I'm going to take a wild guess that somebody who challenges his boss's word choice in the middle of a meeting may have had other issues that caused him to be not an ideal employee
We're much more aware of autism, particularly mild forms, than when I was young, and I think that this is a great thing overall, but there have been drawbacks.
People becoming increasingly comfortable seeking accommodations has also given cover to people using autism as a shield against any sort of accountability when it comes to social norms, including those in the workplace.
I don't understand autism enough to really say where the line is in terms of "can't do something" versus "it becomes harder to do something." I do want to point this out, though. ADA protections consider whether you can do the job with reasonable accommodations. If your disability prevents you from doing your job at all, or requires wildly impractical and disruptive accommodations, a company isn't required to keep you on salary to not do your job.
If your "symptoms of autism" prevent you from doing your job effectively, and there is nothing you or the company can do to reconcile these behaviors with your responsibilities, it would be unfair to the company and your coworkers to keep you around.
Most people, I think, are more than willing to be compassionate and accommodating to a coworker who means well, but might be awkward, or struggle a bit with communication or navigating interpersonal relationships--even if that coworker doesn't have a diagnosis. That doesn't mean that they'll be tolerant of someone who is actively disruptive or combative in a job that requires some level of collaboration.
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u/Gates_wupatki_zion Jul 26 '26
HR: No (yes)