A characteristic of people with autism is that, during childhood, they spend most of their time in isolation, without social interaction. In early childhood, they show little reaction to events happening around them or to interactions with others, which differs from the developmental experiences of typical children.
In recent years, living with my daughter’s family and taking on the role of a grandfather, I have witnessed the growth of my two granddaughters from birth to their current ages of four and one and a half. This reminded me of how, in my youth, I read about the educational psychologist Jean Piaget, who developed his theory of child learning by observing the growth and development of his three children. I also realized that when I was raising my own daughter, because I lacked experience as a father and was the primary caregiver, I was unable to accurately assess or objectively analyze her developmental changes, often overlooking many details. However, my current role as a grandfather is different, and since I am not the primary caregiver, I have more time to observe the growth of my two granddaughters, allowing me to notice far more details today.
Different Paths of Development
Eye contact and physical interaction between infants and their caregivers spark their exploration of the surrounding environment. As caregivers speak to and interact with infants, the infants begin to develop social skills. They gradually develop and master language abilities as well as physical skills such as hand-foot coordination and muscle control. As infants interact more with others and their external environment, they develop social skills. In Western learning theories, social skills influence children’s academic achievement and intellectual development; however, the social skills and development of individuals with autism are often limited. This does not mean they are necessarily less intelligent or incapable of learning, but rather reflects that this unique group learns, absorbs, and masters knowledge and skills in ways that may differ from most people.
Because the developmental paths of individuals with autism differ from those of others, the ways they interact with people and manage daily living skills as adults are often not accepted by others, leading them to frequently feel excluded. It is actually quite difficult for children to accept peers who prefer solitude and are not very outgoing, as they typically prefer to spend time with those who are proactive and friendly. Adolescents typically enjoy spending time and living with peers who share common interests. People with autism often do not like doing the same things as others, making it difficult for them to make new friends. As a result, most people with autism do not have a large social circle and have not developed the ability to interact with others.
Additionally, because individuals with autism tend to be more set in their ways, they can develop a stubborn personality and find it difficult to accept others’ opinions. When their views differ from others’, they may repeatedly insist on their own perspective. To others, this behavior can easily come across as unreasonable or lacking in discernment. However, this does not mean their thought processes differ from others; it simply means they often focus on their own perspectives without carefully understanding or analyzing others’ viewpoints. When interacting with them, as long as the person engaging with them has the patience to understand how much the individual actually comprehends about the issue and spends more time communicating, reaching a consensus is not difficult.
Enjoying solitude does not mean enjoying loneliness
Many people assume that individuals with autism choose to be alone because they enjoy loneliness, but this is not accurate. Adolescents with autism still long for social interaction, acceptance, and the sense of belonging that comes from being with others. When these needs go unmet, they still feel lonely, and this can cause them distress. Being alone refers to a situation where an individual is not influenced by a social environment involving other people, and people with autism often find such situations comfortable. When strangers enter their comfort zone, they may feel uncomfortable and become anxious, leading to uncontrolled emotions or even behavioral outbursts. However, if the person entering their comfort zone is someone they know or trust, their emotional and behavioral reactions will be much milder.
If there is a person with autism in the family, other family members, due to prolonged interaction, will generally accept their emotional and behavioral reactions that differ from others. Similarly, among friends, with increased interaction, they will also develop a higher tolerance for the behaviors of individuals with autism. Consequently, surrounded by the acceptance and tolerance of family and close friends, individuals with autism may not feel the need to change themselves, nor do they easily acquire the experience or skills necessary to build relationships and develop friendships with strangers. Their social circles are often limited, or they may focus exclusively on special-interest groups where their unique behaviors are accepted.
What about the workplace?
After completing their education and entering the workforce, high-functioning individuals with autism encounter specific challenges.
In the workplace, people often work alone for most of the time; however, since very few tasks are completed by a single person, a certain degree of interaction with others is necessary for most jobs. Even if individuals with high-functioning autism possess the ability to perform these tasks, they may struggle to complete them effectively due to difficulties in social interaction. Consequently, employers are often reluctant to hire capable individuals with autism because they cannot be certain whether the person will be able to collaborate with others. Furthermore, it is a reasonable expectation that every coworker should be someone with whom communication is easy and possible. If some team members do not initiate communication, find it difficult to exchange ideas, or are resistant to differing opinions, this will inevitably create challenges in the workplace.
Therefore, to enable individuals with autism to collaborate with others in a work environment, they must be provided with basic training. First, they must be helped to understand what the workplace is like and how they can interact and communicate with various strangers, and they must be trained to collaborate with others in the workplace. Those advocating for equal employment rights believe that society must be more accepting of the characteristics of people with autism, that others must respect the unique qualities of autistic individuals, and that society must adopt a more open attitude—and this is absolutely correct. However, I believe it is equally important that, when individuals with autism transition from school to the workplace, they have received sufficient training and experience to collaborate with others and understand what is expected of them in their job roles.
The Opportunity Presented by the NDIS
In 2013, the Labor government enacted legislation to establish the NDIS with the aim of enabling people with disabilities to live more independently by providing resources and opportunities for development. Unfortunately, the Coalition government that has since implemented the policy has neglected the government’s role in leading the development of innovative services, reducing the NDIS to a mere mechanism for resource allocation and leading to increased abuse and waste. Nevertheless, for organizations supporting individuals with autism, this presents an opportunity to walk alongside them, exploring and developing ways to ensure their unique traits no longer act as barriers to their growth.
The NDIS provides funding to train them to become more independent and to master additional life and work skills. The bilingual work adaptation training program established by Joy Foundation is specifically designed to address the unique needs of individuals with autism entering the workforce. It helps them gain a better understanding of the world and enhances their communication skills through practical training on media platforms. If you would like to learn more about how this program can help these young people and hear feedback from participants, please feel free to contact me directly.
For those interested in the program, contact raymond@sameway.com.au or 0422 871 799 for more details.
Mr. Raymond Chow