FINAL WORD
The more diverse a team is , the greater the pool of skills available
Autism in the Army
Major Paul Robinson
There are Serving people with Autism . I ’ m writing this as an Autistic person serving in the British Army .
I went to our Station Medical Officer , after discussion with my family ; I simply wanted to know what ’ s going on with my body and mind , to understand myself better . The medical team here and the specialists were outstanding , however , following my diagnosis there was minimal possible follow-up due to the Military provision limitations ; this is the reason why I ’ ve written this , trying to inform and raise awareness .
What . Autism is different for everyone and on a spectrum , meaning everybody with Autism is different . This is not linked to intelligence , is not an illness and the causes are unknown . Some Autistic people need minimal , or no support and it means our brains work in a different way from other people , at the far end of the spectrum is a significant disability .
Autistic people may :
● Find it hard to communicate and interact with other people .
● Find it hard to understand how other people think or feel .
● Difficulty processing or to understand injustice or dishonesty .
● Find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming , stressful or uncomfortable .
● Get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events .
● Take longer to understand information .
● Do or think the same things over and over .
On the positive side , Harvard Business Review describes ‘ Neurodiversity as a competitive advantage ’, many people with neurological conditions including Autism , have extraordinary skills , including in pattern recognition , memory , and mathematics . A growing number of companies , including Microsoft , SAP , Hewlett-Packard , and Enterprise have reformed their HR processes to access neurodiverse talent . They are seeing productivity gains , quality improvement , boosts in innovative capabilities , and increased employee engagement as a result .
The more diverse a team is , the greater the pool of skills available , and leaders must harness this diversity to maximise talent in support of operational effectiveness . To simplify , if we educate ourselves , understand more about ourselves and our teams , all will be happier and able to produce more . The first step is awareness of Autism and how this can improve team outputs . This supports COMARRC ’ s Group Culture and Behaviours action plan and COSARRC ’ s Approach to reinforcing positive and inclusive
behaviours documents , released in January 2022 . Inside HQ ARRC this is led by the HQ Inclusion Committee .
Anyone can have Autism . The Army traditional recruiting locations and demographics makes it likely that there are many who are yet to be diagnosed . As such they are not getting the offer of support which would assist them in the personal and professional lives .
The more you understand , the faster you can identify traits and opportunities in yourself and others , this applies if you are a Pte or a General . There is funding available for both personnel and Units to improve facilities .
A good first search is your preferred Social Media platform or Google . The following articles are a good place to search online for information ; “ National Autism Society – Autism in Adults ”, “ NHS , What is Autism ”, “ Autism Hampshire – making workplaces Autism friendly ” and “ The Princes Responsible Business Network - Supporting Neurodiversity at Work .”
1 . There are other terms for Autism used including , Neurodivergent , Autism Spectrum Disorder ( ASD ), Autism Spectrum Condition ( ASC ) and older terms including Asperger ’ s .
2 . DPHC has recognised the limitation and the development of a specialist Defence Medical Services Autism Spectrum Disorders service is planned over the next few years in the implementation of a new Future Operating Model but as yet the exact time frames for this are unclear .
30 WINTER 2022-23 the imjin @ HQARRC Allied Rapid Reaction Corps