Sensory Processing in virtual training sessions
Translating multimodal data into actions during a training session
In the case of a CMS instructional virtual training session, the new employee with Autism could be sitting in a noisy room where their workstation is located in a shared space arrangement. Therefore, possible flickering lights, the sounds of coworkers surrounding them, are all adding other sensory-based stimulus that need to be filtered out, while the individual with Autism attempts to navigate their way around a new program. In the meantime, sensory-based data streaming through their computer monitor could be featuring a 'shared screen' showing the different steps being performed to enter data into specific sections of the CMS. Meanwhile, there may be a minimised screen of the instructor performing the task as they talk, while these multimodal forms of data are compounding and flowing toward an individual with Autism. Add further to this is the instructor's requirement that the audience members are expected to be following their instructions to accurately manipulate the data in the CMS. The instructions are delivered via a form of demonstration, which combine audio (spoken instructions), visual data (written text on a portion of the screen), and map movement with the eyes (the instructor using their mouse - clicking on the correct drop-down window). This combined data is decoded in the brain and then internal directions are being delivered by the fingers onto the keyboard, or through the mouse. These demonstrated actions must be accurately replicated by the learner so that they can comply with and duly perform the required task on their own computer. In the meantime, the instructor is advancing through the training process, while the learners must keep up with the instructional pace, or they will fall behind and become hopelessly lost. During this time, the individual with Autism is thoroughly aware of their status as a new employee - their status of being on probation, where lack of performance could mean a proximate lack of employment.
To further complicate the processing of multimodal data and the correct assignment of data into the CMS system can be an instructor who asks random participants to answer questions. Part of my training as a TAFE trade teacher was how to incorporate asking questions to encourage learning. I was taught a technique known as 'Pose, Pause and Pounce'. 'Pose' a question to the class. 'Pause' for long enough for your hopefully attentive class members to become sufficiently anxious that they will be asked to answer the question. Then pick your victim ... oops, put a strike through the 'v' word ... pick your attentive, or frequently inattentive class member, and 'pounce' on them to answer your question.
Now, add in a further underlying consideration - among all the staff members attending this training event the individuals with Autism will be trying four times harder to be attentive and gain success, than the other participants are attempting to achieve. What is the consequence of this to an individual with Autism? The results can be a combination of things. The least of which can be rampart levels of stress and anxiety being triggered. The need to overcome SPI related to multimodal sense-based data, while performing tasks that demand both understanding and high levels of competency can also trigger mental exhaustion.
Educational Wounding: An unfortunate consequence of our education system during school years and university studies can be another instructional technique that some of the least quality instructors utilise - namely, shame and ridicule to shock people into learning. Being a teacher is a 'power' thing after all, 'you must control your classroom'. Unfortunately, within this power-based style, our education system can be wounding. Take a quick break some time and visit your favourite search engine, and type in two words 'educational wounding', or 'academic wounding'. The instances of educationally wounding experiences can mean that any future one-on-one interactions between an instructor and an individual - where they are 'singled out' for 'special attention', or made 'an example of to the class' can be triggering for a survivor of historic educational wounding-based trauma. Being a form of trauma, educational wounding can return in later life during incidents when an individual is being singled out for special attention by a workplace instructor. Enter voice-overs and flashbacks of their historic episodes of being shamed and ridiculed. This being singled out can only have one result - the individual's stress and anxiety levels rapidly escalate and subsequently, their ability to think and perform competently plummets. All this 'special' attention is occurring while their colleagues are actively observing what is happening during the workplace training event. There is no place to hide. While research conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2022 does not specifically mention educational wounding, it does identify how 68.9% of Autistic 5-20-year-olds attending school or an education institution experienced difficulty at their place of learning.(1) This may have contributed to how only 5.2% of Autistic people in Australia had a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 19.7% of people with a disability and 35.3% of people without a disability.(1)
Things to consider: Please, consider the following. Given the right working environment, some of your most dedicated and committed members of staff will be employees who live with Autism in their daily life. I have attempted to provide you with a small degree of insight into the environment where individuals with Autism have to navigate their way through each day at work. They know the pitfalls that can catch them out. Despite this lived experience, they arrive at your workplace each day and they strive to do their best, throughout the whole day. Do not be surprised that because they sense that they may be slipping behind their colleagues' level of performance - the individual with Autism will be doing extra study at home. This represents an additional layer of effort and dedication than their other non-Autistic colleagues may outlay away from work.
