What Does it Mean to Be "Aspie Friendly?"
Being Aspie Friendly can mean many things, but at its essence, it means being accepting of the way people with autism and Aspergers think, process information, reason, interact, and more.
It's important to distinguish that being Aspie Friendly does NOT mean being accepting of unacceptable behavior! That isn't "Friendly"! It's realizing that there are certain traits which, because of the way the autistic brain works, are more natural for those with Autism. the same can be said for different genders and cultures, to name only two. For instance, both men and women each may have specific traits, inherent to their genders, which can be disruptive without social rules and laws. The same applies to those with Autism.
How Can I Be More "Aspie Friendly"?
Below are some more specific examples, but generally speaking, the way to be more Aspie Friendly depends on the dynamic.
Parents are Aspie Friendly when, for instance, they use motivations and consequences which don't seem, to the child on the spectrum, to be conflicted. What seems very obvious to the parent can be very confusing to an Aspie Kiddo!
Neurotypical adults with Aspie spouses can be Aspie Friendly by understanding the interpersonal dynamic a little better, so misunderstandings are minimized. For instance, an Aspie's facial expression may not reflect the emotion they are feeling. This can lead to some big misunderstandings! If the face looks like "anger" but inside the feeling is "sadness", the facial expression is likely to trigger anger from the other side, which makes the situation exponentially worse.
Law enforcement can be more Aspie Friendly by realizing that Spectrum individuals have decreased eye contact when stress escalates. Being questioned by a police officer may cause an innocent Aspie to appear quite guilty. This is a very typical way that Aspies find themselves in legal misunderstandings.
Employers can be more Aspie Friendly by offering reasonable accomodations such as switching a desk for a quieter area if needed, permitting the employee to arrive early, leave late, and take a long lunch, possibly alleviating transportation issues or office politics. Small changes can mean drastic improvements in productivity. And when office stigma is not an issue, that employer can be truly Aspie Friendly!
Schools are Aspie Friendly when they keep a closer eye on potential self-isolation, or change the way forms that student turns in their homework. Retail establishments are Aspie Friendly when they indicate on the menu that a "sensory menu" is available by request; one which categorizes menu items by texture, color, main ingredient, etc. A little thing like making earplugs available by request can mean the difference between a great day clothes shopping, and a real nightmare.
There are so many ways to be Aspie Friendly that it's impossible to list them all. But the first key is understanding some key elements about Autism. From there we can easily learn to be more Aspie Friendly!
To contact Aspie Friendly to make an appointment, or for speaking events or staff training, please call 281-7O6-O421 or contact via email.
It's important to distinguish that being Aspie Friendly does NOT mean being accepting of unacceptable behavior! That isn't "Friendly"! It's realizing that there are certain traits which, because of the way the autistic brain works, are more natural for those with Autism. the same can be said for different genders and cultures, to name only two. For instance, both men and women each may have specific traits, inherent to their genders, which can be disruptive without social rules and laws. The same applies to those with Autism.
How Can I Be More "Aspie Friendly"?
Below are some more specific examples, but generally speaking, the way to be more Aspie Friendly depends on the dynamic.
Parents are Aspie Friendly when, for instance, they use motivations and consequences which don't seem, to the child on the spectrum, to be conflicted. What seems very obvious to the parent can be very confusing to an Aspie Kiddo!
Neurotypical adults with Aspie spouses can be Aspie Friendly by understanding the interpersonal dynamic a little better, so misunderstandings are minimized. For instance, an Aspie's facial expression may not reflect the emotion they are feeling. This can lead to some big misunderstandings! If the face looks like "anger" but inside the feeling is "sadness", the facial expression is likely to trigger anger from the other side, which makes the situation exponentially worse.
Law enforcement can be more Aspie Friendly by realizing that Spectrum individuals have decreased eye contact when stress escalates. Being questioned by a police officer may cause an innocent Aspie to appear quite guilty. This is a very typical way that Aspies find themselves in legal misunderstandings.
Employers can be more Aspie Friendly by offering reasonable accomodations such as switching a desk for a quieter area if needed, permitting the employee to arrive early, leave late, and take a long lunch, possibly alleviating transportation issues or office politics. Small changes can mean drastic improvements in productivity. And when office stigma is not an issue, that employer can be truly Aspie Friendly!
Schools are Aspie Friendly when they keep a closer eye on potential self-isolation, or change the way forms that student turns in their homework. Retail establishments are Aspie Friendly when they indicate on the menu that a "sensory menu" is available by request; one which categorizes menu items by texture, color, main ingredient, etc. A little thing like making earplugs available by request can mean the difference between a great day clothes shopping, and a real nightmare.
There are so many ways to be Aspie Friendly that it's impossible to list them all. But the first key is understanding some key elements about Autism. From there we can easily learn to be more Aspie Friendly!
To contact Aspie Friendly to make an appointment, or for speaking events or staff training, please call 281-7O6-O421 or contact via email.
