Newsletter for companies · Nos. 1–3
Understanding starts with asking.
You may already work with an autistic person without knowing it. Practical, sourced guides for human resources and social responsibility teams.
Illustrative image
No. 1 · 4 min read
Understanding an autistic colleague starts with asking.
Autism is a different way of processing the senses, communication and relationships. It is a spectrum: what helps one person may not help another.
Interactive · 1 in 127
According to the WHO, around 1 in 127 people had autism in 2021, although the figure varies between studies and is unknown in many countries. It is an estimate: many people have no diagnosis.
4
autistic people, on average, could already be part of your team.
The manager’s question: how much does it cost?
- 61% said the adjustment cost nothing
- 33% had a one-time cost (median US$300)
- 6% had a recurring cost (median US$2,400 per year)
Source: Job Accommodation Network (JAN) · 2025. U.S. data, covering all disabilities and employers who consulted JAN: not a representative sample.
The employment gap
Source: The Buckland Review of Autism Employment · 2024 (United Kingdom). The National Autistic Society points to a lack of understanding and stereotypes as the biggest barrier.
In the same JAN survey, 85% of employers said they had retained their people better thanks to adjustments. And the most useful adjustment costs nothing: asking “what would help you?”
Talk about the policy, not the diagnosis
“At this company, everyone can ask for changes in how they work: written instructions, an agenda beforehand, a quiet place. What someone shares with their manager stays there.”
Where to begin: a 90-day staircase
Meet with human resources and with whoever leads your team. Review which adjustments exist today and who approves them.
Write a one-page adjustments policy, open to all staff. Make it a habit to send a written summary after every meeting.
Pilot the adjustments with one team. Track how many adjustments were requested and granted, turnover, and how the team felt.
Illustrative imageNo. 2 · 4 min read
Caring for an autistic child and holding a job go together.
Therapies, appointments, school meetings and urgent calls in the middle of the workday: many mothers, fathers and caregivers manage all of this without mentioning it at work.
Some people prefer not to share their family situation at work. That decision deserves respect, too.
Four phrases that open the door
What helps
- Listening without interrupting.
- Asking what they need before offering.
- Keeping what they share confidential.
- Saying thank you when they let you know.
What does not help
- “It will pass.”
- Comparing with other children.
- Questioning their commitment.
- Asking for proof of the diagnosis.
Where to start
- 1First 30 days
Write down on one page how to request schedule flexibility, who decides and how many days it takes to respond.
- 2Days 31 to 60
Set up a channel for urgent calls and start a voluntary support group for mothers, fathers and caregivers.
- 3Days 61 to 90
Review your events with families: a quiet area, warnings about loud noises and no pressure to take part in everything. Ask caregivers what worked and measure turnover and absenteeism.
Source: Job Accommodation Network (JAN) · 2025 · 85% of employers who offered adjustments retained their people better; 48% avoided the cost of training a replacement. U.S. data covering all adjustments and disabilities.
No. 3 · keep this page
What to do when an autistic person has a meltdown.
It can happen in a meeting room, at an event with loud music or in the line at the entrance. To respond well, it is enough to know what to do in the first minutes.
First: is there a serious and immediate risk?
If the person is hurting themselves forcefully, there is an injury, they are not breathing normally, they are trying to get onto a road, or there is aggression that cannot be contained, call 911. Say that it is an autistic person having a meltdown and ask for health support. If there is no serious risk, do not call; follow the steps below.
One person leads
One person takes charge of the conversation. Everyone else steps back. Several voices at once increase the overload.
Remove hazards
Move away any objects that could cause harm. Do not move the person abruptly, except to prevent injury.
Lower the stimulation
Turn off music, dim the lights, clear the space. Offer a quiet, dimly lit place.
Speak little, softly and slowly
Short phrases: “I’m here. You’re safe.” No chains of questions.
Remove all demands
No “calm down,” “look at me” or explanations. Do not talk about consequences during the meltdown, either.
Wait nearby, without crowding
Offer comfort only if the person wants it. Let them use what calms them, such as rocking or their headphones.
Take a deep breath before approaching.
What not to do
- Do not grab or restrain, except as a last resort to prevent serious injury (Autistica, Autism Society).
- Do not record or draw attention to the meltdown: it is a matter of dignity and privacy.
- Do not punish, shame or raise your voice.
- Do not force eye contact or physical contact.
After the meltdown
- Give the person time to recover: they are usually exhausted.
- No interrogations or reproaches.
- Later, calmly, ask what helped and what did not. Write it down, with their permission.
- To onlookers: “Thank you for giving them space. We’ve got this.”
Print and keep
An autistic person’s meltdown
- Serious and immediate risk? Call 911.
- One leader. Everyone else steps back.
- Lower the lights and noise. Quiet place.
- Short phrases, soft voice. No demands.
- Do not restrain. Do not record. Do not scold.
- Wait nearby. Offer, do not impose.
- Afterwards: time, no questions.
Agreed support person: ________________ · Phone: ________________
What helps: ________________ · What does not: ________________
Create the plan with the person or, if they are a minor, with their family. It is voluntary and is shared only with their consent. Based on the public guide from Autistica (UK) and a guide from Autism Society (US), adapted to the workplace. General guidance: it does not replace a health professional.
Corporate volunteering · interactive
Bring your team to the farm.
Companies can support Starlight with their time. Choose the activities your team would like to do, tell us how many you are, and send us your plan on WhatsApp in one click.
Duration
Preferred days
Your volunteer day
Starlight will confirm dates and adapt the plan. Activities with animals are always supervised. Images are illustrative.
- 1Send your plan
By WhatsApp or email, with the activities you chose.
- 2Short orientation
Before the day: how to accompany autistic people with respect (the three gestures).
- 3Volunteer day
Planting, animals and sharing, with the Starlight team guiding every activity.
Illustrative imageAn invitation
Join the Starlight community.
Starlight is still raising funds for its farm to exist and, in the meantime, is building a community of companies, volunteers and people who believe in dignity and knowledge. If your company wants to be there from the beginning, start here.
A question for human resources
If tomorrow an employee asked for written instructions and a quiet place, who would they ask, and how many days would it take to get an answer?