3 ms·

Startup company succeeds at hiring autistic adults

91 points by matan_a 15y ago

iuguy 15y ago
Am I the only person who finds this a complete non-article? Lots of companies hire people that have aspergers or high functioning autism. I do find it comes across as an almost exploitative and discriminatory policy of hiring people with autism, but perhaps that's more to do with reading the title as a startup company, as opposed to it being described as a non-profit in the article.
- ismarc 15y ago
  I worked at a speech pathology clinic that specialized in autistic spectrum disorders for a while. While nearly every patient that went through there was able to be considered highly functioning eventually, they required slow or non changing environments and structure (which could be self imposed) to stay highly functioning. Nearly all work environments that meet these requirements are low skill, physically demanding and prime for automation or moving overseas. To see a company providing the structure and consistency necessary is phenomenal. I haven't looked at what the company provides, but if it's decently paid and not factory line work, they are doing what nearly every company has failed/refused to do for a disabled, but highly varied group of people. (and I'm now off to read up and see what work they have them doing). Edit: looking through their site, they're following test plans created by others, but otherwise is absolutely awesome. The pay is on par with similar positions in the area. There's room for increased responsibility for the right workers and I couldn't tell if they only hire people diagnosed with a disorder that's considered high functioning or if they just screen to see if someone is capable.
- wisty 15y ago
  Very few companies hire autistics, which is why the article notes they have similar employment prospects to people who are both blind and deaf. Some aspies get hired, if they happen to be savants, or have rare and marketable skills they have developed, but savants are quite rare. Generally, people with autism are not seen as team players, and don't really thrive in chaotic workplaces. I've worked with a guy I'm pretty sure was ASD in a uni project, and it wasn't too hard - he just needed an extra 5 minutes of explanations every now and then, but was otherwise pretty good. His complete lack of eye contact was creepy, but you could say the same about people with prosthetics, and it's wrong to treat them differently. But "People skills" is more universally required than eyesight, because it's not seen as unfair to discriminate against people with unusual mannerisms, while people with obvious physical handicaps get more recognition, as their handicaps are more obvious, and aren't seen as intrinsic as personality defects. Diseases with external causes get a lot more sympathy than those that are seen as an integral part of the victim.
  - aidenn0 15y ago
    The worst thing about employment for those with autism is that a lot of the jobs for "dumb people" are extremely ill suited for people with ASD, as they tend to be service related (bagging groceries being the canonical example). The last thing you want an autistic employee doing is interacting with customers, especially customers that are in a hurry.
cooperadymas 15y ago
This is an inspiring story, and I wouldn't be surprised if it were made into a movie someday. The revenue numbers quoted don't bode well though. $120k projected for this year, 60% of which is from donations. They are paying the employees $12-$15 an hour, which seems competitive and is more than they would make bagging groceries. That just isn't enough money to go around when you're paying employees and trying to make your own living. Hopefully they're able to succeed.
- zackattack 15y ago
  I'm glad somebody finds this as amusing and inspiring as I do. It's very fashionable to have high-functioning autism these days.
- absconditus 15y ago
  $12-15 per hour is not competitive for testing software.
  - burgerbrain 15y ago
    It is competitive for people with autism, which is clearly what he meant.
    - VladRussian 15y ago
      i guess, some times ago blind people were not expected to make even $12-15 in the high-tech, and these days they are employed like equals. Once the process is streamlined and with the help of technology, i think, the autistic people will be able also to make more. The start is hard and slow in such seemingly impossible tasks.
savagecat 15y ago
Added bonus if their sales department has tourettes.
sabat 15y ago
This so could have been an Onion headline.
- zethraeus 15y ago
  I'll leap on your downvote train. That was also my initial reaction to reading the headline. Perhaps that means it was a bit of a glib summary..?
rabble 15y ago
<sarcasm> I thought that was was google did? Hiring Asbergers (Autistic) programmers is pretty much the norm, no? </sarcasm>
epo 15y ago
Was done years ago in Denmark http://ashoka.org/fellow/thorkil-sonne http://ashoka.org/fellow/thorkil-sonne
petegrif 15y ago
Well done.
keithpeter 15y ago
I have taught several people with Asperger's Syndrome over the years, and a few more with ASD of more or less severity. Many have had problems getting into employment here (UK). Some work in Libraries classifying (not customer facing), others work in highly structured aspects of IT. This is a really nice initiative.
benvanderbeek 15y ago
Sounds like Focus from Vinge's A Deepness In The Sky

