Before Megan Pilatzke was diagnosed with autism, she wondered why she always felt drained when she got home from work.

All day long, she laboured to understand when to speak up or stay silent in meetings. She replayed conversations in her head, worrying she’d misunderstood or said the wrong thing. Noisy environments distressed her. She watched her peers receive promotions when she didn’t.

“I would come home burnt-out, anxious,” Pilatzke said of her days working as an insurance claim specialist. “That just kept going, week after week, day after day.”

Her communication difficulties, sensitivity to noise and other problems at work began to make sense following her diagnosis, she said.

Read: How employers can support neurodiverse employees

Pilatzke, 36, now spends her days teaching employers how to make workplaces more accommodating for people on the autism spectrum. She works as an inclusion specialist at Specialisterne Canada, a not-for-profit that helps organizations to better support employee neurodiversity.

She also reframed the way she thinks about traits often associated with autism, viewing her ability to focus intensely and provide honest, direct feedback as strengths.

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder that affects about one in 45 adults in the U.S., according to Autism Speaks, a not-for-profit organization that supports autistic people and their families by funding research, providing resources and doing advocacy work.

It presents in a variety of ways but can create challenges with social skills, speech and nonverbal communication. Some common characteristics include........

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