People with Asperger syndrome brilliant but socially awkward
A description of the perfect employee might sound something like this: always punctual, totally reliable, highly motivated, detail oriented, healthy, mature, driven to succeed, able to learn quickly and won’t leave six months after training. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Finding a motivated employee today is — to say the least — not easy. And particularly finding one who’ll stay longer than six months. For an employer it’s discouraging to hire and train someone who looks like a great fit only to have her quit after having invested time, energy and a certain amount of trust to get her on her feet.
The “perfect employee” would seem to be a kind of myth. After all, nobody’s perfect. And people have lives of their own. And we know how time-consuming office gossip and politics can be.
However there are people who match the description of the perfect worker, but because they suffer from a condition known as Asperger syndrome, their value may be unrealized because they appear too eccentric or unable to fit into workplaces.
Asperger syndrome was, until recently, a totally undiagnosed condition. Undiagnosed, but not unnoticed. Very eccentric people, people who were brilliant in one particular field but total disasters socially, people so painfully shy that eye contact was an agonizing experience were, in all probability, suffering from Asperger syndrome.
Glenn Gould, the famously brilliant, highly eccentric Canadian pianist was one. And like Gould, most people with Asperger, when placed in the right situation are extremely high achievers.
Indeed, people with Asperger syndrome are often brilliant performers at certain tasks and typically possess remarkable attributes: amazing memories, always on time, no interest in office politics, rarely get sick, reliable and very mobile.
During the last five years, Gail Hawkins of Mission Possible, a Toronto agency devoted to helping people with Asperger syndrome find work, has witnessed first hand what people with the condition can achieve. One person could learn a four-hour software program in seven minutes, another could memorize a complex mailing list after studying it silently for four minutes and then never referring to it again. Others become so focused on the task at hand they forget to go home at quitting time.
The list goes on and on. Hawkins realized these people have the potential to be perfect employees. They always arrive on time and often early. They concentrate solely on getting the job done and done well. They never stop to gossip. They don’t understand and therefore never get involved in office politics. They are highly motivated, driven to succeed, eager to please and capable of very high achievement. Hawkins calls them “Asperger Achievers.”
However, she also realized they need intensive training in order to make it in the job market. She works with them to help them overcome whatever obstacles might be in the way of them succeeding in the workplace. Sometimes it’s an obsessive need to talk about their own interests or else they may speak far too loudly for other people’s comfort. Sometimes people with Asperger syndrome can make other people uncomfortable by standing too close. For others, painful shyness means making eye contact is difficult and interviews become a torment.
Since they don’t recognize body language, subtle hints like looking at a watch mean absolutely nothing. Nor do they understand slang. “I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place,” would likely have them looking around for a rock or a hard place.
And because they don’t understand hints or subtleties of language, one must be very clear and very frank, with carefully chosen words. The ability to focus intently can be a very positive attribute, however most jobs have a time limit and that has to be built into instructions.
Mission Possible helps people with Asperger syndrome find work appropriate for their capabilities, and then assists employers in understanding any special needs their new workers may have.
Mission Possible searches for a position that would be a good match for the person’s attributes and an interview is arranged. Hawkins will accompany the client to but not into the interview. If the job is found mutually acceptable, she then works closely with both the client and the employer explaining the important factors to be considered in the new employment relationship. For instance, there should only be one contact person who gives direction and instruction. This is critical since more than one person giving orders could cause confusion for the new employee.
After studying the job and learning what’s involved and describing this to the client, Hawkins will then go to the workplace providing two or three days of training to smooth the transition into the new job.
Sylvia Hughes is the marketing director and placement co-ordinator of Mission Possible. For more information contact (416) 703-3007 or visit www.missionpossible1.com.
Finding a motivated employee today is — to say the least — not easy. And particularly finding one who’ll stay longer than six months. For an employer it’s discouraging to hire and train someone who looks like a great fit only to have her quit after having invested time, energy and a certain amount of trust to get her on her feet.
The “perfect employee” would seem to be a kind of myth. After all, nobody’s perfect. And people have lives of their own. And we know how time-consuming office gossip and politics can be.
However there are people who match the description of the perfect worker, but because they suffer from a condition known as Asperger syndrome, their value may be unrealized because they appear too eccentric or unable to fit into workplaces.
Asperger syndrome was, until recently, a totally undiagnosed condition. Undiagnosed, but not unnoticed. Very eccentric people, people who were brilliant in one particular field but total disasters socially, people so painfully shy that eye contact was an agonizing experience were, in all probability, suffering from Asperger syndrome.
Glenn Gould, the famously brilliant, highly eccentric Canadian pianist was one. And like Gould, most people with Asperger, when placed in the right situation are extremely high achievers.
Indeed, people with Asperger syndrome are often brilliant performers at certain tasks and typically possess remarkable attributes: amazing memories, always on time, no interest in office politics, rarely get sick, reliable and very mobile.
During the last five years, Gail Hawkins of Mission Possible, a Toronto agency devoted to helping people with Asperger syndrome find work, has witnessed first hand what people with the condition can achieve. One person could learn a four-hour software program in seven minutes, another could memorize a complex mailing list after studying it silently for four minutes and then never referring to it again. Others become so focused on the task at hand they forget to go home at quitting time.
The list goes on and on. Hawkins realized these people have the potential to be perfect employees. They always arrive on time and often early. They concentrate solely on getting the job done and done well. They never stop to gossip. They don’t understand and therefore never get involved in office politics. They are highly motivated, driven to succeed, eager to please and capable of very high achievement. Hawkins calls them “Asperger Achievers.”
However, she also realized they need intensive training in order to make it in the job market. She works with them to help them overcome whatever obstacles might be in the way of them succeeding in the workplace. Sometimes it’s an obsessive need to talk about their own interests or else they may speak far too loudly for other people’s comfort. Sometimes people with Asperger syndrome can make other people uncomfortable by standing too close. For others, painful shyness means making eye contact is difficult and interviews become a torment.
Since they don’t recognize body language, subtle hints like looking at a watch mean absolutely nothing. Nor do they understand slang. “I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place,” would likely have them looking around for a rock or a hard place.
And because they don’t understand hints or subtleties of language, one must be very clear and very frank, with carefully chosen words. The ability to focus intently can be a very positive attribute, however most jobs have a time limit and that has to be built into instructions.
Mission Possible helps people with Asperger syndrome find work appropriate for their capabilities, and then assists employers in understanding any special needs their new workers may have.
Mission Possible searches for a position that would be a good match for the person’s attributes and an interview is arranged. Hawkins will accompany the client to but not into the interview. If the job is found mutually acceptable, she then works closely with both the client and the employer explaining the important factors to be considered in the new employment relationship. For instance, there should only be one contact person who gives direction and instruction. This is critical since more than one person giving orders could cause confusion for the new employee.
After studying the job and learning what’s involved and describing this to the client, Hawkins will then go to the workplace providing two or three days of training to smooth the transition into the new job.
Sylvia Hughes is the marketing director and placement co-ordinator of Mission Possible. For more information contact (416) 703-3007 or visit www.missionpossible1.com.
