In my experience it is not that autistics are incapable of collaborating, it is rather that certain modes of collaboration pose challenges in terms of sensory processing and resulting levels of stress.
From my perspective, I dislike the following modes of collaboration:
1. Unstructured meetings and debates without a facilitator. Many NTs also don't enjoy such meetings, but I don't think they get stressed out by such meetings. Even if a meeting has a clear objective, the round-about way in which consensus is developed, and the decoding of small talk and non verbal communication can be very exhausting.
2. Phone calls and video conferences, for similar reasons as above. On the phone an additional hurdle is that many people tend to expect the other person to promptly reply to questions or comments, which makes it difficult to think through a a particular line of reasoning before responding. If I respond too quickly, the wording may be poor, resulting in potential confusion or misunderstanding. If I think through the response, the other person may interrupt my thoughts with a comment, taking the conversation down a different avenue before I even can say a word.
3. Hands on physical teamwork and especially team sports. As a child I've never been able to participate in any useful way in a team sport setting.
In contrast, the following modes of collaboration are very autistic friendly:
1. Structured workshops with an agenda, a facilitator, and a white board as an additional visual tool. I'm fairly experienced in the facilitator role, and prefer workshops with 5 people or less. I think white boards are excellent tools that take away attention from eye contact, and therefore allow for optimal contribution by autistics.
2. Instant messaging, remote screen sharing, and email. The resulting interaction is somewhat asynchronous, and not quite as fast paced as a phone call or video conference. Additionally, the communication is visual and in writing, which eliminates the decoding of non verbal communication, and significantly reduces the risk of serious misunderstandings.
3. Hands on collaboration and face to face discussion in a team of two. If the nature of the collaborative task is unstructured, then a team of two is the least mentally draining option, as needed making use of a white board as above. I would add that this mode works best if I am familiar with the other person, especially if the other person is also autistic. In case the collaboration parter is unfamiliar or neurotypical, then the teamwork involves a higher level of stress.
Can anyone relate to this experience?
Are there other forms of collaboration that work well for you?