Thread: Lionel's Wellbeing, mayhem and mischief corner

Hello All,
Posted here under the description of what the General Chat section covers and is all about. Plus the prior approval of the Convenor - Incisor. Yes- caution - you have been warned 'touchy feely' stuff following. If you do not want to read the following content fine.

Please follow what Thumper's father said, "If you can't say nothin' nice - don't say nothin' at all." Constructive feedback welcomed and encouraged. Okay - just to reinforce ... touchy feely content following ...

Kind regards
Dr. Lionel
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Keeping your employees with Autism safe during videoconferencing at the workplace
Frequently, when staff are operating from a geographically dispersed range of offices virtual meetings such as Zoom and Teams, along with an ever-expanding range of available programs, are held. Invariably some of your team members may experience Autism. For individuals with Autism attending such virtual meetings could be highly uncomfortable if not intimidating and damaging for them. In short, an individual with Autism's perceived level of safety can be reduced by attending these virtual training events.

Why is this so?
Background: As knowledge about the first-hand lived experience of individuals with Autism increases some previously maintained theories, stereotypes, are steadily being debunked. For example, a common theme regards how individuals with Autism are identified as lacking empathy. However, researchers such as Resnick (2024) describe how some individuals with Autism can be. "too much in touch with the emotional state of other people". They have too much empathy. This can cause them to become tired and overwhelmed.¹ Extensive research has been conducted over the years that specifically examined the type and amount of eye contact individuals with Autism maintain during social contact with other people. The possible cause for this lack of eye contact is changing from being caused by social impairments to the amount of eye contact being self-regulated through sensory proportioning. For example, The Autism Service (2024) suggest that making direct eye contact can be overwhelming for someone with Autism due to their heightened sensory sensitivities. This can result in sensory overload. It can also present further difficulties in making eye contact by triggering a sensory overload. ² It does not require delving into academic journals to obtain example of the significance that eyes have outside of people who experience Autism. For example, references to the significance of our eyes are readily found with different forms of popular culture. For the romantics, "I drowned in the depth of their eyes". "Eyes are the windows to our souls". For the crime fans: "They looked daggers at me". "If looks could kill". Taking a leaf out of a Raymond Chandler gumshoe - private detective style novel: "All the while they spoke to me, their beady eyes kept darting around the room. I could tell that the punk was lying to me". The lack of direct eye contact could be attributed to differences in cultural backgrounds. In some cultures, looking a person in authority, such as an Elder, in the eyes represents the height of disrespect. Our example of Private Investigator or a police officer during an interview would represent someone in the position of authority. Bring these everyday examples of the significance eyes play within popular culture and add them to the intensity an individual with Autism is already experiencing during real or virtual interactions.

The online situation
Previously, in the background section, I introduced how an individual with Autism experiencing too much empathy can be overwhelmed by interacting with just one person. Now, just imagine their attending a virtual meeting along with 10 or more people. At any one point of time these peoples' faces and depending upon whether they are facing the camera - very possibly their eyes - are staring out of the screen directly at the individual with Autism during a "Compulsory" training event. If contact with one person and their emotional state can be overwhelming for an individual with Autism, this state only multiplies with each additional face appearing on the screen. Another unnerving factor for some individuals with Autism is seeing a live stream of their own face being projected back at them. Instead of just being a test of endurance for an individual with Autism attending such a compulsory event can become a hostile event. One that could cause psychosocial harm. This can be harm they have to experience during each virtual event.
Avoiding possible harm. Different virtual platforms offer a range of options in how different live feed of images can be displayed on a monitor. One such option is "Speaker Only". With a click of this option the sea of multitudinous faces, and their eyes, can be reduced. Now, the next suggestion might find disagreement with presenters who consider that full participation of the training event can only be guaranteed by everyone having their cameras turned on. I would suggest that for an individual with Autism allowing them the reasonable workplace adjustment of turning their camera off may in fact increase the rate of participation. However, it is not only individuals with Autism who may have their level of participation increased if managerial freedom extends to cameras being turned 'on' is optional - when people are comfortable of feel safe to do so. Even before the forced lockdowns associated with COVID 19 occurred, the option of working remotely from a home office was becoming increasingly popular. In fact, most of my employment since the early 2000s has found me being the local representative for state-based organisations - while I worked mostly from a home office. Recently, another home-based colleague with a historic back injury recounted to me how they found sitting in their chair for extended periods during online training was not beneficial to their health. To control this situation, they would turn their camera off and then get off their chair and practice yoga on the floor. Having the camera turned off - while they remained fully attentive about what was being broadcast - allowed them the freedom to practice self-care. In the meantime, the possible embarrassment of what might result from a good back stretching yoga movement such as the 'Downward Dog' that might accidentally be revealed on camera was avoided!

Admittedly, having the camera turned off also covers momentary absences for some home-based workers who might occasionally dash off to make a cup of coffee or tea and a biscuit. Regardless of these 'camera off' activities an overall examination of audience performance would find a higher level of participation rates. For example, caffeine can increase attention and prevent people's brains drifting off into 'sleep mode' during a presentation. Having the camera off option will also allow individuals access to a more inclusive environment - one where they can thrive. Please be aware that for some individuals with Autism they are totally fine using virtual platforms to interact one-to-one or in small groups while keeping the camera on. There does not have to be a blanket policy that cameras are instantly turned off for individuals with Autism. Such simple solutions as allowing individuals - with or without Autism - to control the level of faces staring at them - including their own - can bring benefits to the whole organisation and to all your stakeholders. What is the cost of these 'reasonable workplace adjustments'? Your tolerance and sense of inclusivity. To conclude. As that insurance company meerkat suggests towards the end of their advertisement, it really is, "Simples"

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1 Navigating the Experience of Hyper-Empathy in Autism: Some autistic people have less empathy, but many have an excess. Source Hyper-Empathy in Autism
2 The Autism Service (2024) Eye contact in adults with autism. Source Eye contact in adults with autism - The Autism Service

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(I have no association - commercial or otherwise - with individuals or organisations mention within this article.)
This work is copyrighted to Dr. Lionel G. Evans, 30^th July 2025. No content of this document can be reproduced without full attribution of this post as the original source, and the secondary sources cited.

Hello Ron,

A quick trip into empirical peer-reviewed research will reveal that out of all the types of disability in Australia Autism has the highest rates of successful suicide attempts and amount of suicidal ideation. Meanwhile, Autism in Australia has the highest rates of unemployment then any other disability. With a six times higher rate than any other disability of unemployment. Meaning there is big gap in how high the unemployment rate is compared to their other types of disability who are unemployed. Have a quick guess at what can happen if an individual with Autism attempts to maintain a job and they fail. As a Health and Safety Representative I had colleagues telephone stating that they were having suicidal ideations due to changes in how management insisted we treat our clients after a change in operational policy. I invite you to go online and checkout Model Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work Model Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work | Safe Work Australia. Also, without tracking it down - it could even be in that document... statistics of workplace events found that psychosocial harm can have more long lasting affects on health that physical injuries in the workplace. I suppose it boils down to an old saying' For those who believe - no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe - no proof is possible". I will also defend your right to freedom of speech regardless to my disagreement towards what you say.

I could supply all the links to back up the empirical research statistics - however, I think it falls under the "no proof is possible" side of the old saying. There is also a change management theory fraction known as the "three percent". The greatest skill of someone attempting to bring about change is to recognise that three present and see them for what they are. Then promptly focus your efforts elsewhere. With the same amount of effort that you could have applied to the three percents the majority of the 'fence sitters' could have been influenced to undertake real and positive change. The three percent mirror the "no proof is possible" set - go figure!

Kind regards
Lionel