People With Autism Can Only Do Data Entry... And Other Myths

One of the common myths about people with autism is that they are unemotional and uncommunicative; and that hence, all they are good at is data entry. 

However, Michael Carley, a speaker, author and consultant who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as an adult, believes that people with ASD do not have to be stereotyped when it comes to employment.

“We can do any job out there,” he says. 

In the first part of this series, we looked at how the neurodiversity of people with autism gives rise to certain attributes that could be assets to different workplaces and industries.

Another myth about people with autism is that they are intellectually disabled. However, many people with autism have normal to high IQs, and some excel at certain skills. 

Dr Choy Sook Kuen, co-chair of Autism Initiatives Malaysia, suggests that employers should be bold enough to hire individuals with autism who have the right qualities for the job, even if these people may initially be perceived as  “odd”. 

How diversity pays off in the workplace

An employee’s behaviour is open to interpretation. Seen in a negative light, some people with autism may be perceived as lazy, slow or behaving inappropriately.

However, there are also positive attributes to be found, such as great attention to detail, good memory for facts and figures, and out-of-the-box thinking.

“There are also misconceptions that people with ASD are rigid, but many can be creative and are probably already working as graphic artists or communicators,” Carley adds. 

In Malaysia, there are already over 100 companies that hire people with disabilities, including autism. 

“Companies that have hired people with autism have provided testimonies that these staff perform outstandingly,” says Dr Choy.

Recruiting people with autism

Organisations wanting to bring in people with autism will have to change their recruitment processes.

“In a conventional hiring situation, you typically have an interview process. But we are learning that an interview may not be the best way to hire people with autism,” Dr Choy explains. 

While those of us who are neurotypical are able to rapidly learn interview techniques, it is not the same for people with autism, who experience the cues of social interactions, such as body language and facial expressions, very differently. People with autism can seek out job coaches that stage mock interviews as part of their training for independent living skills.

It is increasingly being recognised that conventional profiling methods are not able to identify the wide range of positive attributes that employers can tap into when it comes to individuals with autism. Therefore, human resources departments need to upskill in order to tap into these talents.

Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) Malaysia provides training for HR departments on how to use hiring methods that are more inclusive, such as internships or job assessment methods using tools like Lego to gauge a candidate’s ability to follow instructions, analyse situations or provide solutions.

One question many people have is: should you disclose upfront that you have autism? 

“It depends on the situation, and whether or not you think the company is behaviourally permissive enough to make you feel that you will be a valued employee,” says Carley.

He believes that no matter where they work, people with autism have to acclimatise themselves, to a certain extent, to the “culture” that they’re in, while also staying true to who they are. 

“To do otherwise is simply self-hatred,” says Carley.

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Listen to the podcast ‘Can You Work If You Have Autism?’: