Employment inclusion of Asperger people: keys from María Auxiliadora Ramírez

The first talk of the first Meeting, in 2022, was about work. It was given by María Auxiliadora Ramírez, a graduate in advertising, anti-bullying advocate and person with Asperger's syndrome, who spoke about the difficulties and the keys to employment inclusion from her own experience.

Why it's hard to get in and stay

Ramírez identified several barriers: a lack of vocational guidance, interview processes that penalize communication differences, lack of awareness of the condition in the workplace — which sometimes leads to harassment — and the absence of mechanisms to make quota laws effective (in Venezuela, 5% of the payroll for people with disabilities, with no regulation to implement it).

“It was a social-skills slip in the interview, and that's what makes us fail interviews.”

Practical keys for employers

• Before: start from real vocational guidance; turn a restricted interest into a professional strength.
• In the interview: don't read literalness or little eye contact as a lack of interest.
• On boarding: hand over the duties in writing and state the company rules explicitly; use visual supports (agenda, schedule, task list, pictograms).
• Instructions: short, concrete messages; check they were understood; break complex tasks into steps.
• Changes: give advance notice of routine changes.
• Feedback: raise issues promptly, without sarcasm or humiliation; respect sensory sensitivity (don't force physical contact).
• Team: train co-workers; autism workshops in the company reduce the fear of hiring.

And for those who don't want an office

Ramírez noted that not every Asperger person fits a traditional job: for those with skills such as jewellery-making or other trades, the path is entrepreneurship training.

The topic returned in 2024: employment and purpose also appeared in the talk by Tony Hernández Pumarejo, this time tied to mental health.