Employees with 

Asperger Syndrome 

Accommodation and Compliance Series
Practical Solutions • Workplace Success 

 2 

Preface 

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Updated 03/22/10. 
Practical Solutions • Workplace Success 

3 

JAN’S ACCOMMODATION AND COMPLIANCE SERIES

Introduction

JAN’s Accommodation and Compliance Series is designed to help employers determine 

effective accommodations and comply with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act 

(ADA). Each publication in the series addresses a specific medical condition and 

provides information about the condition, ADA information, accommodation ideas, and 

resources for additional information. 

The Accommodation and Compliance Series is a starting point in the accommodation 

process and may not address every situation. Accommodations should be made on a 

case by case basis, considering each employee’s individual limitations and 

accommodation needs. Employers are encouraged to contact JAN to discuss specific 

situations in more detail. 

For information on assistive technology and other accommodation ideas, visit JAN's 

Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) at http://askjan.org/soar. 

Information about Asperger Syndrome 

What is Asperger Syndrome? 

Asperger Syndrome, sometimes called “high-functioning autism,” is one of five 

pervasive developmental disorders known as the Autism Spectrum Disorders (NIMH, 

2006). People with Asperger Syndrome typically have average or above-average 

cognitive ability, but have extreme social deficits (Klin et al., 2000). 

The common characteristics of Asperger Syndrome are underdeveloped social skills 

and underdeveloped communication skills (DSM-IV, 1994). Individuals with Asperger 

Syndrome may also have deficits in tactile perception, psychomotor coordination, and/or 

visual-spatial organization (Klin et al., 2000). 

People with Asperger Syndrome are self-described loners who may be unable or 

unwilling to participate in spontaneous social interaction. Though friendship is desired, 

frustration occurs when trying to build social relationships, likely due to previous failed 

attempts (Klin et al., 2000). 

People with Asperger Syndrome can excessively elaborate on their own topics of 

interest, however, be unable or unwilling to participate in other parts of conversation or 

to end a conversation, partially because of the inability to gauge social context or 

interpret social cues (Klin et al., 2000). 

Gross motor skills, including posture and gait, and fine motor skills such as manual 

dexterity may be under-developed, making people with Asperger Syndrome seem 

clumsy or physically awkward (Klin et al., 2000). 
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What causes Asperger Syndrome? 

In the past, public interest rose around a theory suggesting a link between the use of 

thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used in the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) 

vaccine, and autism. These theories have been refuted in subsequent studies by 

American and Danish researchers (NIMH, 2006). Research into the causes of autism 

now involves genetic sampling, and detailed study of the brain to include imaging, tissue 

sampling, and post-mortem evaluations (NIMH, 2006). 

How is Asperger Syndrome treated? 

Medications are used to treat people with Asperger Syndrome. This includes 

medications for anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive behavior such as 

Prozac and Zoloft, and medication for inattention or hyperactivity such as Ritalin (NIMH, 

2006). Most experts agree that treatment for Asperger Syndrome not be limited solely to 

the use of medications. Treatment can also include behavioral therapy, addressing the 

development of interpersonal relationships, time management, self-discipline, goalsetting, and decision-making (NIH, 2006). 

Asperger Syndrome and the Americans with Disabilities Act

Is Asperger Syndrome a disability under the ADA? 

The ADA does not contain a list of medical conditions that constitute disabilities. 

Instead, the ADA has a general definition of disability that each person must meet 

(EEOC, 1992). Therefore, some people with Asperger Syndrome will have a disability 

under the ADA and some will not. 

A person has a disability if he/she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially 

limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as 

having such an impairment (EEOC, 1992). To be a disability covered by the ADA, the 

impairment must substantially limit one or more major life activities. These are activities 

that an average person can perform with little or no difficulty. Examples are: walking, 

seeing, speaking, hearing, breathing, learning, performing manual tasks, caring for 

oneself, and working. These are examples only. Other activities such as sitting, 

standing, lifting, or reading are also major life activities (EEOC, 1992). 

Most courts have agreed with the activities listed by the EEOC. For example, in Brown 

v. Cox Medical Centers, 286 F.3d 1040 (8th Cir. 2002), the Court noted that the “ability 

to perform cognitive functions” is a major life activity. In Gagliardo v. Connaught 

Laboratories, Inc., 311 F.3d 565 (3d Cir. 2002), the court held that “concentrating and 

remembering (more generally, cognitive function)” are major life activities (Fram, 2004). 

For more information about how to determine whether a person has a disability under 

the ADA, visit http://askjan.org/corner/vol02iss04.htm. 
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Accommodating Employees with Asperger Syndrome 

(Note: People with Asperger Syndrome may experience some of the limitations 

discussed below, but seldom develop all of them. Also, the degree of limitation will vary 

among individuals. Be aware that not all people with Asperger Syndrome will need 

accommodations to perform their jobs and many others may only need a few 

accommodations. The following is only a sample of the possibilities available. 

Numerous other accommodation solutions may exist.) 

Questions to Consider: 

1. What limitations does the employee with Asperger Syndrome experience? 

2. How do these limitations affect the employee’s job performance? 

3. What specific job tasks are problematic as a result of these limitations? 

4. What accommodations are available to reduce or eliminate these problems? Are all 

possible resources being used to determine accommodations? 

5. Can the employee provide information on possible accommodation solutions? 

6. Once accommodations are in place, can meetings take place to evaluate the 

effectiveness of the accommodations? Can meetings take place to determine 

whether additional accommodations are needed? 

7. Would human resources or personnel departments, supervisors, or coworkers benefit 

from education, training or disability awareness regarding Asperger Syndrome? Can 

it be provided? 

Accommodation Ideas: 

Speaking/Communicating: Individuals with Asperger Syndrome may have difficulty 

communicating with co-workers or supervisors. For people with Asperger Syndrome, 

poor communication may be the result of underdeveloped social skills, lack of 

experience/exposure in the workforce, shyness, intimidation, behavior disorders, or low 

self-esteem. 

 Provide advance notice of topics to be discussed in meetings to help facilitate 

communication 

 Provide advance notice of date of meeting when employee is required to speak 

to reduce or eliminate anxiety 

 Allow employee to provide written response in lieu of verbal response 

 Allow employee to have a friend or coworker attend meeting to reduce or 

eliminate the feeling of intimidation 
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Time Management: Individuals with Asperger Syndrome may experience difficulty 

managing time, particularly if involved in an enjoyable or exciting task. This limitation 

can affect their ability to complete the task within a specified timeframe. It may also be 

difficult to prepare for, or to begin, less-desirable work activities. 

 Divide large assignments into several small tasks 

 Set a timer to make an alarm after assigning ample time to complete a task 

 Provide a checklist of assignments 

 Supply an electronic or handheld organizer, and train on how to use effectively 

 Use a wall calendar to emphasize due dates 

Impulsivity: Individuals with Asperger Syndrome may exhibit over-activity or impulsive 

behavior. This could be disruptive to the work environment or could inhibit efficient and 

effective work performance. 

 Provide structured breaks to create an outlet for physical activity 

 Use a job coach to teach/reinforce techniques to control impulsivity 

 Allow the employee to work from home 

 Review conduct policy with employee 

 Adjust method of supervision to better prepare employee for feedback, 

disciplinary action, and other communication about job performance 

 Use services of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) if available 

 Provide private workspace where employee will not disturb others by tapping, 

humming, or fidgeting 

Stress Management: Individuals with Asperger Syndrome may have difficulty 

managing stress in the workplace. Situations that create stress can vary from person to 

person, but could likely involve heavy workloads, unrealistic timeframes, shortened 

deadlines, or conflict among coworkers. 

 Provide praise and positive reinforcement 

 Refer to EAP 

 Allow employee to make telephone calls to doctors (and others) for support 

 Provide sensitivity training for workforce 

 Allow the presence and use of a support animal 

 Modify work schedule 

Maintaining Concentration: Individuals with Asperger Syndrome may experience 

decreased concentration which can be attributed to auditory distractions (that can be 

heard) and/or visual distractions (that can be seen). People with Asperger Syndrome 

report intolerance to distractions such as office traffic, employee chatter, and common 

office noises such as fax tones and photocopying. 

 To reduce auditory distractions: 

o Purchase a noise canceling headset 
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o Hang sound absorption panels 

o Provide a white noise machine 

o Relocate employee’s office space away from audible distractions 

o Redesign employee’s office space to minimize audible distractions 

 To reduce visual distractions: 

o Install space enclosures (cubicle walls) 

o Reduce clutter in the employee's work environment 

o Redesign employee’s office space to minimize visual distractions 

o Relocate employee’s office space away from visual distractions 

Organization and Prioritization: Individuals with Asperger Syndrome may have 

difficulty getting or staying organized, or have difficulty prioritizing tasks at work. This is 

likely the result of limited executive function, which are cognitive skills required to 

prepare and execute complex behavior like planning, goal setting, and task completion. 

 Develop color-code system for files, projects, or activities 

 Use weekly chart to identify daily work activities 

 Use the services of a professional organizer 

 Use a job coach to teach/reinforce organization skills 

 Assign a mentor to help employee 

 Allow supervisor to prioritize tasks 

 Assign new project only when previous project is complete 

 Provide a “cheat sheet” of high-priority activities, projects, people, etc. 

Social Skills: People with Asperger Syndrome may have difficulty exhibiting 

appropriate social skills on the job. This might manifest itself as interrupting others when 

working or talking, demonstrating poor listening skills, not making eye contact when 

communicating, or inability to correctly read body language or understand innuendo. 

This can affect the person's ability to adhere to conduct standards, work effectively with 

supervisors, or interact with coworkers or customers. 

 Behavior on the job: 

o Review conduct policy with employee to reduce incidents of inappropriate 

behavior 

o Provide concrete examples to explain inappropriate behavior 

o Provide concrete examples to explain consequences 

o Recognize and reward appropriate behavior to reinforce appropriate 

behavior 

o Provide a job coach to help understand different social cues 

o Use training videos to demonstrate appropriate behavior in workplace 

o Encourage all employees to model appropriate social skills 

o Use role-play scenarios to demonstrate appropriate behavior in workplace 

 Working effectively with supervisors: 

o Provide detailed day-to-day guidance and feedback 

o Offer positive reinforcement 
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o Identify areas of improvement for employee in a fair and consistent 

manner 

o Provide clear expectations and the consequences of not meeting 

expectations 

o Give assignments verbally, in writing, or both, depending on what would 

be most beneficial to the employee 

o Establish long term and short term goals for employee 

o Adjust supervisory method by modifying the manner in which 

conversations take place, meetings are conducted, or discipline is 

addressed 

 Interacting with co-workers: 

o Provide sensitivity training to promote disability awareness 

o Allow employee to work from home when feasible 

o Help employee "learn the ropes" by providing a mentor 

o Make employee attendance at social functions optional 

o Allow employee to transfer to another workgroup, shift, or department 

o Encourage employees to minimize personal conversation, or move 

personal conversation away from work areas 

Memory: Individuals with Asperger Syndrome may experience memory deficits that 

can affect their ability to complete tasks, remember job duties, or recall daily actions or 

activities. This could be caused by a side-effect from medications. It could also be due 

to disinterest in the activity or misunderstanding the activity’s level of importance. 

 Provide written instructions 

 Allow additional training time for new tasks 

 Offer training refreshers 

 Prompt employee with verbal cues 

 Use a flowchart to describe the steps involved in a complicated task (such as 

powering up a system, closing down the facility, logging into a computer, etc.) 

 Provide pictorial cues 

 Use post-it notes as reminders of important dates or tasks 

 Safely and securely maintain paper lists of crucial information such as passwords 

 Allow employee to use voice activated recorder to record verbal instructions 

 Provide employee directory with pictures or use nametags and door/cubicle 

name markers to help employee remember coworkers’ names 

 Encourage employee to ask (or email) with work-related questions 

Multi-tasking: Individuals with Asperger Syndrome may experience difficulty 

performing many tasks at one time. This difficulty could occur regardless of the similarity 

of tasks, the ease or complexity of the tasks, or the frequency of performing the tasks. 

 Separate tasks so that each can completed one at a time 

 Create a flow-chart of tasks that must be performed at the same time, carefully 

labeling or color-coding each task in sequential or preferential order 
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 Provide individualized/specialized training to help employee learn techniques for 

multi-tasking (e.g., typing on computer while talking on phone) 

 Identify tasks that must be performed simultaneously and tasks that can be 

performed individually 

 Provide specific feedback to help employee target areas of improvement 

 Remove or reduce distractions from work area 

 Supply proper working equipment to complete multiple tasks at one time, such as 

workstation and chair, lighting, and office supplies 

 Explain performance standards such as completion time or accuracy rates 

Situations and Solutions: 

An employee with Asperger Syndrome works for a large marketing firm. Though she is 

knowledgeable in her field, she has difficulty participating in work activities with her 

team. JAN suggested job restructuring, which allowed her to work independently while 

providing information to her team electronically. This gave the employee the social 

distance she needed to be comfortable, yet also provided the team with information 

needed to move forward with marketing campaigns. 

A new hire at a fast-food restaurant has Asperger Syndrome. He completes his job 

tasks quickly and efficiently then remains idle until someone tells him the next task to 

perform. The manager complains that the employee “just stands around” and “looks 

bored.” JAN suggested the use of a job coach to help learn the job, and how to stay 

occupied during down time. JAN also suggested using a training DVD from 

www.ConoverCompany.com to help build workplace social skills. 

An applicant with Asperger Syndrome is applying for a research position with a 

chemical company. He has a verbal communication deficit, though can communicate 

properly through handwriting and by email. The employer wants to provide 

accommodations during the first stage interview, which involves answering questions 

from a three-person search committee. JAN suggested providing the questions in 

advance and allowing the applicant to furnish written responses during the interview. 

A professor with Asperger Syndrome had difficulty keeping daily office hours, and 

experienced anxiety because the timing of students’ consultations was unpredictable. 

JAN suggested modifying the schedule as an accommodation. The professor keeps all 

required office hours, but only during three workdays. JAN also suggested adjusting the 

method by which students obtain appointments, asking students to schedule at least 

one day in advance and when possible, allow the professor to conduct consultations 

electronically, by phone, or by instant messenger. In addition, JAN suggested 

documenting each student consultation to ease his anxiety about the meeting and to 

refresh his memory about previous meetings with the student. 
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Products: 

There are numerous products that can be used to accommodate people with limitations. 

JAN's Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) at http://askjan.org/soar is 

designed to let users explore various accommodation options. Many product vendor 

lists are accessible through this system; however, upon request JAN provides these 

lists and many more that are not available on the Web site. Contact JAN directly if you 

have specific accommodation situations, are looking for products, need vendor 

information, or are seeking a referral. 
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Resources 

Job Accommodation Network 

West Virginia University 

PO Box 6080 

Morgantown, WV 26506-6080 

Toll Free: (800)526-7234 

TTY: (877)781-9403 

Fax: (304)293-5407 

jan@askjan.org 

http://askjan.org 

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free consulting service that provides 

information about job accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and 

the employability of people with disabilities. 

Office of Disability Employment Policy 

200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-1303 

Washington, DC 20210 

Direct: (202)693-7880 

TTY: (877)889-5627 

Fax: (202)693-7888 

infoODEP@dol.gov 

http://www.dol.gov/odep/ 

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is an agency within the U. S. 

Department of Labor. ODEP provides national leadership to increase employment 

opportunities for adults and youth with disabilities while striving to eliminate barriers to 

employment. 

Asperger Coach, The 

Direct: (505)293-3344 

http://www.coachingasperger.com/ 

The Asperger Coach works directly, one-on-one over the phone. The company works 

with adults with Asperger, couples where one or both partners has Asperger, teenagers 

with Asperger, and parents of young children with Asperger Syndrome and autism. 

Autism Society of America 

7910 Woodmont Avenue 

Suite 300 

Bethesda, MD 20814-3067 

Toll Free: (800)3AU-TISM 

Phone: (301)657-0881 

info@autism-society.org 

http://www.autism-society.org 
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Promotes lifelong access and opportunities for persons within the autism spectrum and 

their families to be fully included, participating members of their communities through 

advocacy, public awareness, education, and research related to autism. 

Autism Speaks 

2 Park Avenue, 11th Floor 

New York, NY 10016 

Direct: (212)252-8584 

contactus@autismspeaks.org 

http://www.autismspeaks.org 

Dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, 

treatments, and cure for autism. 

National Autism Association 

1330 W. Schatz Lane 

Nixa, MO 65714 

Direct: (877)622-2884 

naa@nationalautism.org 

http://www.nationalautismassociation.org 

The mission of the National Autism Association is to educate and empower families 

affected by autism and other neurological disorders 

Organization for Autism Research 

2000 N. 14th Street, Suite 710 

Arlington, VA 22201 

Direct: (703)243-9710 

http://www.researchautism.org 

Organization for Autism Research (OAR) uses applied science to answer questions that 

parents, families, individual with autism, teachers, and caregivers confront daily. 

Unlocking Autism 

PO Box 208 

Tyrone, GA 30290 

Toll Free: (866)366-3361 

http://unlockingautism.org 

Committed to educating teaching community leaders about autism. 
Practical Solutions • Workplace Success 

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References 

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental 

disorders (4th ed.). Washington, D.C. 

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2006). How common are Autism spectrum 

disorders? Retrieved January 8, 2007, from 

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/asd_common.htm 

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (1992). A technical assistance manual on 

the employment provisions (title I) of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Retrieved October 28, 2005, from http://askjan.org/links/ADAtam1.html 

Klin, A., Volkmar, F.R, & Sparrow, S.S. (2000). Asperger syndrome. New York, Guilford 

Press. 

National Institute of Mental Health. (2006). Autism spectrum disorders (pervasive 

developmental disorders). Retrieved January 8, 2007, from 

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/autism.cfm#intro 
Practical Solutions • Workplace Success 

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This document was developed by the Job Accommodation Network, funded by a 

contract agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment 

Policy (DOL079RP20426). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the 

position or policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nor does mention of trade names, 

commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of 

Labor.