Although I can't speak for every autistic person, I will share what I personally think would really help me at least:
- I am a very literal thinker. Once, I was at a job interview, and I was asked if I would be willing to work weekends. My response was, "yes, but not every weekend." What I meant by this was not "I want to have weekends off frequently," but rather "I may want to take a day off on a Saturday or Sunday once in a while." Of course my comment was interpreted incorrectly. Whatever you do, please understand that we may think very literally. If someone says something during a job interview that makes it sound like they aren't fit for the job, ask for clarification. If and when you do hire the person, please be very clear about the directions.
- I really shouldn't work in customer service. As someone who is not only autistic, but also has anxiety and depression, social interactions can be difficult for me. I understand that most jobs require some interaction with humans, and I accept that. However, there is a difference between interacting with your boss and/or coworkers, and interacting with a complete stranger. This is especially true when a complete stranger is yelling at you, which often happens to people in customer service. If Janet yells at me because her expired coupon isn't working, I would not respond well. Telling her to eff off would be the best case scenario, and it would still get me fired.
- Please be tactful. If I do a bad job at something, there are ways you can tell me without yelling at me and making me feel like an idiot. I will respond better to, "I think you should work a little on ___," than I will to, "I told you to ___, and you didn't do it correctly." Good thing I live in America, though. From what I've learned taking foreign language classes, people are a lot more blunt in Europe (at least in France and Germany). It took me years to practice tact. If you expect it from me, it's only fair that you are tactful, too.
- I am trying my best. I will make mistakes. It's part of being human. But that doesn't mean I'm not trying. Unfortunately, lots of people interpret "I'll try" to mean "I probably won't do it." That's not what I mean. Usually I will, sometimes I won't, but that doesn't mean I'm not trying.
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