Everyone can have a preferred learning style
By the way - individuals with Autism are not the only people who experience multimodal sensory processing issues. A quick dip into educational theory regarding 'learning' styles will divide 'learners' into three main categories. Visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. People who learn best via seeing information; individuals who learn best by hearing information; and people who learn best through doing ? performing the task physically. If you are a visual learner and the instructor has just loaded up a monitor screen full of text while they are verbally explaining the written content - your brain is attempting to blank out the sounds. Your brain is telling itself, "Stop talking at me, I am trying to focus". Alternately, for an auditory learner, while your brain is trying to focus on what is being said. Meanwhile there are screen dumps of text, your own levels of frustration is invariably increasing. Ever felt drained after a training session - virtual or not? It could be because your brain has been battling with filtering out a mode of communication that does not match your learning style. During the training you have been committing energy to overcome this superfluous information stream, "Hey! I'm trying to focus here!" Now here is a kicker ... a kinaesthetic learner is facing two superfluous modes of communication while they try and learn the new skill! "Gee, leave me alone - stop talking to me. Stop presenting screens full of written instruction to me. Just give me some space where I can do this stuff alone! Give me time to work this stuff out by doing it" None of these examples about natural learning styles have involved Autism. We as humans are separately called 'individuals' for a reason; each of us, regardless of any form of disability, have our own learning styles that work best for us.
Solutions: Well, if you have reached this part of the document by reading it then you are already progressed along the right path. You have taken time out of your day to understand one or more of your colleagues - regardless of whether they experience Autism or not. Transfer this time of understanding and create a place within your workplace where similar levels of understanding are incorporated into your daily work practices. I have previously written in other articles how to some, and I repeat the word - 'some' individuals with 'Autism are behind the eightball as soon as virtual meetings or training is involved. Allowing such things as 'cameras off', is a very simple solution to that. In the case of this article, flexible learning modes could involve you scheduling virtual training events in a quiet location. Or allow the employee to hook into the virtual training event from their home. These allowances demonstrate your understanding of individuals with or without Autism requirements so that they may be able to learn effectively. Provide an environment where they can thrive and you may just have found yourself a dedicated long-term employee. Also, just take some time to pause and observe something in your workplace. Now, getting back to Autism specifically; a day or two after a virtual training event you may find other employees who attended the same training session gathered around the individual with Autism's workstation. Because the individual with Autism has made such extra efforts to learn the new program they have been noticed as being competent at using the CMS by their colleagues. Their colleagues ask the individual with Autism for their assistance because they themselves struggled with learning the program during the virtual training event and they have come up with their own effective solutions. To gain a better understanding of the process the individual with Autism may be able to better explain things to their colleagues than the trainer provided during the online event. During their training these employees did not raise their hand and ask questions, or admit they could not follow the instructions, because they did not want to look bad to the instructor, or to their manager.
Another solution could be to hold a 'refresher' session or set up peer-based learning sessions, like a tutorial session, that is held after the initial virtual training session. These tutorial sessions should not be linked to them being considered remedial - they should represent an active community of practice. Do not just rely on instructional feedback forms to gauge the success of a training event. A potentially more proactive approach to take to avoid forming potential barriers to learning could be utilising codesign and collaboration. Ask the instructional design staff to sit down with your staff members with lived experience of Autism - and without Autism, to discuss how the training could be more effective and more inclusive. This level of understanding and creating a safe learning environment will only pay dividends to all your employees. These dividends will also flow onto your stakeholders. The dividends will also flow onto you as an individual yourself. It represents a true 'win/win' situation for everyone.
(1) Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022). Autism in Australia 2022. Australian Bureau of Statistics. ACT. Section ?Education.? Autism in Australia, 2022 | Australian Bureau of Statistics
Copyright Dr. Lionel G. Evans 17th August 2025
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