day.”
As an individual on the autism spectrum, you’ve likely experienced relationship challenges. Frequently, the challenges come from misunderstandings and disagreements surrounding getting your needs and priorities met. After frequent issues continue to occur, you may have lost confidence in your ability to have a successful relationship.…
Social Skills in the Workplace: Self-Advocacy for Young Neurodiverse Adults
Welcome back! Today I will wrap up my blog series on social skills in the workplace. We have previously discussed confusion over facial expressions, social smiles, how to participate in small talk, the importance of initiating conversations, and the power of hyperfocus. Today, we will discuss the importance of self-advocacy for young neurodiverse professionals.
Social Skills in the Workplace: The Power of Hyperfocus
Hello! Welcome back to my blog series on Social Skills in the Workplace. I want to help neurodiverse individuals feel more comfortable at work. This is why I run support groups for autistic working professionals. In this blog series, we have discussed confusion around facial expressions, the importance of a social smile, small talk, initiating conversations, and sensory overload.
Social Skills in the Workplace: Sensory Overload for Neurodiverse Young Professionals
Welcome back to my blog series on social skills in the workplace. So far we have discussed the confusion surrounding facial expressions, the importance of a social smile, small talk, and initiating conversations. In fact, I have recently opened a new support group for young professionals on the spectrum!
Social Skills in the Workplace: Initiating Conversations
Welcome back! This is the fifth installment of my blog posts on social skills in the workplace. Previously, we have discussed the confusion autistic individuals may have over facial expressions, the value of a smile, and the importance of small talk. Today I would like to discuss why it is important to initiate conversations at work.…
Social Skills in the Workplace: The Value of Small Talk with Neurotypical Colleagues
Thanks for visiting! As you may already know, this is the fourth installment of my blog series about navigating social skills in the workplace. If you are on the autism spectrum, you might think you are at work to do your job. Therefore, small talk, smiling, and other social niceties may seem like a waste of time and unnecessary.…
Social Skills in the Workplace: Autistic Adults and Smiling
Thanks for visiting my Open Doors Therapy Blog This is the second installment of my blog series about navigating social skills in the workplace. If you are on the autism spectrum or neurodiverse, you might think your primary responsibility at work is to do your job well. Small talk, smiling, and other social niceties may seem like a waste of time and irritating.…
Social Skills in the Workplace: The Confusion with Trying to Read Facial Expressions of Autistic Adults
Welcome back! I’m so glad you are joining me for this new blog series about Social Skills in the Workplace. We’re going to start with one of the most frequent concerns I hear about: reading facial expressions! This can seem tricky, but I am going to address some of the main concerns you might have in today’s post.…