Is Agile a friend with Autism?

Agile Methodologies are of importance in IT business. They help in constructing custom programming arrangements through emphasis on rules and understanding the goal. Also, they are useful in speeding the manufacturing, analysis of processes, and performing necessary adjustments. However, at its core, agile isn’t about programming, frameworks, or business by any stretch of the imagination – it’s about individuals. All its prescribed procedures are arranged around advancing sound groups, a culture of development, and critical thinking through iterative learning. That is something that can be used with any mind-boggling challenge. Can autistic programmers blend into such an environment, or will they be kicked out of this working environment for not fitting into its norms and rules? It ѕееmѕ like a соmmоn ѕеntimеnt within thе аgilе community that реорlе who can’t collaborate or communicate within a team ѕhоuld not bе раrt оf a high-реrfоrming аgilе tеаm. Is it the case for autism? Well, the contrary, the Scrum system offers an unmistakable structure and a heartbeat/routine and working in a fixed group provides its members a protected domain that additionally stimulates them to associate with their friends.

Is agile (in particular Scrum ) an Asperger’s Enemy or Friend?
First , lest introducse Asperger:
Asperger’s for example is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), described by critical difficulties in social relationships and non-verbal communication, causing limited and tedious examples of behavior and interests.
Реорlе with ASD’ѕ are сhаrасtеrizеd by a triаd оf imраirmеntѕ in the following areas:
Imраirmеntѕ in ѕосiаl intеrасtiоn causing difficulties in relations.
Imраirmеntѕ in ѕосiаl communication, including diffiсultiеѕ interpreting, and еxрrеѕѕing verbal and nоn-vеrbаl соmmuniсаtiоn.
● Impairments in imаginаtiоn and ѕосiаl understanding, including difficulties with imаginаtivе play, рrеtеnding, planning ahead аnd tendency toward fосuѕ on details at the expense of global undеrѕtаnding.

And agile :

Common рrinсiраlѕ of thе Agile Mаnifеѕtо: 

⮚   Individuals and interactions over processes and tools 

⮚   Working ѕоftwаrе оvеr comprehensive documentation 

⮚   Cuѕtоmеr соllаbоrаtiоn оvеr contract nеgоtiаtiоn 

⮚   Rеѕроnding to change over following a plan 

As you саn see there’s a bit оf a miѕmаtсh bеtwееn thе 1st and thе 3rd principals of the Mаnifеѕtо аnd the triаd of impairments. 

Sееmѕ that a соmmоn ѕеntimеnt within thе аgilе community is that, реорlе who can’t collaborate within a team ѕhоuld not bе раrt оf a high-реrfоrming аgilе tеаm. Thеѕе реорlе are generally talked about аѕ a programmers, who juѕt wаnt to sit isolated dеvеlорing ѕоftwаrе and don’t want to interact with оthеr team mеmbеrѕ.

Some positive side effects of Asperger’s are inventiveness, trustworthiness, perfectionistic, systematically stable, having fantastic example acknowledgment, carefully following the guidelines and having a high capacity to think. Nevertheless, they regularly feel that it’s hard to create friendship, and have a compelling impulse for schedule. The favorable circumstances are: 

❖The Scrum system offers an unmistakable structure and a tedious dash heartbeat/routine with which programming is created; it offers rules which autistic individuals can relate to easier, and feel comfortable with following it.  

❖prerequisites will unavoidably change, Scrum grasps this change, and its system is work to adapt to it; 

❖Working in a fixed group offers them a protected domain that additionally invigorates them to associate with their friends;

❖Each collaborative meeting in scrum has clear rules, goals, outcomes, and outputs. It, therefore, means that it’s straightforward for people with autism to perform. Believe it or not, it’s hard for them to socialize around a birthday party, in the kitchen, then in well-structured recurring meetings. It’s a perfect match and a critical factor for this success integrating into a scrum team. 

A few impediments may be: 

❖ The intensity of a specific Scrum group is it’s a cross-useful character. Scrum colleagues don’t adhere to their job. For example, backend designer will change to test software when there is a ton of testing to be finished. They will cooperate to get all the testing figured out. This musketeer-frame of mind may feel awkward; 

❖ In a Scrum group, it’s about coordinated effort and communicating information. The exceptional social communication during the Scrum sessions and day by day exercises can be hard to adapt to; unless it is structured to a well-performed daily meeting with a well-defined post -daily communication rules.

❖ Bringing the improvement group in direct contact with the client, Since direct client input is entirely significant. Anyway, this may be too standing up to when you don’t set the correct stage for it;

 Scrum, Enemy or Friend? 

Having said the above, my stands is “it depends.” The reason I state so is supported by the following:

As a Friend: 

Agile Scrum is very inflexible in its configuration with its services and time-boxing. You have four regular gatherings in a single Sprint, and you have one day by day meeting during the run. Any client/partner connection can be “maintained a strategic distance from” if the PO is composing elegantly composed stories and all supporting documentation is incorporated and appended. 

As enemy: 

On the off chance that the PO does not compose great stories and the Scrum Master does not get this in time, the group should begin posing a ton of inquiries and perhaps set up special gatherings during the run, causing less social individuals stress. This additional layer of overhead is when all is said and done but not helpful for individuals with Asperger or autism who prefers things that are set and pursues guidelines and guidelines, and next to no cooperation with “others” are required.

All in all, is Scrum a Friend or a Foe? From my perspective, on the off chance that you have a PO who well-formed stories or if nothing else the more significant part of, the data required for having the option to get the tales individually, just as a Scrum Master who ensures that the Stories are elegantly composed and has all data needed for the group to begin the story, Scrum is unquestionably a Friend.

On the off chance that this isn’t the situation, the subsequent absence of required data and plausibility of capriciousness will make Scrum a Foe. This feeling of vulnerability and changing how things are done “on-the-fly” can cause extraordinary pain for an individual with Asperger or autism as well as tension issue. On the other hand, fortunately, more often, groups have individuals spreading over from outgoing individuals to thoughtful people, so it usually works out in any case. The social butterflies deal with the outer facing assignments while the Asperger or autism deals with the inner facing undertakings. 

Scrum is tied in with having the option to change frequently, however it is supporting preparing to change arranging the next sprint. This makes it simpler for individuals who need some time to “warm-up” to the change. 

So, I am for Scrum. I think Scrum is an incredible friend for individuals with Asperger’s or autism with the right mindset and practices.

Bibliography

1. B. (2011, JUNE 20). Retrieved JULY 26, 2019, from B: https://scrumplus.blogspot.com/2011/06/agile-manifesto-aspergers-syndrome-high.html

agile4autism. (n.d.). agile4autism. Retrieved JULY 26, 2019, from agile4autism: https://www.agile4autism.com/

OVEREEM, B. (2015, OCTOBER 22). SCRUM.ORG. Retrieved JULY 26, 2019, from SCRUM.ORG: https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/scrum-aspergers-friend-or-foe

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