The Autistic Pause: Why Slower Processing is a Strength

Sometimes, I pause before I answer a question.

Not because I don’t know the answer.
Not because I’m unsure.
But because I’m thinking.

Processing.
Turning the question over in my mind.
Finding the right words.

I spent 20+ years working in the corporate world and quick responses were often seen as a sign of confidence, capability and leadership. Silence, on the other hand, was usually interpreted as hesitation, lack of preparation or worse disengagement.

As an autistic and ADHD professional,that assumption could not be further from the truth.

When I pause, it’s not because I’m not paying attention. It’s because my brain is already running at 100mph, exploring ten different angles before I open my mouth. I’m filtering, weighing up options and trying to distil the most valuable contribution down into words that land well. And making sure I will say something where I don’t then leave, wondering if I said the right thing or not.

But in many workplaces, that difference in processing style gets overlooked, misunderstood or judged unfairly. I’ve been in boardrooms where colleagues jumped in, before I’d finished processing my thoughts.

That’s the reality for a lot of autistic people. We just process differently.

If you’re a manager or leader, here’s something to keep in mind:

• Don’t mistake silence for having nothing to say.

• Give people the time and space to process before responding.

• Resist the urge to fill every pause with noise.

Because sometimes, the quietest voice in the room carries the most valuable perspective. If you rush to fill the silence, you might just miss it.

For me, that pause allows me to bring clarity, strategy and considered insights into the workplace. And in a world that moves fast, sometimes what we need most isn’t speed, it’s space.