Autistic Adolescents

In The Politics of Autism, I write:

Many analyses of autism speak as if it were only a childhood ailment and assume that parents are the main stakeholders. But most children with autism grow up to be adults with autism, and they suffer uniquely high levels of social isolation. Almost 40 percent of youth with an autism spectrum disorder never get together with friends, and 50 percent of never receive phone calls from friends. These figures are higher than for peers with intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, or learning disability. When school ends, many adults with autism have grim prospects. Though evidence is sparse, it seems that most do not find full-time jobs. Compared with other people their age, they have higher rates of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and suicide attempts.

At The Journal of Adolescent Health, Michelle M. Hughes and colleague have an article titled "
Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic Patterns, Co-occurring Conditions, and Transition Planning  Abstract:

Purpose

The objectives of this study were to describe child characteristics associated with later autism spectrum disorder (ASD) identification and the health status and educational transition plans of adolescents with ASD.

Methods

Longitudinal population-based surveillance cohort from the Autism Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network during 2002–2018 in five catchment areas in the United States. Participants included 3,148 children born in 2002 whose records were first reviewed for ASD surveillance in 2010.

Results

Of the 1,846 children identified in the community as an ASD case, 11.6% were first identified after age 8 years. Children who were more likely to have ASD identified at older ages were Hispanic; were born with low birth weight; were verbal; had high intelligence quotient or adaptive scores; or had certain co-occurring neuropsychological conditions by age 8 years. By age 16 years, neuropsychological conditions were common with more than half of the adolescents with ASD having a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or anxiety. Intellectual disability (ID) status was unchanged for the majority (>80%) of children from ages 8–16 years. A transition plan was completed for over 94% of adolescents, but disparities were observed in planning by ID status.

Discussion

A high percentage of adolescents with ASD have co-occurring neuropsychological conditions, markedly higher than at age 8. While most adolescents had transition planning, this occurred less often for those with ID. Ensuring access to services for all people with ASD during adolescence and transition to adulthood may help to promote overall health and quality of life.

RFK Jr, Campaign

 In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the discredited notion that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.   And among those diseases could be COVID-19.

Antivaxxers are sometimes violent, often abusive, and always wrong.  

A leading anti-vaxxer is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. 

He has repeatedly compared vaccine mandates to the Holocaust.  Rolling Stone and Salon retracted an RFK article linking vaccines to autism.

 Eli Yokley at Morning Consult:

President Joe Biden maintains a formidable lead among the potential Democratic primary electorate following the entrance of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who is former President John F. Kennedy’s nephew, according to a new Morning Consult survey...Seven in 10 potential Democratic primary voters said they would support Biden for re-nomination, while 10% said they would vote for Kennedy and 4% said they would back self-help author Marianne Williamson, according to the April 7-9 survey.

Laura Romero at ABC:

Kennedy, the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, has become one of the most prominent faces of the anti-vaccine movement, according to experts. He is the founder of Children's Health Defense, a nonprofit organization known mainly for its anti-vaccine efforts. The group was kicked off Instagram and Facebook last year for spreading misleading claims about vaccines and other public health measures.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization's revenues doubled to $6.8 million, according to filings made with charity regulators.

Kennedy's bid for the presidency "puts science squarely on the ballot," said Brian Castrucci, president of De Beaumont Foundation, a group dedicated to advancing public health policy. "His campaigns make the benefits of vaccines a question up for debate rather than settled science."

"His campaign would platform a set of dangerous beliefs with the possibility of not only harming the health of the public but the health of our communities and economy as well," Castrucci told ABC News. "We would have a candidate who each day would be spreading scientific misinformation and, in the process, legitimizing vaccine hesitancy and resistance."

 

Diagnosing Girls

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss gender differences in autism identification.

Azeen Ghorayshi at NYT:

In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that boys were 4.7 times as likely as girls to receive an autism diagnosis. By 2018, the ratio had dipped to 4.2 to 1. And in data released by the agency last month, the figure was 3.8 to 1. In that new analysis, based on the health and education records of more than 226,000 8-year-olds across the country, the autism rate in girls surpassed 1 percent, the highest ever recorded.

