Seeking Advice: Workplace Accommodations for Sensory Process

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Hello fellow neurodivergent community members,

After a recent autism diagnosis at 32, I'm navigating how to request workplace accommodations without jeopardizing my hard-earned position as a graphic designer. Specifically, I'm struggling with:

Key Challenges:

Open Office Noise: Fluorescent lights + constant keyboard clatter reduces my productivity by ~40% (measured via focus apps)

Unstructured Meetings: Last-minute "brainstorming" sessions cause meltdowns

Implicit Social Rules: Missing nonverbal cues in client presentations

Attempted Solutions:
✓ Noise-canceling headphones (helpful but draw odd stares)
✓ Requesting agendas 24hrs in advance (50% compliance)
✓ Using fidget tools (labeled "unprofessional" by manager)

Questions for Those With Experience:

How specific should my ADA request letter be about autism-related needs?

Has anyone successfully implemented "quiet hours" in creative fields?

Are there diplomatic ways to address the "unprofessional" perception of stimming?

Context:

Company: 45-person marketing agency (claims to value DEI)

Tenure: 2.5 years with strong performance reviews

Location: California (has state protections beyond federal ADA)

I'm torn between self-advocacy and fear of being pigeonholed. Any scripts, legal insights, or moral support would mean the world.

Attached:

Redacted performance review showing quality/output metrics

Sample ADA request draft for community feedback

I have some suggestions. These things are within my area of professional and research experience.

Keyboard: Are you talking about your own keyboard, or the keyboards of other people around you? If it is your own, you could go to a store and test out keyboard and then request that your workplace provide you with a specific model. If it is others, this falls under environmental noise.

Lights: You can ask for them to change out the light in your area only.

Environmental Noise: You could try noise cancelling earbuds instead of earphones. If you make an appointment with an audiologist, they should be able to recommend something higher end. Your health insurance may cover some of this if it is medically prescribed for you. You could also consider listening to some kind of white noise or quiet music in headphones or earbuds to drown out the other sounds.

Implicit Social Rules: I believe you are going to have to read up on some of this yourself. Imagine that you are an explorer who has arrived in a foreign country, of which little is known. Take notes and refer back to them until you have a rudimentary idea of what is going on. People on the autism spectrum build excellent systems of social skills over time, believe or not, based on what I consider mechanical observation. You might read that things like looking away, shuffling papers, scratching the face, etc, indicate social discomfort among NTs. If this seems to be so based on what you are seeing in meetings, write this down. You will make your own map and things will start to make sense.

Another idea is if you have a friendly co-worker, you could ask that person for their opinion on some social matters. You don't have to disclose that you are on the autism spectrum to that person. You can simply say something like, "I am not sure what is going on when Person X does Y. What do you think?" Then if that person helps you, remember, and help that person later with a work-related task. You will form allies.

Last-minute unstructured meetings: Supply yourself with comfort items to have at work for emergencies. A nice drink in the work fridge, some fancy post-its and nice pens, a little figure that seems stupid to have at work but would be cheerful. Let yourself have a 5-minute walk around the building to the bathroom, but go the longest way possible. Have these interest/comfort things at hand and use them before and after meetings. Consider that for you, it is like you are going into the Thunderdome when you go into a meeting. You can't really avoid it all the time. They will do it last minute, for no reason, and you have to deal with it. Just do something nice for yourself before and after.

Switch out the unprofessional fidget tools for one that fly under the radar. I feel you here. I am NT and when I was a manager it was quite stressful for me. I had a lot of unprofessional crap around my cubicle. In retrospect, I should have kept all that in a drawer and not on display. It makes people think less of you. The comfort figure or item that gives you joy can be where no one else can see it. My comfort items were two little wooden dolls with reality star faces glued to them. I would imagine them singing their theme song when I got stressed out and it would make me smile. Pretty dumb, but you do what you need to do when you are in an office.

IMPORTANT: Yes there is a diplomatic way to address "unprofessional" stimming. I would take a hard line on this. Unless you are on top of your chair flapping like a bird, I would not give an inch on this. If you are drumming fingers or tapping a foot or something, that is reasonable. What's the difference between that and you hearing keys or seeing fluorescents? A powerful weapon in the toolbox of any autist is your blank face. If stimming is brought up, I would simply say "I am doing my best." I would try to give it as little attention as possible because you do not need to defend it.

Remember to present as a Power Autist. Not a victim. You are there for your skills and your uniqueness, because they need those things. If you were not there, a neurotypical person would not be in your place. It would be a different unique person with high skills. So feel secure that you are wanted and needed in that place. Good luck.

While I am trying to shift into a new field, I can relate. I feel like my autism is finally catching up with me and I need some ADA help myself. The only difference for me is I am switching fields likely soon. Best of luck.