Business for Aspies: 42 Best Practices for Using Asperger Syndrome Traits at Work Successfully

by Ashley Stanford

Overview

Most workplaces are a frenzied swirl of social interaction - between employees and bosses, customers and clients, and anyone else present. People with a mental framework better suited to non-social tasks can often be overlooked and underutilised in such an environment, but this book explains exactly how those with Asperger Syndrome can get their talents recognised and become successful and indispensable employees.

Following the DSM system and an easy to use format, Ashley Stanford addresses all of the issues that can arise once a person with AS secures employment, through the eyes of both employee and employer. Describing what might be expected of any employee, she offers helpful tips and workarounds not only to enable AS individuals achieve their fullest potential, but to take advantage of their strengths. In a positive and upbeat tone, she shows that with the right supports and strategies, it is possible to overcome the day-to-day challenges that trip up even the most savvy Aspie, including negotiating pay rises, employer/employee relationships, team meetings, career advancement, and choosing when to take vacation time. Drawing on her experience as CEO of a computer software company, she also suggests steps that employers and managers can take to improve the working environment for people with AS, and take advantage of their strengths to enable them to become outstanding employees.

Business for Aspies will help people with AS take steps towards achieving happy, fulfilled and above all successful working lives. It will be of key interest to the employers, managers, partners, and families of people with AS.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849058452
Publisher:	Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Publication date:	02/15/2011
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Ashley Stanford has worked as a technical writer for 16 years and is the CEO of a successful computer software company. She is the author of Asperger Syndrome and Long-Term Relationships, also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. She lives in Berkeley, California.

Table of Contents

Preface 11

Introduction 15

1 Baseline Starting Point for Building Your Career 17

Many Undiscovered Talents 17

Underestimating Aspies 18

Does Asperger Syndrome Limit You? 23

The Flip Side of the Coin 24

2 Executive Function 29

Organization Matters-Your Desk, Your Brain 30

When the Solution Is Avoiding the Problem 33

Now You See It; Now You Don't 34

Organization of Events 35

Organization of Tasks 36

Beyond Organization-Maslow's Pyramid for Aspies 37

3 Social Interaction on the Job 41

Best Practice 1 Engaged and Safe 41

Best Practice 2 The Easier Friendship-Co-Workers 46

4 Eye Contact and Reading Faces at Work 49

Best Practice 3 When Less is More 50

Best Practice 4 Relaxing Your Eyes-Face Muting 51

Best Practice 5 Training Your Eyes-Mapping the Blank Face 56

Best Practice 6 The No Face-Time Flexibility Rule 61

Best Practice 7 Building the Skills for Ultimate Flexibility-Removing the Pressure for In-Person Work 64