More adult women like Dr. [Morénike Giwa] Onaiwu are being diagnosed as well, raising questions about how many young girls continue to be missed or misdiagnosed.

...In a 2017 review of dozens of studies, researchers from Britain estimated that the true sex ratio was closer to 3 to 1. Some online surveys that include people who have self-diagnosed show an even lower skew of males to females.

 

Argument Against Autism Acceptance

 In The Politics of Autism, I write:

The most basic questions trigger angry arguments. For instance, into what category do we put autism in the first place? In 2013, President Obama said that “we’re still unable to cure diseases like Alzheimer's or autism or fully reverse the effects of a stroke.” The language of “disease” and “cure” offends some in the autism community. “We don’t view autism as a disease to be cured and we don’t think we need fixing,” says Ari Ne’eman of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network. “We do feel comfortable with the word disability because we understand what it means.” From this perspective, autism is difference that requires accommodation, not an illness that requires eradication. Adherents of this position liken autism to homosexuality, which psychiatrists once deemed to be a  disorder. Conversely, some parents take offense at opposition to a cure. “Anyone with the mental and verbal ability to challenge autism research is not autistic on a scale that I care to recognize,” writes autism parent James Terminello. “Opposition to finding a cure is particularly hurtful to parents who still mourn the loss of the child that could have been. A line has been crossed.”

Dawn Kovacovich at Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

We adore our autistic daughter exactly as she is. But that doesn't mean we would wish on anyone the heartache, frustrations and limitations she lives with on a daily basis as a result of her condition. She often says she "wishes there were a cure for OCD and autism." Could there be a cure for the neurological dysfunction that causes her brain to cycle in circles and short-circuit into violent tantrums? Maybe there could be. We might never know if funding for autism research is stymied because a certain subset of autistic individuals do not wish to acknowledge it as a disability.

The staggering increase of autism should be great cause for alarm. Research, prevention and programming are seriously affecting by the dismissive tone that AUSM has adopted toward the seriousness of this condition. I am, quite frankly, disgusted by this attitude. AUSM is no longer advocating for half of the very people it claims to serve. While we accept our daughter, we will never "accept" autism — or any other developmental disability.

The National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA) recognizes this. It is long past time to separate the diagnosis of mildly autistic people, whose brain structures more closely resemble ADHD, with those who have been born with profound autism. It is time to recognize that one size does not fit all.

Autism and COVID Risk

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families. Those challenges get far more intense during disasters.  And coronavirus proved to be a disaster. 

At The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Amber Davis and colleagues have an article titled "Hospitalization and Mortality for Insured Patients in the United States with COVID-19 with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder."

This study is a novel investigation of the odds of COVID-19 related hospitalization and mortality among individuals with ASD during the most acute phase of the global pandemic The study considers the role of multiple sociodemographic factors and comorbidities, supported the hypothesis that individuals with ASD had higher odds of COVID-19 related hospitalization and mortality than individuals without ASD. Co-morbidities also played a significant role in increasing the odds of COVID-19 related hospitalization and mortality. Individuals with ASD have been reported to have higher risks of having at least one additional comorbidity (Supekar et al., 2017). Few studies have analyzed the impact of comorbidities on hospitalization and mortality for persons with ASD and COVID-19. This study sought to examine the hypothesized disproportionate hospitalizations and fatal outcomes due COVID-19 among individuals with ASD. Results of the study may also suggest that individuals with ASD may experience greater risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, possibly due to increased prevalence of comorbidities (Hirvikoski et al., 2016; Khan et al., 2020; Singh et al., 2020).