91 points by matan_a 15y ago

iuguy 15y ago

Am I the only person who finds this a complete non-article? Lots of companies hire people that have aspergers or high functioning autism. I do find it comes across as an almost exploitative and discriminatory policy of hiring people with autism, but perhaps that's more to do with reading the title as a startup company, as opposed to it being described as a non-profit in the article.

ismarc 15y ago
I worked at a speech pathology clinic that specialized in autistic spectrum disorders for a while. While nearly every patient that went through there was able to be considered highly functioning eventually, they required slow or non changing environments and structure (which could be self imposed) to stay highly functioning. Nearly all work environments that meet these requirements are low skill, physically demanding and prime for automation or moving overseas. To see a company providing the structure and consistency necessary is phenomenal. I haven't looked at what the company provides, but if it's decently paid and not factory line work, they are doing what nearly every company has failed/refused to do for a disabled, but highly varied group of people. (and I'm now off to read up and see what work they have them doing). Edit: looking through their site, they're following test plans created by others, but otherwise is absolutely awesome. The pay is on par with similar positions in the area. There's room for increased responsibility for the right workers and I couldn't tell if they only hire people diagnosed with a disorder that's considered high functioning or if they just screen to see if someone is capable.
wisty 15y ago
Very few companies hire autistics, which is why the article notes they have similar employment prospects to people who are both blind and deaf. Some aspies get hired, if they happen to be savants, or have rare and marketable skills they have developed, but savants are quite rare. Generally, people with autism are not seen as team players, and don't really thrive in chaotic workplaces. I've worked with a guy I'm pretty sure was ASD in a uni project, and it wasn't too hard - he just needed an extra 5 minutes of explanations every now and then, but was otherwise pretty good. His complete lack of eye contact was creepy, but you could say the same about people with prosthetics, and it's wrong to treat them differently. But "People skills" is more universally required than eyesight, because it's not seen as unfair to discriminate against people with unusual mannerisms, while people with obvious physical handicaps get more recognition, as their handicaps are more obvious, and aren't seen as intrinsic as personality defects. Diseases with external causes get a lot more sympathy than those that are seen as an integral part of the victim.
- aidenn0 15y ago
  The worst thing about employment for those with autism is that a lot of the jobs for "dumb people" are extremely ill suited for people with ASD, as they tend to be service related (bagging groceries being the canonical example). The last thing you want an autistic employee doing is interacting with customers, especially customers that are in a hurry.

cooperadymas 15y ago

This is an inspiring story, and I wouldn't be surprised if it were made into a movie someday. The revenue numbers quoted don't bode well though. $120k projected for this year, 60% of which is from donations. They are paying the employees $12-$15 an hour, which seems competitive and is more than they would make bagging groceries. That just isn't enough money to go around when you're paying employees and trying to make your own living. Hopefully they're able to succeed.

zackattack 15y ago
I'm glad somebody finds this as amusing and inspiring as I do. It's very fashionable to have high-functioning autism these days.
absconditus 15y ago
$12-15 per hour is not competitive for testing software.
- burgerbrain 15y ago
  It is competitive for people with autism, which is clearly what he meant.
  - VladRussian 15y ago
    i guess, some times ago blind people were not expected to make even $12-15 in the high-tech, and these days they are employed like equals. Once the process is streamlined and with the help of technology, i think, the autistic people will be able also to make more. The start is hard and slow in such seemingly impossible tasks.

savagecat 15y ago

Added bonus if their sales department has tourettes.

sabat 15y ago

This so could have been an Onion headline.

zethraeus 15y ago
I'll leap on your downvote train. That was also my initial reaction to reading the headline. Perhaps that means it was a bit of a glib summary..?

rabble 15y ago

<sarcasm> I thought that was was google did? Hiring Asbergers (Autistic) programmers is pretty much the norm, no? </sarcasm>

epo 15y ago

Was done years ago in Denmark http://ashoka.org/fellow/thorkil-sonne http://ashoka.org/fellow/thorkil-sonne

petegrif 15y ago

Well done.

keithpeter 15y ago

I have taught several people with Asperger's Syndrome over the years, and a few more with ASD of more or less severity. Many have had problems getting into employment here (UK). Some work in Libraries classifying (not customer facing), others work in highly structured aspects of IT. This is a really nice initiative.

benvanderbeek 15y ago

Sounds like Focus from Vinge's A Deepness In The Sky