[mlyle]

Yes, it's extremely locale specific. When dealing with different cultural contexts, it's easy to make both sides vaguely uncomfortable and confused.

We all have a set of social tools that are used towards specific ends, and we have specific responses imagined. When the responses are far outside our expectation, we get viscerally uncomfortable and have to work to adapt-- and usually do so imperfectly.

Ever see the stereotypical interaction-- where person A from a culture where you stand closer to talk talks to person B, who expects a longer distance? It's relatively common to see person A occasionally take a step towards person B, and person B occasionally step backwards and over a 15 minute conversation they back down the hall--- I'm sure both people are subtly uncomfortable and probably don't even consciously understand why.

[inimino]

> I'm sure both people are subtly uncomfortable and probably don't even consciously understand why.

And if only one of them becomes consciously aware of it that is enough to break the cycle. Sometimes all you need is a little awareness.

[mlyle]

Yup, agreed.

People on the spectrum aren't generally hard to manage, but they are often managed a little differently. I've had several people to "practice upon" and get better at this. (Someone in a non-tech sector probably will not have this experience). It also helps that I have non-clinically significant introversion and pseudo-ASD tendencies myself and so I'm more predisposed to understand.

I think having a manager/industry that understands ASD and having a job that lends itself well to ASD (things that can be more reasonably self-directed and independent and are not deep in peer or customer interaction) are important things that can help with success.

[inimino]

People in general are hard to "manage". Expectations that every one can be treated the same and the breathtaking unawareness within tech of the arbitrariness of social norms and customs generally only exacerbates all of these difficulties. What we need, even more than understanding of ASD, is awareness and empathy in general.

[mattrp]

Just remember what the article said - if you’ve met one, you’ve met... one. Everyone is different and what bothers me is the assumption of autism the instant someone does something unintentionally awkward. “Oh he’s on the spectrum...” I hear that so often as a dismissive that I wonder how actually thoughtful and caring that person really is... if we can’t have even the slightest bit of empathy towards fellow humans I wonder how these people would treat someone who actually does have autism.