Autism at Work

Bravo SAP and Thorkil Sonne who recognizes the skills of individuals with autism and their talents and puts them to work. We were proud to have him as a keynote speaker at our recent 2014 International Conference.

For much of his adult life, 28-year-old Patrick Viesti has worked to keep the signs of Asperger's syndrome at bay, but even after a successful college career, finding a job was not easy."To truly be honest, I would have to say it was quite difficult," Viesti said.Viesti said he had come off stiff or monotone during the interview process, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller. However, his luck changed thanks to the software company he now works for. SAP recruited him and a number of other new hires this year because of their autism.

Benefits of Hiring Workers with Autism

The Israeli Defense Force’s Satellite Intelligence Unit 9900 assigns autistic soldiers to monitor electronic combat maps for even the minutest changes. Their rare ability to focus for hours on end provides better results than non-autistic soldiers.Software powerhouse SAP is actively searching for people with autism for jobs that require high attention to detail such as software testing. It hopes to have people with autism make up one percent of their workforce by 2020.