Corporations Find Untapped Resource

Something curious is happening in Corporate America. Business leaders are discovering a whole new source of talent they never realized existed: people with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Of course, this population has been there all along. But now that their bottom-line value is beginning to be understood, best of breed companies are competing to capitalize on the myriad opportunities presented by hiring people who, until now, have been roundly ignored

A Lesson in Autism

Last year, the Beckers celebrated Autism Awareness Month by decorating their home in blue lights.

They have known since he was in preschool that their son Sam has autism spectrum disorder.

“I’m like Dopey,” Sam’s mother, Molly Becker, said, remembering what her son once said while watching Snow White. “I’m happy and I’m quiet and I’m different.”

But it wasn’t until last year that Sam acknowledged and accepted his disorder.

Autism and the Hypothetical Child

From Huffingtonn Post's Todd Drezner.

Given how many autistic people there are in the world, it's odd how much of the conversation about autism revolves around children who don't exist. The most common such child is the one who is "indistinguishable from his peers." This is the child who will supposedly emerge after successful therapies or treatments for autism leave the child essentially "normal."
This hypothetical normal child is closely related to another, younger one--the 1- or 2-year-old who was typically developing before the signs of autism became apparent. These two types of hypothetical children are linked by the assumption that their autism obscures their "real" selves. The hope for parents is that if the autism can somehow be removed, the real child will re-emerge.

Finding Challenging Work

From Huffington Post's John Elder Robinson, author of Look Me in the Eye and Be Different.

How does an autistic person establish himself or herself in a satisfying career? That's the challenge we all face, and the degree to which we succeed varies quite widely. A lot depends on our social skills, or lack thereof. In my book Be Different (Broadway), I talk about several concepts whose mastery will help you get and keep almost any kind of job.

When Your Brother Has Autism

As Autism Awareness Month comes to a close, a nice perspective from Patty Hastings, a student at Northwestern University's Medill journalism school.


CHICAGO -- One in 110 people is identified as autistic, up from one in every 10,000 in 1990 — the year my brother was diagnosed. Does the increasing prevalence signal an autism epidemic or, simply, that the autism spectrum is too wide?
"It's supposed to be worse than being blind, not being able to communicate," said my mom, Debbie Hastings.
I wouldn’t know because my older brother, William, can't tell me what it's like to be on the spectrum.
National Autism Awareness Month is coming to a close, but families of people with autism are aware of this pervasive disorder 24/7, 365 days a year.

Barber Educating Public About Autism

OCALA, Fla. -- The floor at Stacy’s Barbershop has a special insert with blue puzzle pieces, and owner Stacy Gerrity-Sansevere is astounded that some customers still don't know what the logo stands for.
"If you are an adult and you don’t know about autism by now — shame on you," she said.
She is so passionate that she is sponsoring an essay contest about autism through the end of April, which is National Autism Awareness Month.
Any child in grades three through eight who enters will receive a free haircut, and the winner will receive free haircuts for the rest of the year. The family of the winner — up to four people — also will receive free haircuts for a year.
Gerrity-Sansevere opened the shop in 2009 and dedicated it to her 10-year-old son, Garian, who has autism. He was diagnosed at 18 months old after his constant babbling became complete silence.

Autism Is Nation's Fastest Growing Developmental Disability

From Boston, interview with speech and language pathologist Kara Corley from Children's Hospital

It's the fastest-growing developmental disability in the country.
More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with aids, diabetes and cancer combined.
It's estimated one in 110 children in the U.S. are affected by autism. April is Autism Awareness Month.

Autism Speaks To Launch 'Light It Up Blue' Awareness Campaign

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization, announced the launch of its inaugural Light It Up Blue campaign, a global initiative to raise awareness about autism and in support of World Autism Awareness Day April 2 and Autism Awareness Month. Iconic landmarks around the globe — including the Empire State Building, Willis Tower in Chicago, the CN Tower in Toronto and Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia — as well as airports, bridges, museums, concert halls, restaurants, and retail stores, are among more than 100 structures in more than 17 U.S. cities and nine countries around the world that will light up in bright blue on the evening of April 1 – the first night of Autism Awareness Month and the eve of World Autism Awareness Day.
Autism Speaks has launched a special Web site, www.lightitupblue.org to highlight the campaign.

The Word at Words Is 'Autism Awareness'

Ellen Zimiles, a member of YAI's Business Advisory Council, is just an amazing woman. Not only is she a successful executive, who has been featured in The New York Times, but she also owns a bookstore that focuses on special needs materials and hires people with autism from the YAI Network.

MAPLEWOOD, N.J. -- Our local bookstore, Words, was launched with the interests of special needs children, and their families, in mind. With National Autism Awareness Month coming up in a few days, they have planned a series of events throughout April.
When Ellen and Jonah Zimiles needed a name for their new bookstore, it was autism awareness that inspired them.
“It’s common for people who are teaching those with autism to tell them, ‘Use your words,’” says co-owner Jonah Zimiles. “When we were trying to think of a name, we This April, for the second year, Words will observe Autism Awareness Month with several events and speakers, including internationally respected experts Bridget Taylor, co-founder and executive director of Alpine Learning Group in Paramus, N.J., a premier school for those with autism, and Michael Rosanoff, assistant director of Research and Public Health at Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization.
“So far, ten youngsters with autism have worked at Words,” said Mr. Zimiles. “And we hope our efforts will encourage other businesses to hire those with special needs.