After adjusting for comorbidities, individuals with ASD had greater odds of mortality compared to the general population of COVID-19 positive patients. There is mounting research evidence that physiological ASD profiles can include underlying immunological deficiencies related to neuro-inflammation and neuro-immune abnormalities (Masi et al., 2017; Siniscalco et al., 2018). Consistent with previous research, comorbidities played a significant independent role in increasing the odds of hospitalizations and were more strongly related to hospitalizations associated with COVID-19 than ASD, given that COVID-19 related hospitalization and ASD were not significant after adjusting for comorbid illness. Although mortality attributable to COVID-19 remained significant, the odds of mortality associated with ASD were reduced after controlling for comorbidities.

Immunological profiles of persons with ASD may play a role in the increased risk for mortality for the population of individuals with ASD. The link between autism and comorbidity burden, for example intellectual disability, may increase the risk of poor health outcomes due to decreased access and understanding of infection mitigation strategies. Severe autism is associated with obesity (Healy et al., 2019), which has been linked to negative outcomes associated with COVID-19 and may increase severe COVID-19 related outcomes for this population as well. ASD has varied phenotypic, cognitive, and neurobehavioral characteristics that should be taken into consideration when providing healthcare.

Societal context is an additional layer for understanding increased risk for comorbidity in ASD groups including societal exclusion and more sedentary lifestyles. Although our study did not look at such interactions, the impact of ableism, racism, and poverty may link to disproportionate health outcomes for multiply marginalized individuals. These factors may increase mental health disorders and also contribute to negative coping styles (i.e., withdrawn behaviors, depression, overconsumption of unhealthy foods, smoking, and lack of exercise).

TV Report on the Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the growing number of college students on the autism spectrum. 

Chance Sticklen at WCIA-TV in Champaign, Illinois:

Liam Crider has autism and says he’s still adjusting to the college setting.

“I’ve just navigated that, oh, it’s a new situation, it’s time to just go straight into it. I try not to worry about the social situations, I try not to worry about how I’m going to interact with my peers,” Crider said.

That’s where the Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative I-N-I program comes in, it helps students like Crider navigate campus.

...

“Being able to know what you’re good at and know what you need support in, and how you tell people about that,” Jeanna Kramer said.

Jeanne Kramer is the director of the Autism Program. She focuses on self-awareness and self-advocacy with students and says people with autism shouldn’t come with a label.

The four-year program aims to help students on the autistic spectrum and other neurodiverse students of any major achieve success academically, socially and professionally. Some components of the program include a pre-employment seminar course and an academic strategies course their first semester.

“Most people in their freshman and sophomore year of college are going through that identity seeking process, and it’s been really an honor and privilege to be part of this part of their identity,” Kramer said.

RFK Jr. Is Running

 In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the discredited notion that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.   And among those diseases could be COVID-19.

Antivaxxers are sometimes violent, often abusive, and always wrong.  

A leading anti-vaxxer is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. 

He has repeatedly compared vaccine mandates to the Holocaust.  Rolling Stone and Salon retracted an RFK article linking vaccines to autism.

Sabrina Siddiqui at WSJ:

Antivaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed paperwork Wednesday to run for president as a Democrat in a long-shot bid against President Biden.

Mr. Kennedy, son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, declared his candidacy by filing a statement with the Federal Election Commission. He joins self-help author and activist Marianne Williamson in a 2024 Democratic field that is unlikely to include any major challengers to Mr. Biden.

...

Mr. Kennedy, 69 years old, is a former environmental lawyer who has spent more than a decade pushing antivaccine conspiracy theories. He led a campaign casting doubt on Covid-19 vaccines and in 2021 saw his account removed by Instagram as part of Facebook’s and later its parent company Meta Plaforms Inc.’s efforts to crack down on false and misleading information about the virus.e

Filings with charity regulators showed his antivaccine group, Children’s Health Defense, more than doubled its revenue to $6.8 million in 2020, the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr. Kennedy also released a book in 2021, “The Real Anthony Fauci,” in which he accused Mr. Biden’s former chief medical adviser of helping lead “a historic coup d’état against Western democracy.”

