Accommodation and Compliance Series: Employees with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Maintaining Concentration:

Individuals with ASD may experience decreased concentration and may not be able to tolerate distractions such as office traffic, employee chatter, and common office noises such as fax tones and photocopying.

• To reduce auditory distractions:
  • Purchase a noise canceling headset
  • Hang sound absorption panels
  • Provide a white noise machine
  • Relocate employee’s office space away from audible distractions
  • Redesign employee’s office space to minimize audible distractions
• To reduce visual distractions:
  • Install space enclosures (cubicle walls)
  • Reduce clutter in the employee's work environment
  • Redesign employee’s office space to minimize visual distractions
  • Relocate employee’s office space away from visual distractions
• To reduce tactile distractions:
  • Instruct other employees to approach the individual in a way that is not startling, such as approaching from behind, touching the employee, or other tactile interactions, if the employee is bothered by those interactions.