This article was guest written by Phil Steventon, an autistic aspiring lawyer, content creator, writer, speaker, and workplace neuro-inclusion associate. As part of Autism Acceptance Month, Phil is sharing his experiences of legal networking events.
As an experienced paralegal and trainee Legal Executive, networking is how I meet people in the legal community, whether through in-person events or virtual events.
I’ve attended plenty of in-person networking events, both pre- and post-Covid, so I’ve gained a greater appreciation for what I need as an autistic aspiring lawyer out of events such as these.
Below are a few things that might be helpful to you when attending networking events.
Ask for information to be provided before the event
Many of us need predictability, routine and structure in what we’re doing in life, work and study. We may experience extreme anxiety and overwhelm when we come up against unexpected changes or if we feel we’ve been ambushed by something that we haven’t been told about before the event.
So providing information about the event before the day goes a long way to alleviating the anxiety that we might feel on the day itself.
The most recent event I attended provided attendees with not only the address of the venue, but a route map from Google Maps, street-level photos of the outside of the venue, photos of the inside of the building and an illustrated route to the correct office floor, as well as the food and drink options that were there.
The fact that the event organisers did that meant that the event became a lot more accessible for me, I had a better idea of what was going to happen, who would be there and what I would like to eat and drink there too. I enjoyed the event thoroughly and felt like I got a lot out of it!
Because we may perceive the world as being much more unpredictable than our non-autistic peers and friends, it can mean that the order and structure that we need isn’t there and that can run the risk of derailing us leading to a shutdown or loss of functioning and being able to communicate our needs effectively.
Bring sensory aids or stim toys if you use them
Stim toys help us self-regulate our brains and nervous system, and provide us with sensory stimulation. They can help us release excess energy, reduce anxiety, and increase focus and concentration. Stim toys can include things like fidget spinners, plastic tangles, little puzzle cubes, or they can be anything that we’d use on a day to day basis like a pen.
Sensory aids are anything that help us manage and process the sensory information around us. They can include noise-reducing earphones/earplug (think Loop earplugs), sunglasses or tinted eyeglasses, or an item made from a specific fabric that is soothing to us.
If you use these in your day to day life, then it may help you to have these with you for events you are going to. That way, if you feel anxious, then you have what you need to help you feel more at ease. Or if you are holding onto some excess energy and feeling bouncy or very active, then you have what you need to release that energy safely and help keep yourself focused on what is happening during the event.
If the event gets too much, take a break
I’ve often found that it isn’t just the noise that’s difficult to process at networking and graduate recruitment events; its the complexity of information that I need to process too. So not just lots of conversations going on and having to think about my answers to questions I’m being asked, but being aware of if the lights are too bright for me, if food smells are getting overwhelming, how many people are around me so I know how much space I have around me, the list goes on.
When I feel that I’m starting to get tired or overwhelmed by all this information, I simply step outside, get some fresh air, and take a break. When I’ve had that break, I then head back into the event and continue where I left off.
A simple “I’ll be right back, I just need some air” is enough for anyone that you’re in the middle of a conversation with so you can excuse yourself from the room.
Honestly, this isn’t any different from where we see people step outside to smoke or vape or take a phone call. And there isn’t any obligation to stay within the confines of the event space for the entire duration anyway. So don’t feel like you’re offending anyone by stepping away to decompress for a few moments.
Alternative & Augmentative Communication (“AAC”)
If we do experience overload, overstimulation, meltdowns or shutdowns, we may become either non-verbal or not be able to communicate our needs effectively at all.
This is where AAC can help. AAC is used to describe different methods and tools to help aid communication where individuals face challenges with verbal speech.
There are AAC cards that have prompts or messages that you can show to people if you aren’t able to verbalise your needs. There are also plenty of text-to-speech apps for mobile devices available on mobile app stores.
If you find that you struggle to communicate verbally or verbalise your needs if you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious, then these AAC tools could be a great help to you.
Be assured that needing and asking for what you need to access an event doesn’t make you difficult, childish or unprofessional; it makes you self-aware, prepared and a great advocate for yourself and what you need. The more we can advocate for ourselves and our own needs, the more we can inspire and encourage others to be able to advocate for themselves and their own needs. And the more of us that do that, the more event organisers will take notice and work to embed neuro-inclusivity into future events they put on.
Looking for tips on how to make your events more neuro-inclusive? Check our Phil's article with tips for graduate recruitment teams and those organising legal networking events.
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