By Rebecca Rachel Moody
Autistic Employees and Virtual Meetings
One thing that many autistic and neurotypical employees alike can agree on is that meetings aren’t fun (especially when the subject of the meeting could have been in an email). Having said that, being able to come together to collaborate and share ideas is a necessary part of most work cultures. With Covid-19 forcing many industries to quickly adapt to remote work, virtual meetings via phone and video conferencing platforms are now a new normal for many workplaces.
Workplaces can do their part in fostering a more inclusive work environment for their autistic employees, especially when employers adopt the understanding that there are multiple ways to get the same outcome. Virtual meetings can be a fantastic opportunity for employers to make adjustments that will help autistic employees bring their best efforts to meetings. These adjustments can also have positive ripple effects to the rest of the team, regardless of neurotype.
Understanding the Unique Needs of Autistic Individuals in Virtual Meetings
For many autistic individuals, virtual meetings can be both a challenge and a blessing. As no two autistic people are the same, different individuals may have different feelings on virtual meetings. This preference is dependent on an individual’s sensory profile, communication needs and preferences, and social battery.
Much like no two autistic people are the same, no two employees (autistic or not) are the same. Therefore, workplaces who approach virtual meetings with an attitude of flexibility will have more success than those that approach virtual meetings with a rigid set of rules.
Fostering Inclusive Virtual Meetings
1. Consider whether the camera needs to be on at all times
This is one of the most crucial pieces of advice I can offer to employers on the matter of virtual meetings.
When facilitating virtual meetings, consider whether the camera truly needs to be on at all times. Many employers will say that it’s nice to be able to see everyone’s faces. Understandably, this notion may also be buried in the fact that our society requires “full body listening” (sitting still, making eye contact, etc.) from the time we enter the public school system. However, this requirement can be extremely anxiety provoking for many autistic individuals.
Many autistic employees engage in self-stimulating behaviors (stimming), such as rocking back and forth or fiddling with a fidget toy. These behaviors can be soothing for a lot of us. Contrary to outdated beliefs, they are not signs we are not paying attention, but are instead regulatory methods that help us focus more effectively. Keeping the camera off not only removes a lot of self-consciousness over our own stimming, but also ensures that our stimming behaviors are not a distraction to others in the meeting.
Having the option to pause all incoming video can be helpful for many autistic employees as well. As ADHD can frequently co-occur with autism, having the video on can be distracting for many of us. We may be overthinking how we’re appearing to others on camera, but we may also be focusing on the bright background on another person’s video.
Furthermore, many autistic employees may also have other medical needs to consider (taking medications, requiring supplemental oxygen, etc.) and having the camera off during meetings can afford these employees a certain degree of privacy.
Neurotypical and neurodivergent employees alike can also agree that requiring cameras to be on at all times during meetings can foster feelings of being micromanaged. These feelings can become a breeding ground for an “us vs. them” mentality between employees and employers, which does not lend itself to a conducive working environment for anyone. I promise that there are better ways to measure productivity during meetings!
2. Offer alternative methods of contributing ideas
Some autistic individuals may not feel comfortable contributing their ideas directly in front of the group. Many of us also prefer to wait to hear what everyone else has to say before sharing our own thoughts. Some autistic individuals may have trouble being able to physically speak when put on the spot in a meeting.
In these cases, consider allowing alternative methods of contributing thoughts during meetings. These can include allowing meeting participants to share their ideas in the meeting platform’s group chat. This can also entail having a virtual “suggestion box” where people can individually share their feedback via email with the manager or the meeting facilitator afterwards. There are also a number of programs available now that serve as virtual suggestion boxes where employees can anonymously leave feedback and ideas such as Suggestionox, Vetter, and Factorial. This way, employers are sending the message that they value their teams’ opinions, and meetings are not the only opportunity to leave feedback and share ideas.
