• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Photo Gallery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Citi TV
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Showbiz
  • Coronavirus
  • Infographics
  • Livestream
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Showbiz
  • Coronavirus
  • Infographics
  • Livestream
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
No Result
View All Result

Here is a technology firm whose staff are all autistic

Nii Larte LarteybyNii Larte Lartey
January 2, 2019
Reading Time: 4 mins read
ShareShareShareShare

Peter, Evan and Brian work at a small technology firm based by the beach in Santa Monica, testing software and fixing bugs.

On first inspection it seems like any other Los Angeles-based company, with tasteful art on the white walls and calm-inducing diffusers dotted about.

Peter describes the working atmosphere as “quiet, but fun”, and especially likes the fact that there is no pressure to socialise, while Evan says of his employers that they are “very accommodating and understanding”. Brian describes his office as “unique”.

Auticon is one of only a handful of companies that cater exclusively for employees who are on the autistic spectrum.

Formerly known as MindSpark before being acquired by German-based Auticon, the firm was founded by Gray Benoist who, as the father of two autistic sons, saw few options in the workplace that could cater for their needs.

“Both are incredibly capable and smart and deserve an opportunity to be able to express that,” he told the BBC on a recent visit to the company.

“I felt that the gap had to be filled and there was no other way to fill it than by taking action myself.”

He started the firm in 2013 and it has now grown to more than 150 employees. His oldest son, also called Gray, now works in the finance team.

“Our mission is about enabling a group who have been disenfranchised. There are many segments of society that are under-utilised and people on the autistic spectrum are one of them,” he said.

Peter had worked in “normal” offices before but they did not seem very normal to him. In fact he compared his previous working life to an episode of Survivors, a BBC series depicting the lives of a group of people in the aftermath of a flu outbreak that has wiped out most of the human race.

“It was all very tricky to navigate and understand. I failed to make social connections,” he told the BBC.

Evan describes how at previous jobs he would “just sit and listen to a podcast by myself while I ate lunch”.

Autism affects more than one in 100 people according to the UK’s National Autistic Society, but fewer than a quarter of these will go on to full-time employment.

Many fall at the first hurdle because anxiety, which can often be heightened for those on the autistic spectrum, makes even the prospect of a job interview very intimidating.

“People tend to hire people who are like themselves, and autistic people are not like you, they are like themselves,” said Steve Silberman, author of Neurotribes, a book which looks at the evolution of autism.

“The list of things you are not supposed to do in an interview is practically a definition of autism. Don’t look away, look the employer in the eye, sell yourself. All of these are very difficult for autistic people.”

Brian desperately wanted to utilise his computing skills in the workplace but felt put off applying for jobs in the competitive tech world.

“There is a lot of pressure. You have to compete against other people,” he said.

Clearly overwhelmed by the prospect, he worked in some menial jobs instead – including in a grocery shop and washing cars – neither of which was utilising his talents and were, in his own words, “not going anywhere”.

Some firms have found ways around the traditional interview process. German software firm SAP, which also employs those on the autistic spectrum, offers candidates the chance to build Lego robots instead of a formal interview.

“That shows problem-solving skills and commitment to a task,” said Mr Silberman.

And SAP obviously thinks it is worth it, pointing out that employing autistic people is not done out of “charity” but because it “boosts our bottom line”.

As well as having heightened anxiety, autistic people often struggle with social interaction.

So, at Auticon, if employees want headphones because of noise sensitivity they can have them. They also have the option to work in a dark room if they prefer, they don’t have to take lunch breaks if they do not want them and if they do not feel able to communicate verbally with their team-mates, they can use messaging apps instead.

If things get too much for someone, they are entitled to “anxiety days off”.

“Sensitivity to our employees’ issues is our first priority,” said Mr Benoist, “but that means putting the processes behind that to ensure you still deliver the highest quality to your client, which requires thought about how projects are put together and how resources are assigned.”

And when it comes to the dreaded employee review, there is an emphasis on not being critical.

“It is all about good human resources principles, it is something that other firms could easily replicate,” he added.

Mr Silberman is not convinced that segregated offices are a good idea because he thinks that both autistic employees and their more neuro-typical co-workers can learn a lot from working together.

“By learning how to manage neuro-diverse employees, employers also learn how to help every employee,” he said.

“Look at Bill Gates, who definitely had autistic traits. He has grown socially and is now a great philanthropist.”

There is a four-week training schedule at Auticon which decides whether candidates are suitable for longer-term employment.

Some do not make the grade, especially those who are pushed by their parents to apply for a job despite having no passion for coding, and it is important to point out that there are lots of autistic people whose interests lie elsewhere.

For those who are successful at Auticon, the team appear to be hugely supportive of each other even if they don’t all go out for lunch together.

When new office space was designed recently, employees asked for it to be open-plan rather than closed cubicles.

“It’s great. Easy-going, patient and really accepting,” said Peter. “And everyone is very funny.”

Brian and Evan both now enjoy lunch breaks with their co-workers, although Peter still finds it “hard to pull myself away from work”.

But, perhaps tellingly, all three regard Auticon as a job for life.

That is a lesson that other companies should take note of, thinks Mr Silberman.

“For many autistic people, if they find a place where they feel supported and feel their skills can thrive they became very devoted and loyal and don’t move on. And that saves companies money because they don’t have to retrain people.”

–

Source: BBC

ShareTweetSendSend
Previous Post

Price of alcohol doubles overnight in Qatar as sin tax is introduced

Next Post

Netflix removes comedy episode after Saudi complaint

Related Posts

Audio on Demand

Citi Trends: Tuesday 15th November, 2022

November 15, 2022
Audio on Demand

Citi Trends, Tuesday 8th November, 2022

November 8, 2022

Breaking barriers and creating jobs in Africa; the story of FXKudi’s Abioye Oyetunji

August 5, 2022
General

Gov’t to leverage on technology for profitable mining sector – Mireku Duker

August 5, 2022
General

Supervision is key to promoting use of technology among children – Richmond Agyemang Junior

June 29, 2022
Technology

Uber powers emergency food deliveries in Ukraine

June 12, 2022
Next Post
Hasan Minhaj questioned Saudi Arabia's account of Jamal Khashoggi's death

Netflix removes comedy episode after Saudi complaint

TOP STORIES

Niger eliminates Black Galaxies from CHAN 2022

January 28, 2023

Wassa Agona robbery: Police arrest four suspects

January 28, 2023

NDC national officers rushed with Minority leadership shake-up – Mahama Ayariga

January 28, 2023
Load More
ADVERTISEMENT
Citinewsroom – Comprehensive News in Ghana

CitiNewsroom.com is Ghana's leading news website that delivers high quality innovative, alternative news that challenges the status quo.

Archives

Download App

Download

Download

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Photo Gallery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Citi TV

© 2021 All Rights Reserved Citi Newsroom.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Showbiz
  • Coronavirus
  • Infographics
  • Livestream
  • Videos

© 2021 All Rights Reserved Citi Newsroom.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT