Another fresh perspective from Michael Maynard, this time about a condition most of us has heard of but know little about. Interesting read, Michael, thanks.
Barbara Bissonnette looks like a model. She’s very pretty, tall and elegant, even while wearing jeans and a sweater. She walks gracefully as she approaches to introduce herself. Anyone could easily assume that she would be planning a holiday season black-tie party for her socialite friends, but they would be wrong.
Ms. Bissonnette is a business coach to adults having Asperger’s Syndrome. She is a principal at Forward Motion Coaching of West Boylston and Wellesley, Ms. Bissonnette coaches adults with Asperger’s Syndrome on how to handle the demands of their work environment. She is one of the few coaches who specializes in helping adults with Asperger’s Syndrome with employment issues.
Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological disorder which causes those afflicted to have difficulty with social interactions. The prevalence of Asperger’s is estimated at 1 in every 250 people in the United States. Males outnumber females by a ratio of 4:1. People with Asperger’s are generally considered to be on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. Asperger Syndrome is named after Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger who, in 1944, described children in his practice who lacked nonverbal communication skills, demonstrated limited empathy with their peers, and were physically clumsy.
Bill Gates, Woody Allen, and Garrison Keillor are three of the many notable public figures who show symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome. There is evidence to suggest that Albert Einstein, Leonardo DaVinci and Isaac Newton suffered from the condition as well.
Most adults with AS are very intelligent, have superior memories for details and speak and write with a large vocabulary. They are honest to a fault, so you can trust what they say to you. They work very hard and have exceptional abilities to handle minute details. This is why you find them gravitating to certain professions like software engineering and accounting where attention to detail is important and they can work independently from others.
Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome vary widely in their abilities and challenges. Some are awkward in their interactions with others, perhaps forgetting to make eye contact or to smile, or talking too loudly, softly or quickly. Others are charming and talkative but may ask too many questions or alienate others with blunt comments or social gaffes.
People with Asperger’s tend to miss most of the non-verbal communication that we take for granted. Imagine how hard it would be to communicate if you couldn’t tell whether someone’s facial expression or tone of voice was happy, sad, or mad. Or if you heard language very literally and thought, for example, that having a “bad hair day” at work was a grooming issue. Or if looking someone in the eye was distracting or painful. Imagine not understanding how to make small talk or casual conversation during a lunch break.
Organizing and prioritizing information can be challenging due difficulty assimilating information from various sources to see “the big picture.” People with Asperger’s tend to focus on the details and can find it hard to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant facts. Also there is a tendency to focus on one thing at a time and become overwhelmed with too many interruptions or multi-tasking.
Sometimes their honesty can get them into trouble. When asked during interviews what their weaknesses are, my clients have said things like, “I’m not a morning person,” and “My self-esteem is very low.” They made themselves stand out in the wrong way!
So why did this woman with the skills and abilities to become a senior executive become a coach for adults with Asperger’s Syndrome?
“I had been working in industry, first as a Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Asset Alternatives, and then as a Marketing and Business Consultant. Although I was doing well in business, I was not being challenged. In 2006 while completing a graduate certificate in executive coaching from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, I attended a workshop on coaching people with Asperger’s Syndrome. I was fascinated and realized that I had worked with a number of AS individuals during my corporate career. I wanted to give back my business experience to people who could really use it, and coaching these individuals does just that.
“I presented a workshop for the Asperger’s Association of New England in February of 2007 on the subject of employment that matches ones skills and it sold out in 3 days. Now I provide career development coaching for people with Asperger’s full time.” Ms. Bissonnette said.
“I also work with corporations to train human resources personnel and coach employees who have social, communication and organizational challenges. I think more and more companies will begin to realize that they have employees with AS or may begin hiring people who do. There are often inexpensive accommodations that can be made that enable people with Asperger’s Syndrome to be successful at their jobs.
About Michael Maynard: Michael is a free-lance journalist and management consultant. As a freelance writer he has written for CEO and CIO magazines and other magazine and newspapers. He was managing editor and featured columnist for Global Business Newsletter. He was also a featured columnist for the Washington Post-Newsweek syndicate. For more than 25 years, Michael has been President and Co-Founder of Azimuth Partners, a marketing and business development consultancy. Michael is currently lending his consultant talents to Improved Experience, which helps employers use feedback to measure and manage competitive advantage, engagement, and retention. You can reach him at michael@improvedexperience.com.
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Best regards,
Claudia Faust
Posted by: Claudia Faust | March 05, 2009 at 01:00 PM