Up close with Wesley, Autism Advocate
Wesley is a Singaporean Autistic Autism Advocate. On the professional level, he has been working as Tax Associate in a commercial firm for the past 3 years. SBNoD sat down with him to understand his experience in the corporate environment, how autistic persons can contribute to organisations fruitfully and what we can do to make our workplace more inclusive.
Can you share with us what autism is?
Autism is a neurological difference. An autistic person processes information and perceives the world differently from non-autistics as his/her brain is wired differently. Autism is mainly characterised by social interaction and communication difficulties, as well as restrictive repeated behaviours and intense narrow personal interests.
Many autistics around the world prefer identity-first language (e.g. autistic person) over person-first language (e.g. person with autism) because they affirm autism as an inherent part of their identity, value and worth.
Autism is NOT a biological illness or disease. Autism is a difference to be embraced and not a disorder to be fixed. Neurodiversity (a diversity of all kinds of brains) is as essential to the human race as much as biodiversity is to the eco-system. Humanity needs neurodiversity in order to thrive.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I find fulfilment in solving complex requests and meeting the needs of business units. During a recent User Acceptance Testing (UAT) of the company portal, I managed to identify errors that many could not. One of the key strengths of autistic people is having a sharp eye for details which enabled me to perform that task well.
What are some of the challenges you faced at work, and how you overcome them?
An autistic person like me speaks and interprets information literally. This creates unintended workplace communication issues as I struggle to understand the hidden implied meanings behind people's words without the given context. For example, I only realised that "please proceed", "no further comments", and "ok" all meant that my email was good to go after clarifying with my manager.
On the flipside, others may misinterpret what I mean at times and assume that I have hidden implied meanings behind my words when there is none since I speak in literal terms. This shows the importance of not jumping to conclusions when interacting with autistics, but instead to seek to clarify and seek first to understand.
Nonetheless, having supportive colleagues and patient managers helped me better understand the context of what is being said—having open conversations allowed us to better understand each other's communication style.
What are some common misconceptions about autistic people?
It is untrue that autistic people lack empathy. We can empathise with others, just that we may express it differently from neurotypicals (a term used to refer to non-autistic people). For instance, not crying at a sad event does not necessarily mean we do not feel the sadness.
Another misconception is that intellectual disability is part of autism. This is untrue because IQ levels and autism are not correlated. There are autistics with and without intellectual disability. In fact, there are autistics whose IQ levels surpass non-autistics.
What inspired you to be an Autism advocate?
As a kid, I was often bullied and I did not fit in with my schoolmates throughout my school life. I finally understood why I didn't fit in when I was diagnosed with autism at 18 years old. This strong yearning for a sense of belonging and acceptance propelled me to co-create the WhatsApp Autism Community Singapore (WACS) with my friend, who is also autistic.
The community aims to create a safe space for autistic people to have meaningful discussions, provide emotional support for each other and to develop potential competent autistic community leaders. It is fully run by autistic people, and we currently have almost 200 members, both autistic and non-autistic.
I also advocate for autism through my blog. To me, advocacy brings me a step closer to creating a more inclusive society for autistic people, where there is greater awareness of autism and autistic people are being valued for who they are, not in spite of who they are. We can build bridges if everyone just plays their part and be patient, understanding, and slow to judge.
Besides advocating for autism, how else do you spend your free time?
I enjoy watching Netflix occasionally and playing chess. I like the strategic element of the game, but I must say I'm not very good at it (laughs).
Finally, how can organisations build a more inclusive workplace for autistic people?
Firstly, focus on the strengths of autistic employees and allocate tasks that they will excel in.
Secondly, ask autistic employees what they need instead of making assumptions. View the accommodations made as a form of investment instead of an additional cost. With a more conducive working environment, their productivity will increase.
Thirdly, be very specific and explain context when communicating with autistic people (since we interpret things literally). Try to minimise implied unsaid meaning in your communication. At the same time do not assume the implied meaning you interpreted behind the autistic colleague’s words is really what he means but clarify with him instead. Communication is two-way, so do not be quick to assume the problem lies with the autistic. In short, be direct and explicit, and mean what you say and say what you mean.
Finally,
"Embrace us autistics because of our autism, not in spite of it."
Remember that everyone has a place in this world and something to offer to this world, no matter through what spectrum you see the world through.
How can you support autistic people and persons with disabilities?
1. Increase your knowledge on autism through the resources below:
a. Autism: Neurodiversity at Work Works Best | Layne Kertamus | TEDxRexburg (video)
b. Eight Things Not to Say to Autistics – Wesley’s version n (article)
c. World Autism Awareness Week: A message to the public by the autistic community (video)
d. TED Talk- What it's really like to have autism | Ethan Lisi (video)
e. Identity-first language (and why it is preferred) \ Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN), UK (article)
f. Understanding the Autism Spectrum as a Circle (NOT a Line) (article)
g. Researchers call for the term ‘high functioning autism’ to be consigned to history (article)
h. World Economic Forum: Here's Why Neurodiversity is so Important at Work
2. If you feel strongly for this cause, consider writing in to the public press, such as The Straits Times Forum page. Below are some past articles to give you some ideas on topics to write in about:
a. Anti-discrimination laws needed for diverse workforce
b. Laws needed to end insurance bias
c. Insurance landscape a maze for those with special needs
d. Collect census data for different groups with disabilities
e. Empower people with disabilities to stand as equals
3. Read the Action For Autistics Masterplan (AFAM) written by an autistic. Get in touch if you have ideas or you feel you can contribute to this worthy cause