Autistic workers an ‘untapped pool’ of IT talent

Strong memory, passion for details and ability to think visually are some of the traits that make high-functioning autistic workers currently an untapped talent pool for the IT industry, industry watchers point out.

High-functioning autistic employees have traits such as strong memory and passion for details that work well in certain IT fields, reveal industry watchers, who say extra steps can ensure employment benefits for both organization and worker.

ZDNet Asia  |  By Kevin Kwang

Thorkil Sonne, founder of Danish computer company Specialisterne, hires only people with autism, specifically from the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum. His experience with them has demonstrated that these special-needs people not only have a robust memory and attention for details, they take pride in what they do, have perseverance for repetitive tasks and are "very precise in their way of communication".

“High-functioning” autism typically refers to those that are able to live relatively independent lives compared to others who may demonstrate associated learning disabilities and need a lifetime of specialist support.

Rather than simply placing them in jobs that might not be a good fit, Specialisterne assesses every individual's skills, identifies what would make them feel wanted in the workplace and can help them excel, Sonne told ZDNet Asia in his e-mail.

"We try to find [specific] tasks in the business arena in which the [abovementioned] characteristics are important in order to do a great job," he explained. "We believe that up to 5 percent of all tasks could be solved successfully in a superior quality by our staff."

Specialisterne has been successful in solving tasks such as software testing, quality control, data entry and logistic services, he noted, adding that his team has proven that autistic workers can do better jobs than that of "other providers" the company's customers previously experienced.

Specialized education Anita Russell, autism consultant at Pathlight School, a Singapore-based autism-focused school with mainstream curriculum augmented by "life readiness skills", shed more light on the matter.

Husband a right old grump? it could be Asperger's: Thousands have it without realising

Asperger’s is a ‘high-functioning’ form of autism where sufferers often have very high IQs

Daily Mail | By ANNA MAGEE

When martial arts teacher Sandra Beale-Ellis discovered one of the children in her class had Asperger’s syndrome, she set out to discover more about the condition.

‘I’d seen the film Rain Man, but that was the extent of my knowledge about autism,’ says Sandra, 44, who lives in Herne Bay, Kent. ‘So I bought a book about Asperger’s to read up about it.’

Autism is a developmental disability causing difficulties with communication and relating to other people. 

Undiagnosed: Teacher Sandra Beale-Ellis was surprised to recognise some of the traits of Asperger's in her husband, Joe

Asperger’s is a ‘high-functioning’ form of the condition, where sufferers often have very high IQs.

Learning about its classic characteristics — social awkwardness, a love of detail and repetition, and a tendency for obsessions and collecting — Sandra was surprised  to recognise some of the traits in her husband, Joe, 50.

Baby born with rare condition, leaves him unable to smile, cry, blink or show any facial expression

Joe, who is the founder of Kent Karate Schools, a string of martial arts academies in Kent, owns hundreds of salt shakers he  has been collecting since he was ten, which sit in neat rows in their house. He is also obsessed with castles and runs an online tearoom review site.

Sandra grew more interested, and signed up for a postgraduate certificate in Asperger’s. That was when the lightbulb moment came.

Recognisable traits: The film Rain Man, pictured, was the extent of Sandra's knowledge about autism - until she realised her husband had it

‘One of my tutors said people with autism and Asperger’s often have sensitivity to light, touch, colour or taste,’ says Sandra.

1 in 50: The number of men who have some form of autism

‘Joe hates clothes against his skin and would strip off to his T-shirt and underwear the minute he got home, even in winter. He hates the colour red and bright lights. I’d always called them Joe-isms. Now I realised they were signs of Asperger’s.’

Joe was sceptical, but after two years of persuasion, he saw a psychologist and after a three-hour interview he was diagnosed with mild Asperger’s.

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