Accommodation and Compliance Series: Employees with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Sensory Issues:

Individuals with ASD may have difficulty with sensory processing and can experience oversensitivity to touch, sights, sounds, and smells in the workplace.

• Fragrance sensitivity:
  • Maintain good indoor air quality
  • Discontinue the use of fragranced products
  • Use only unscented cleaning products
  • Provide scent-free meeting rooms and restrooms
  • Modify workstation location
  • Modify the work schedule
  • Allow for fresh air breaks
  • Provide an air purification system
  • Modify or create a fragrance-free workplace policy
  • Allow telework
• Fluorescent light sensitivity:
  • Move employee to a private area to allow for personal adjustment to appropriate lighting
  • Change lighting completely
  • Allow telework
• Noise sensitivity:
  • Move employee to a more private area or away from high traffic areas
  • Move employee away from office machinery, equipment, and other background noises
  • Provide an environmental sound machine to help mask distracting sounds
  • Provide noise canceling headsets
  • Provide sound absorption panels
  • Encourage coworkers to keep non-work related conversation to a minimum
  • Allow telework