Minimise sensory stimuli. Working in a busy open plan office may be difficult. It may not always be possible, but can a smaller office be provided?
Minimise clutter and visual distraction. Try screens, or placing the desk to face a bare wall.
Minimise noise. Sounds like a buzzing fluorescent tube may make work impossible. Colleagues chatting may be a distraction. Try over the ear headphones to cut out ambient noise.
Ensure that lights are well-maintained, to avoid flickering. Allow an individual to wear sunglasses inside, or a peaked cap, if light levels are too high.
Ideally the individual should be able to control the light, noise and temperature of the environment.
Autistic people may have difficulty with making eye contact, modulating their voices, shaking hands and expressing themselves verbally during an interview. Do not interpret this as meaning that they would not be good at the job.
Look widely for evidence of the necessary abilities. Autistic people often experience difficulty getting a job because of their social communication difficulties, so may not have had the opportunity to build up their employment history.
Autistic People may have an apparently chaotic work history, reflecting their different interests. Do not be put off by this. They are often very focussed and quick at mastering new areas of expertise.
Autistic people may have difficulty in judging an appropriate length for a response to a question, especially if they are passionate about the subject. The recruiting manager may need to intervene.
An interviewee who is autistic may have difficulty answering questions about other people's thoughts and motivations or possible responses.
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