Council drive for more autism-friendly workplaces

A council has started a drive to create more autism-friendly workplaces in its area.

Wiltshire Council is asking people to take part in surveys to help it find out what employers are doing, gather examples of good practice and discover what support would be helpful. It is also asking autistic employees what could be improved.

Ashleigh Bishop, who is autistic and works at the council, said she has had support and found her colleagues "incredibly supportive".

Council leader Ian Thorn said one of the outcomes of the project will be the creation of a guide for employers.

Bishop was diagnosed in 2023 and said it explained a lot about her life, but she had to learn what would help her with work, such as with sensory differences. She said open offices can be very loud and "incredibly overwhelming".

"If I do get overwhelmed by the noise, I'm allowed to put in my headphones to try to block out that noise, and music also helps me with regulating any stress."

Routine and structure is helpful for autistic people and is something Bishop's job involves a lot of, which helps to make it enjoyable for her.

She said one challenge can be emails, because "some things can be written one way, but I might take it another".

"It's very difficult to get that emotional aspect out of an email," she said.

Bishop said employers need to understand that an autistic meltdown or shutdown is not about anger, but about overwhelm and processing a situation. Telling someone to "calm down" does not help, but giving someone space can.

She added the way her mind works means she can pick up on things others might miss.

The National Autistic Society offers resources for employers. Christine Flintoft-Smith from the organisation said one of the biggest challenges for autistic people was being interviewed and getting into jobs in the first place.

"Simple things like job descriptions - they can be ambiguous," she said. "For example, having good communication skills. What does that mean? Being specific in job descriptions is really important."

She explained unclear expectations, social rules and office politics can also be barriers.

"We know that diverse workforces have better productivity. Autistic people have lots of very particular skills around attention to detail. They're really creative people and fantastic at problem-solving," added Flintoft-Smith.

Thorn said the "experts are the people themselves with lived experience".

"What's going to be really key is what we get to learn, how we share that," he added.

The surveys have been created in collaboration with autistic individuals through the Wiltshire Service Users Network, the co‑chair of the Autism Community Forum and the Wiltshire Employment Support Team. They close on 15 May.

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