Putting Autism to Work

Published January 29, 2009 @ 09:58AM PT

a dandelion flower gone to seed, very close up The home page of Danish IT company SPECIALISTERNE (a Danish word meaning "The Specialists") has a box with the following bullets in it:

* Did you know that close to one percent of the population meet the characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

* Did you know that most people with ASD do not get the necessary support because of lack of ASD knowledge?

* Did you know that the business community realises a growing need for specialists?

* Did you know that people with ASD are natural born specialists?

The company's mission continues to say, "SPECIALISTERNE uses the characteristics of autism in a positive way to provide valuable services for the corporate sector on market terms."

And SPECIALISTERNE seems to not just be "saying" this mission but "doing" it as well: 75% of its 50+ employees are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. And wait, there's more! SPECIALISTERNE isn't just "doing" but succeeding and even attracting recent attention by Harvard Business school and MIT.

A business model that takes a strength-based perspective while still providing the necessary supports for success is a fresh and exciting idea amidst the stale failure of social services and the rottenness of relentless deficit-based rhetoric. Along with AspIT, the Danish seem to be coming up with some very interesting innovations for employment (as well as a refreshingly rational attitude).

I would love to see the business model expanded into areas besides IT: there are plenty of ASD "Specialists" in other disciplines eager for competitive work they adore.

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Comments (5)

That is pretty cool.

Posted by Emily Willingham on 01/29/2009 @ 02:24PM PT
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Very cool.

Posted by Alexander Rockwood on 01/29/2009 @ 09:34PM PT
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Years ago, Mom worked for the North American branch of a Danish company (and loved it).

Maybe this one will expand over here, so that I can continue the tradition!

Posted by Mark Romoser on 01/30/2009 @ 04:48PM PT
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@Dora: There is a sort of precedent for IT companies branching out into other areas of business. Big management consulting firms like Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting) have been spinning off IT divisions for years. Why not do it the other way around?

Posted by Mark Romoser on 01/30/2009 @ 04:50PM PT
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"I would love to see the business model expanded into areas besides IT: there are plenty of ASD "Specialists" in other disciplines eager for competitive work they adore."

I've been waiting for this to happen ever since I first heard of companies like this a few years ago.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be branching out from IT very quickly (here, anyway). By now I'm planning on doing my own project anyway :D. (It's ambitious).

Eventually I also got a bit annoyed about the over-emphasis on IT stuff. We don't all like IT and we're not all good at it (and that was kind of the message that at least a lot of articles about these kinds of companies were giving, not sure about the companies themselves). Played too heavily on the 'they're all IT and maths geeks' stereotype.

Posted by Norah vd Stel on 02/18/2009 @ 03:28PM PT
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Author

Dora is committed to improving quality of life for individuals on the autistic spectrum--including herself! She is Co-director of the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education and a member of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's Board of Directors.