Mr. Kennedy has also pushed claims debunked by public-health experts linking childhood vaccinations to autism. Some members of his family have publicly rejected his views. Kerry Kennedy, Mr. Kennedy’s sister, dubbed his work “completely wrong” and “dangerous” in a 2021 interview.

Preschool Expulsions

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families.

David Danelski at UCR:

Daycare can be a brutal start for some of our society’s youngest and most vulnerable people. 

A University of California, Riverside, study found that 16% of autistic children – roughly one in six – are expelled from preschool programs, with the average age of rejected children being only 3.3 years old. The consequences for these children were chilling. Once they entered kindergarten, previously expelled children faced more conflict with and dependency on their teachers, among other difficulties, the study found.

“It's shocking,” said the study’s lead author, Jan Blacher, a distinguished research professor both in the UC Riverside School of Education and in the UCLA Department of Psychology. “These little kids were asked to leave school because they demonstrated behaviors directly related to their autism. So, they were being expelled from preschool for the very problems that they needed school for.”

Autism characteristics, including difficulty with social communication and some repetitive behaviors, can be misinterpreted as forms of misbehavior, making autistic children more vulnerable to expulsions, the researchers found. Additionally, teachers may miss children’s non-verbal attempts to communicate their needs, which heightens children’s anxiety and can result in temper tantrums at such a young age.

“These are very young children who have no idea why they are being asked to leave school. And it leaves the kids in kind of a quandary,” Blacher said.

Blacher and her co-author, Abbey Eisenhower, a professor at the University of Massachusetts-Boston in the Department of Psychology, based their findings pertaining to expulsion on reports by parents of 203 autistic children. Their paper, “Preschool and Child-Care Expulsion: Is it Elevated for Autistic Children?,” was published in the journal Exceptional Children. 

The autistic children were overwhelmingly expelled for behavioral issues.

“Teachers saw them as a problem but didn't understand that the problem was indicative of a disability, or something more systemic, that actually needed to be dealt with,” Blacher said. 

“Many of the expelled children were not identified as having a special need. That suggests to us that it never occurred to the teachers to refer them for assessment. So, part of it is a lack of teacher awareness of the prevalence of autism, and how it manifests in a very young age. Had they understood autism, they might have been inspired to deal with it, and say, ‘Maybe I should have this child assessed.’” 

Blacher and Eisenhower also found expulsion rates were higher at privately owned daycare centers, suggesting a greater need for policies and practices supporting inclusion in private settings.

Their alarming finding on daycare expulsions stemmed from a larger project, called Smooth Sailing, funded by a $1.4 million grant from the Institute of Education Science to develop methods to improve the education of preschool and early grade autistic children. They have since conducted a pilot study (a randomized controlled trial) of a new autism-affirming intervention to help teachers better understand and help children with autism in general education classes. This work will be published in a forthcoming paper.

Blacher and Eisenhower are seeking additional funding for their Smooth Sailing inventions to be adopted by preschool and early childhood educators. Such interventions forge better relations between autistic students and their teachers, Blacher said.

“Kids who have good relationships with their teachers in early childhood settings do better academically, socially, and emotionally. They are less likely to be asked to leave school, and in high school, they are more likely to get better grades and graduate.”

Waiting

In The Politics of Autism, I write about the everyday struggles facing autistic people and their families.

Elise Person at WHP-TV, Harrisburg, PA:

Medical Director at Meliora Health, Dr. Cheryl Tierney, said as autism becomes more common, wait times to see a specialist to diagnose a child continue to get longer.

She said they are working to combat long wait times by meeting with diagnosing children with autism at the virtual level.

“We can get children in for a comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment in about two weeks,” Tierney said.

According to Tierney, the average wait time across the county to get a child seen by a specialist for a diagnosis can range between six and 18 months.

She said in the state of Pennsylvania, most specialized interventions needed for children with autism can not be administered until a child is diagnosed.

Central Pennsylvanian mother, Lobna said she was on a waiting list for nearly a year until she was able to get her then two-year-old seen by a specialist and diagnosed with autism.

