Why autistic employees need the reason behind an instruction, and time to trust

Rebecca McCash told the employment panel at the 2024 Autistic Pride Day Symposium that one of the barriers she faces once she is inside a workplace, and a really big one, is the question of why. She said she has often ended up in trouble because she is inclined to question authority, particularly when an instruction does not make sense to her. When someone explains the reason, she said, her response is usually that it makes perfect sense. When nobody does, she said, “It’s really hard for me to comply with things that don’t make any sense.”

McCash, who works with FutureTech, made the point immediately after arguing that employers should grant flexibility unless they have a real reason to refuse it. She then turned the same test on everyday management. She described a pattern that has followed her through more than one job. She can often see solutions to problems the organisations she works for are facing, and managers frequently did not want to hear them, even when the solutions made sense. She said she has been in trouble for going outside her pay grade and for not understanding organisational hierarchy, and for jumping over chains of command.