meeting new people at work

Living with Autism – Column by autism journalist Tyler Ody. His Tyler Ody, who lives in North Swindon, has been working at Swindon Link for the past three years. Tyler has been diagnosed with classic autism since he was 4 years old. Here is his new monthly column.

Hey, guys! Welcome to the ninth installment of my Living with Autism column, and his first for 2023.

This month is about meeting new people at work and how I feel while doing so.

Those who know me know that I am a talkative person who likes meeting new people and knows gossip.

For example, every time I hear about a new work experience coming up at either the Swindon Ring or Swindon 105.5, I get excited and nervous at the same time.

I get nervous when I think about what that person thinks of me and what my personality is like.

When I finally meet the person, I always introduce myself and let them do the same. At work I always try to say that if they get stuck I can help .

Then think about their character in your head. If they are nice people, I think we can get along.

The staff explains to the work experience person that I have autism. Doing so helps me stay calm because they have a better understanding of my behavior and personality.

I love putting my skills to use in my work, especially if I can help others. You may feel anxious or distressed because you struggle with your environment.

But if I’m in that situation, I put myself in a quiet, quiet room.

I have been fortunate enough to get along well with most of the people I have met.

Meeting new people and getting to know others for the first time is one of my anxieties that I want to try and overcome, but it’s a slow and steady pace.