“Every day is just a day lost,” Lobna said. “As far as my experience, it was just completely, just disheartening,” Lobna said.

 Sam Smink at WFSB-TV in Connecticut:

A Suffield family is asking the state to invest more money in a program that is supposed to provide services for those with autism.

As the I-Team found, the waitlist is thousands of people long, but only a small number are receiving help.

33-year-old Brendan Kearney isn’t just into movies and video games, his dad John Kearney says he’s also really good at computers.

”Whenever we have a problem with our PCs here in the house, it’s always Brendan! 99 times out of 100 he solves the problem,” says Kearney.

Brendan has autism, and lives with his parents.

Despite challenges, Kearney has held several jobs through the years.

Still life hasn’t always been kind.

”It’s not been easy for him. That’s for sure,” says Kearney.

To help make the future easier for Brendan, Kearney signed him up for Connecticut’s Medicaid Autism Lifespan Waiver Program in February.

The program provides support and services to adults with autism who have an IQ over 70, up to $50,000 a person depending on their needs.  

Brendan got in but was immediately put on a waitlist. 

“I was told there was a waitlist, and the waitlist was on the order of more than 10 years,” says Kearney.

According to data the I-Team requested from the Department of Social Services, there are 2,005 individuals on the waitlist.

Right now, there are just 219 people receiving services under the program: 11%.

Chrysler Pacifica Calm Cabin

In The Politics of Autism, I write about the everyday struggles facing autistic people and their families.

A release from Chrysler and the Autism Society:

Chrysler and the Autism Society of America will announce a new long-term partnership initiative that supports the driving needs of individuals with autism and their loved ones, including through the creation of a new Calm Cabin package that can transform any Chrysler Pacifica into a sensory-supported mobile experience.

On April 5 at the 2023 New York International Auto Show, Chrysler will announce its partnership with the Autism Society, the oldest and largest grassroots autism organization in the country. The announcement coincides with April's Autism Acceptance Month, as well as the Autism Society's fifth annual Celebrate Differences campaign.

Chrysler Pacifica has always served the needs of families with the brand's purpose of providing calm and bringing harmony to the lives of owners. Chrysler is reinforcing its commitment to providing real solutions for even more families in need. Through its new partnership, the Chrysler brand and the Autism Society will work to make travel more comfortable for all through thoughtful design, support accommodations, educational resources and local community engagement.

In addition, throughout the month of April, Chrysler will use its platforms to encourage followers of the brand on social media to make donations, spread awareness for early diagnosis of autism, promote inclusion in the greater community and practice acceptance in everyday life. Donations to the Autism Society can be made at AutismSociety.org/donate.

Chrysler brand will also provide a courtesy one-year loan of three 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle vehicles for use by the Autism Society.

"At Chrysler, we believe it's no longer enough to be 'aware' of the millions of people living and thriving with autism, we must put acceptance into action," said Chris Feuell, Chrysler brand chief executive officer – Stellantis. "We're proud to offer life-enriching opportunities for individuals with autism and their families with initiatives, such as our new Calm Cabin package, that bring a little harmony to people's lives, whether they are on a long road trip or running a quick errand."

The Autism Society will help advise the development of Chrysler products and assist with organization-wide inclusion training to build better experiences for the autism community interacting with dealers across the country.

"The Autism Society of America is proud to partner with Chrysler to create an improved and inclusive driving experience for the autism community," said Christopher Banks, president and CEO of the Autism Society of America. "With a trusted partner like Chrysler, our work is amplified as we collaborate to instill inclusive workplace practices, product accommodations and create more opportunities for the autism community to live fully."

Chrysler Calm Cabin Package
A 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Limited on display at the New York International Auto Show, featuring branded Autism Society vehicle graphics, will also serve as a showcase for the brand's new Calm Cabin package, which helps those with autism feel calm, safe and comfortable.