5 Body Postures and Gestures on the Job 73

Best Practice 8 "Quiet Posture" 74

Best Practice 9 Mimic Other Successful Professionals 80

Best Practice 10 Professional Restrictions to the Rescue 84

6 The People You Work With 88

Best Practice 11 The Back-Stabber, the Drama Queen, and the Glory Hog 88

Best Practice 12 Your Relationship with Your Boss 91

Best Practice 13 "Get a Life!" 93

7 Do I Enjoy My Job? 96

Best Practice 14 Make Your Enjoyment Obvious 98

Best Practice 15 Test Check for Happiness on the Job 100

Best Practice 16 Avoiding the Biggest Pitfall-Abdicating Free Will 103

Best Practice 17 Career Trajectory 109

8 Your Most Valuable Traits 111

Best Practice 18 Know Your Strengths 112

Best Practice 19 How to Help Your Team Focus 114

Best Practice 20 The One Who Retains His Job When the Rest are Fired 118

Best Practice 21 Respecting Yourself 119

9 Your Position in the Company-Building It and Keep It 122

Best Practice 22 Behaving Like the Boss i.e Someone Well-Paid 123

Best Practice 23 Ask for Help-The 42 Best Practice Notebook 125

Best Practice 24 Brainspace 131

Best Practice 25 Securing Your Job and Scoring a Raise 134

Best Practice 26 Motivation Matters 139

Best Practice 27 The Halo Effect-Avoid It 141

10 Issues of Flexibility 146

Best Practice 28 Stability 147

Best Practice 29 Loyalty 149

Best Practice 30 Trust 150

Best Practice 31 Keeping the Machine Running 151

11 Your Sensory System at Work 153

Best Practice 32 EveryBody Needs Something Different 155

Best Practice 33 Building Support 156

Best Practice 34 Channeling Sensory Needs into Career Needs 160

12 Unique Aspie Peroccupations on the Job 162

Best Practice 35 The Manager and the Builder 163

Best Practice 36 Neurotypical Meetings and Aspie Survival 169

Best Practice 37 Well-Rounded Is Not the Goal-Let Your Freak Flag Fly 173

13 Who You Are at Work 183

Best Practice 38 The Thoughtful Pause, a Sign of Wisdom 183

Best Practice 39 Shift Expectations Internally and at Work 185

Best Practice 40 Creating a Trustworthy Persona at Work 189

Best Practice 41 When "Othering" Happens at Work 191

Best Practice 42 Asserting Your Opinion Confidently Without Being Labeled a Narcissit or Otherwise Unpleasant 195

14 Safety, Survival and Ultimate Success 198

The Safety Point 198

Survival Toolkit Top 10 202

Aspie Bill of Rights-General 222

Aspie Bill of Rights-Workplace 225

Summary 226

References 227

Further Reading 229

About the Author 231

Index 234

Editorial Reviews

One of the most brilliant suggestions she makes it that of "Quiet Posture" - meaning a body posture that doesn't indicate any emotion at all. This can neutralize any negative feeling in the workplace and greatly reduce the chances of that person being misunderstood for being angry or sad, when he is feeling just the opposite, but indicating otherwise. She also stresses the importance of keeping hand gestures calm and "small", to reduce social difficulties in the workplace. These are thing I never thought about and I felt as though my brain was getting larger as I read this... In addition, she suggests some neat cognitive strategies, such as using "brain space", to compartmentalize one's day and one's tasks... The Best Practices are numbered, making them available to the reader for easy reference, which makes this a reverence book, also... The survival strategies that she suggests, such as getting enough sleep, creating a nest, or cosy living or work space, and being aware of food sensitivities, such as allergies to gluten, are all common sense approaches that don't cost much, if anything and can be done at anytime, to make one's life better!... This is the best book on employment for people with AS or HFA that I have seen and it should be in every library!

Newsletter of the Autism Society of Michigan

In a positive and upbeat tone, she shows that with the right supports and strategies, it is possible to overcome the day-to-day challenges that trip up even the most savvy Aspie, including negotiating pay raises, employer/employee relationships, team meetings, career advancement, and choosing when to take vacation time. Drawing on her experience as CEO of a computer software company, she also suggests steps that employers and managers can take to improve the working environment for people with AS, and take advantage of their strengths to enable them to become outstanding employees. Business for Aspies will help people with AS take steps towards achieving happy, fulfilled and above all successful working lives. It will be of key interest to the employers, managers, partners, and families of people with AS.

The International Centre for Autism Research and Education

The accessibility of Business for Aspies is a testament to Stanford's sixteen years as a technical writer. After each behaviour, she offers a series of "best practice". Ostensibly addressing the aspie employee, the practices not only manage the specific behaviour but also identify its inherent strengths to the employer.

Fore Word Reviews

Describes expectations of employers, provides tips to help AS individuals succeed at work, and provides a positive tone in discussing strategies. Business-oriented concerns from pay raises and team meetings are also surveyed in a guide that is simply packed with nuggests of financial wisdom geared to Aspie employees.

The Midwest Book Reivew

this is a very useful book, even for people who have no intention of working, or for partners of people on the spectrum, as there is a wealth of details and anecdotes showing how potentially difficult situations can be dealt with, both at work and at home... I think this is a very useful book for employees, employers, colleagues and support workers. I expect everyone will find something new here.

Asperger United

This book explains how those with Asperger's syndrome (AS) can get their talents recognised and become successful and indispensable employees.

Human Givens

A powerful pick for any Asperger adult who wants details on how to handle the working world - and for employers who hire them - makes this a dual recommendation for business and health collections alike.

The Midwest Book Review

Stanford is expert at finding solutions that only someone who has intimate experience with aspergers is likely to do. She offers straightforward but not obvious advice on how to organise one's physical environment for those with executive function problems... I love this book as it is clear, constructive and realistically positive.

ASTeens

Overall, I categorize business for Aspies as a good self-help business book. It is written by a businesswomen, not a psychologist, and it's plenty of hints and common sense to help aspies to succeed at work. Indeed, I think that many of the hint she ;proposes are also applicable in other real life situations.

The structure of the book, based on 42 separate best practices, and the non-technical language used, makes Business for Aspies a very readable and practical book, that can be read from beginning to end or be used as a reference book for selected topics.

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