Individuals on the Autism Spectrum bring Value to Businesses

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Have you heard? The secret is out! More and more organizations are recognizing that employing individuals on the autism spectrum is a smart business move!

Individuals with ASD have particular skills and talents that you don’t always find in neurotypical individuals (those not on the spectrum).  And by employing people on the spectrum for particular roles and tasks, businesses have the opportunity to bring real value and opportunity to their organizations. 

Some of these particular skills and talents are high levels of concentration, high attention to detail, skill with complex data sets, an eye for process optimization, and efficiency. Individuals on the spectrum are gifted with abilities in visual thinking, systematic information processing and are able to perform technical work with great precision (Baldwin, Costley, & Warren, 2014, p2440-2441).

Individual on the spectrum also have greater “reliability, lower levels of absenteeism, [and greater] trustworthiness” (Jacob, Scott, Falkmer & Falkmer, 2015, p. 4). 

Some of the world’s most successful businesses are recognizing the opportunity that comes with employing adults on the autism spectrum.  Below is a list of such businesses, just to name a few:

 

·      Microsoft

·      SAP

·      Salesforce

·      Google

·      Hewlett Packard

·      Cable Labs

·      CollabNet

·      EY (formerly known as Ernst & Young)

·      AT&T

·      Ford

·      JP Morgan Chase

 

As we move further into 2018, more and more businesses are going to recognize the competitive advantage that comes with employing individuals on the autism spectrum, and more and more people are going to recognize that autism should not be seen as a disability.  Instead, it should be seen as a different ability. 

Mind Shift is a non-profit that works to find meaningful careers for high functioning adults on the spectrum.  To learn more about how employing individuals on the autism spectrum will benefit your business, write to info@mindshift.works

 

Baldwin, Susanna, Costley, Debra, & Warren, Anthony (2014). Employment Activities and Experiences of Adults with High Functioning Autism and Asperger’s Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(10), 2440-2449.

Jacob, Andrew, Scott, Melissa, Falkmer, Marita, & Falkmer, Torbjorn (2015). The Costs and Benefits of Employing an Adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. PLoS ONE, 10(10), 1-15.