Available in late spring through Chrysler's online merchandise retail store, the Chrysler-branded package includes:

• Seat-back organizer with adjustable straps, five front pockets, interior clear pocket that holds a tablet computer and a black mesh pocket
• Rechargeable, cordless Bluetooth meditative light and sound therapy machine that fits in the center pocket of the seat-back organizer with five LED color modes, four light therapy modes, breathing coach and 15 sound therapy modes
• Comforting seat belt sleeve with soft-touch velvet feel
• Comforting soft-touch travel pillow
• Comforting, seven-layer, 12-pound weighted sensory blanket

Items available as part of the Calm Cabin package will also be available for purchase separately.

As part of the brand's long-term partnership with the Autism Society, Chrysler will work to identify additional areas where the brand can support and affect meaningful change in the autism community. In collaboration with its U.S. dealer network, Chrysler will work to roll out dealer-network staff training designed to familiarize dealership employees with the unique needs of individuals and families in the autism community.

The Chrysler brand's new initiative with the Autism Society was developed in partnership with Doner, the brand's creative agency.

Autism and Autos
Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States, with one in 36 children receiving a diagnosis, according to the newly released report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In addition to the 5.8 million autistic adults in the U.S., autism likely touches a vast majority of Americans either through relationships or direct experience, and the support needs across the autism spectrum are vastly different.

One of the spaces requiring the most support is on the road. Vehicles can be stressful, scary experiences for those with autism due to an environment that can be overstimulating and uncomfortable. For some, it means every road trip to school, practice, work or on daily errands becomes a difficult, challenging experience.

Lithium

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss various ideas about what causes the condition. 

Zeyan Liew and colleagues have an article at JAMA Pediatrics titled "Association Between Estimated Geocoded Residential Maternal Exposure to Lithium in Drinking Water and Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Offspring in Denmark." Key Points:

• Question  Is maternal prenatal exposure to lithium in drinking water associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring?
• Findings  In this Danish nationwide population-based case-control study, the study team found that maternal exposure to higher levels of residential lithium in drinking water during pregnancy was associated with a moderate increase in ASD risk in the offspring. The findings remained robust after adjusting for several maternal neighborhood socioeconomic factors and air pollution exposures.
• Meaning  This study suggests that naturally occurring lithium in drinking water may be a novel environmental risk factor for ASD development that requires further scrutiny.

Lithium joins a very long and growing list of other correlates, risk factors, and possible causes that have been the subject of serious studies:

Inflammatory bowel disease;

Pesticides;

Air pollution and proximity to freeways;

Maternal thyroid issues;

Autoimmune disorders;

Induced labor;

Preterm birth;

Fever;  

Birth by cesarean section;

Anesthesia during cesarean sections;

Maternal and paternal obesity;

Maternal diabetes;

Maternal and paternal age;

Grandparental age;

Maternal post-traumatic stress disorder;

Maternal anorexia;

Smoking during pregnancy;

Cannabis use during pregnancy;

Antidepressant use during pregnancy;

Polycystic ovary syndrome;

Infant opioid withdrawal;

Zinc deficiency;

Sulfate deficiency;

Processed foods;

Maternal occupational exposure to solvents;

Congenital heart disease;

Insufficient placental allopregnanolone.

Estrogen in the womb;

Morning sickness;

Paternal family history;

Parental preterm birth;

Antiseizure meds

Location of forebears

1. 
   

P&G and ASD

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the employment of adults with autism and other developmental disabilities.

 Many posts have discussed programs to provide them with training and experience.  

 Among the companies observing World Autism Awareness/Acceptance Day is Procter and Gamble:

At P&G, neurodivergent talent can grow their careers with confidence. Whether it is through inclusive hiring practices, continuously refining accessibility accommodation practices or creating a culture where every employee can bring their authentic selves and skills to work — at P&G, we are unique in our abilities and united in our efforts to build disability confidence.

As we recognize World Autism Acceptance Day (April 2) and Neurodiversity Awareness Month, we celebrate the incredible community of neurodiverse employees who bring their unique abilities to P&G. Neurodivergent people may have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia or other neurodivergence and may or may not include neurotypical people.