Older professionals and more traditional employers may find the use of gifs, avatars, or emojis unprofessional. I have even worked in jobs where these were highly frowned upon if not outright banned in employee communications! I highly disagree with this sentiment. When used correctly, they can actually be very useful tools for autistic employees (especially those that have trouble communicating verbally) in expressing our thoughts, feelings, and ideas. These can also be excellent ways for us as autistic employees to show that we are paying attention and are engaged with the topic.
3. Consider different ways to evaluate employee engagement
As I mentioned before, there are ways employers can gauge the interest and attention of employees (autistic or otherwise) that don’t involve micromanaging and are inclusive for everyone. In addition to virtual suggestion boxes and allowing group chat participation, employers can leverage the tools on their chosen meeting platform to ensure their team is focused.
For example, many meeting platforms have the option of including a poll in the group chat where participants can vote on different options. This simple tool can give managers a lot of information about what their team might be thinking about a particular topic.
If you want to make employee engagement fun, you can also ask your team what they think of a new measure or policy by having them drop an emoji in the group chat that captures how they feel. You can invite people to share why they used a particular emoji either during the meeting or invite anyone not comfortable sharing in front of the group to express their thoughts in an email or the suggestion box afterwards.
4. Prepare an agenda, share it with your team, and stick to it as much as possible
This final point is applicable to both in-person and virtual meetings, but it helps so many people that its importance should not be missed.
Many autistic people take comfort in predictability and having an idea of what is to be expected before an event. In fact, as I type this, I’m currently googling a new sushi restaurant my husband and I want to try. I will feel a lot more comfortable before we go if I know things about the experience such as how easy the parking situation will be like for my husband, how much we will likely be spending per plate, and whether or not there will be food there I would I want to eat.
The same can be said for meetings. If I have an idea of what will be discussed during the meeting, it will help me prepare any ideas or information I would like to share beforehand. Having an agenda also gives me an idea on when the best time would be to share my ideas during the meeting.
While I also understand that many offices may not be prepared to do away with icebreakers or small talk any time soon (two things that make many autistic people uncomfortable), knowing if an icebreaker game will be included on the agenda is also helpful. This gives me a little extra time to prepare a socially appropriate response to the icebreaker instead of having to come up with an answer on the spot that may not actually be appropriate for a workplace setting.
Real World Examples:
I personally find that when I’m anxious, pacing helps me calm down. In an ideal virtual meeting, I would be permitted to keep my camera off while having a wireless headset that allows me to pace back and forth in my office during meetings. While I don’t have a preference one way or another if other people choose to keep their cameras on, having mine off also means I have one less distraction. Instead of focusing on my own thumbnail (and wondering whether I look okay on camera or if I’m looking in the right place or overthinking whether my eye contact and body language are appropriate), I can give my full attention to the other people in the meeting.
In an ideal virtual meeting setting, I would also be permitted to use the group chat to share feedback. When I am put on the spot, I tend to stutter, especially if I have not meticulously scripted what I am going to say to the group beforehand. Being allowed to use the group chat as a way to share feedback gives me more time to construct an articulate response that accurately communicates the points I want to make in the meeting. This is much more ideal than clumsily stammering my way through my train of thought in the moment and either getting the wrong point across or accidentally offending someone (both of which have happened to me in meetings on numerous occasions).
Conclusion:
For autistic employees, participating in virtual meetings can be an excellent way for us to bring our creativity and innovation to the table. However, the virtual meeting environment must be supportive to our sensory needs, communication styles, and our levels of social comfort. If we are too busy focusing on whether we are appearing as “normal” as our coworkers, we cannot do our best work.
With both a growing number of companies turning to virtual work and a growing number of autistic employees wanting to actively participate in the workforce (and having opportunities to do so that did not previously exist for us), employers have more chances than ever before to move into the future. With a few minor adjustments to the traditional meeting structure as well as approaching virtual meetings with an attitude of flexibility, employers can foster productive virtual meetings for not only their autistic employees, but for their entire team.