Some need absolute silence to focus on work. Others prefer to work in the dark. And there are people who are restless at work. Such cases may seem like workplace obsessions, but for autistic people, these and other factors are insurmountable barriers to adapting to the workplace.
An international computer services company called Auticon intends to change this situation by finding ways to adapt the work environment to the characteristics and capabilities of each individual. "There is a suitable job for anyone with any characteristics and abilities," Rebecca Beim, the director of the California-based company, told the Spanish newspaper Al-Pais.
An autism-based nonprofit, called Autism Work, says the average unemployment rate for people with autism is about 77 percent, and in some countries it is much higher. According to research from the World Health Organization, one in every 160 children has some form or degree of autism. Experts believe that autism covers a wide range and its severity varies among people with the disease.
Oticon has found a good job for autistic people: "testing software". The company's technical experts, who monitor software for viruses and other bugs, have found that people with autism have a good ability to decode the software system sequence and find bugs. "Autism is not a disorder but just a different way of working."
It was always difficult for Ivan Rochte, 36, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 28, to find friends and talk to strangers. He did not like casual conversations, which made it difficult for him to fill his supermarket shopping bag.
"It's hard for me to socialize with others, especially if I don't know them," says Ivan, who has been unemployed for years. "I was unemployed for years and was not accepted in job interviews."
Five years ago, her parents read an article about Otiken, and Ivan took a course to learn how to test computer products. He is now one of the oldest employees in the software testing department of the company.
"Ivan was very shy at first," said Rebecca Beam, the company's director. But last year he asked Ivan to speak at a business meeting. Not only was Ivan able to fly from Los Angeles to San Jose on his own, but he also delivered a speech at the company's board meeting.
According to Rebecca Bim, this example shows that employment for people with autism not only helps to strengthen independence and a sense of usefulness, but is also a treatment that is very useful for them in the long run.
One of the most important tools used by Otiken is the tool for exchanging messages in companies called "slack". One of the most common problems for people with autism is contact anxiety, and the way they deal with conversation is such that they usually do not understand jokes or ironies. But calling through the Slack messaging network allows people with autism to choose the words they want without speaking or contacting people face to face at a speed that suits them.
Chad Hahn and Gary Benoist founded Otiken in 2011. Mr. Benoist's two sons have autism, and this inspired the establishment of a company that could help these people. One of Mr. Benoist's sons now works as an accountant for the company. He works with a special phone that removes all ambient noise. In addition to the United States, Oticon now operates in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Switzerland and Canada, and will soon open branches in Spain.
"When customers ask us what makes people with autism do software testing well, I say, 'Their ability to recognize patterns, their attention to detail, their ability to do repetitive tasks, and so on,'" says Rebecca Beam. "After all, their honesty is unquestionable."
"Some people with autism are able to do in their minds what we usually do with Excel," says one of the company's technical managers. Even one of the company's employees with autism was able to find an error in the software algorithm designed to calculate the cost of insurance.
"After we sell our products, we tell customers that some of our employees have autism because we do not want them to choose our products out of pity," said Ms. Beim.
Next time, imagine that the weaknesses in your computer's security system have been fixed by someone who does not like to sit by the window at work, or needs complete silence at work, or who arranges his pencils strangely. But none of these features should really be an issue.
Ivan Rochte, who for years thought he would never get a job, deeply believes in equal opportunities for all. "People with autism should be given a chance and should not be judged solely because of their autism," he said. "Even if their behavior is strange, you have to know them well and go beyond that."