The co-leads of P&G’s Neurodivergent Support Group, Chris Lidel, Associate Researcher and Data Specialist and Archivist, and Tiffany Peak, Data Specialist and Archivist, recently discussed their unique experiences at P&G with Neurodivergent ally, Brian Frederiksen, Senior Director, Research and Development — along with insights for growing an inclusive workplace where innovation and creativity thrive:
Inclusively Recruiting and Hiring

“I've worked in jobs that weren't so accepting of autism,” shares Tiffany. “When I interviewed, I went into this with the mentality of this is me…I want to find a company that accepts me…that I knew would be accepting of all different kinds of people. And for me, that was P&G.”

Chris’ story of disclosing his Neurodivergence is a little different: “It wasn’t until I got into the company [and] did research through the Intranet to learn what P&G’s stance was — how accepting it would be. I learned about the PwD (People with Disabilities) Network, and I decided to start to branch out. Letting Brian know that I am autistic really helped with that bridging point.”


Accommodating and Supporting Differences

Managers play an important role in employee work experiences, and managers who seek to listen to understand neurodivergent employees can help remove barriers that promote authentic and meaningful contributions to the work they do together.

“Autism is different for everybody, so we're all going to have different needs,” shares Tiffany. “It is extremely important for the manager to get to know their employee and ask questions.”

Reflects Brian, “The job of the manager is to understand what really matters to that person and treat them how they want to be treated.” Whether you are a manager or a colleague, “The biggest thing someone can do is listen to me and believe me when I talk about my experience,” shares Tiffany, when highlighting the best ways to support the Neurodivergent community.

Neurodivergent employees also need empathy and compassion to function most effectively. Importantly, “When you're empathetic with everybody and willing to just be understanding, it makes the whole workspace environment for everybody better,” emphasizes Chris.

Growing Confidence and Communities

Because everyone can belong at P&G, our people, business and communities grow. Chris and Tiffany are both proud of their work with the Neurodivergent Support Group.

“We've had a lot of employees coming and talking about all of the help they've gotten,” shares Chris. They want employees to know that they have their backs. “We will support you 100% and do whatever we can to help you further your career and feel good and safe here,” expands Tiffany.

Neurodivergent P&Gers help us better serve communities around the world — from all walks of life — as we all benefit from inclusive actions that move communities forward. “Procter and Gamble has enabled me to be more myself, to bring more of the tools that I have and to be more bold and share off the cuff ideas that then trigger ideas for other people,” highlights Chris.

These ideas help lead to inclusive innovation that meet the needs of our diverse consumers and make our products superior. At P&G, we believe our shared and unique experiences are an important part of our strength. And we are a better company because of our Neurodiversity.

Visit our social media @ProcterGamble to hear more from Chris, Tiffany and Brian and about how P&G creates a workplace where everyone belongs and thrives. #DisabilityConfident

Click here to learn more about our company’s inclusive job opportunities.

Inclusion in Norway and the United States

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss international perspectives.

Eric Benninghoff at Dagsavisen (Norway):

Work is about more than a salary. With the proper supports, it can provide a path to socialization, community participation, and self-realization. When I asked a young man with autism in Oslo why he likes his job, he told me: “I like feeling useful, and by working here I feel that I am useful.” I get a similar answer nearly every time I ask a young person with a disability that question.

But as it stands now, many adults with ID and developmental disabilities who are capable of working are missing out on this sense of purpose and inclusion. That comes at a cost to the individual’s health and the society’s economy.

As part of my project in Norway, I tell the stories of those who have beaten the odds and found work, as well as organizations, like Helt Med, that have built models to help them do so. I’ve visited workers across the country at nursing homes, fire stations, government offices, grocery stores, and horse-riding schools. Face to face, I have seen their passion for work, desire to contribute, and ability to excel when properly supported.

I just hope that others in Norway, the U.S., and beyond, will start to see this too. After all, you can’t break a vicious circle of low expectations, without first seeing potential.

Full text  here (use Google translate for English)