two questions about rules
Hi, I am new on the site but have been meaning to post here for quite a while. I am a life skills coach (NT) working with an AS client on employment issues. We’ve talked over his experiences in previous work situations, and the challenges that he has faced. We're happy to have found this site and are hoping that the posters here can give us some suggestions about how to troubleshoot various issues in the future.
A couple of clarifications: We are thinking about these questions from a non-management standpoint—maybe they’ll offer some insight for managers as well. Also, we are in the U.S., so we understand that some laws/procedures may differ. However, with these differences in mind, general advice would be very helpful.
We have a lot of questions, but I'll start out with two related ones. My client will check back and may post additional information if he feels it's appropriate to do so. (Also, I wasn't quite sure which thread would be best for these questions, so please move my post if I put it in the wrong place. However, for now I will give my client the link to this page.)
1. How should an employee anticipate and respond to “unwritten rules” and unanticipated exceptions to the rules? posted
2. What should an employee do when the rules don’t work—for instance, when unforeseen circumstances (such as an absence or illness or scheduling inconsistency) arise that prevent one from following rules exactly? posted
No 1 - employee should ask
No 1 - employee should ask for written clarification of rules but also needs to know of exceptional circumstances that mean the usual rules are not followed.
Explicit Explanation
This is where it is so important to inform your boss as to what your requirements are.
Remember: a neuro-typical person will NOT understand the requirements of someone with Asperger syndrome; these needs need to be explained clearly.
The worse scenario is that the AS manager sits back and thinks: "my boss is the boss and is, therefore, automatically obliged/it is his responsibility to meet my needs. He/she cannot do that if they don't understand.
These needs don't need to be conveyed via informing the other person that one has AS if one does not believe that that is in their interests. They can do so indirectly via communication modes that run along the lines of: "it would really help me if you could do X".
Help others to help, ourselves!