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Workers On Autism Spectrum Finding Careers In Software Testing
rjmarvin writes According to Autism Speaks, about 85% of people who have autism in the United States are currently unemployed or underemployed, but a social enterprise organization called Meticulon is training autistic individuals for highly skilled jobs in software testing. According to Meticulon, autistic people often possess sharp memory and pattern matching skills as well as attention to detail, making them ideal candidates for software testing jobs. Each year's crop of autistic students or Meticulon Consultants is tested and evaluated to develop their MindMap, a unique profile of skills and ideal work environment ultimately used to find these trained software testers an ideal job.
Very true. I worked with a very highly placed software engineer that I swear was deep into the Autism spectrum. He was a fanatic about coffee, hot sauces - and could code around any other two people I knew. He also had no ability to comprehend sarcasm - so don't even try it on him, it wouldn't work. Yes, I agree there are MANY people in the IT field that fall into the Autism spectrum. They can be successful here.
I have mod points and I am not afraid to use them
Folks on the autism spectrum may well be better at testing than folks who aren't.
But they may also find the repetitive or tedious parts of testing less painful than folks who aren't.
I know software testing is a big field, encompassing a wide range of activities, and that every job has its monotonous and unrewarding parts. But, from what I've seen -- working with SW development, working with testers, working with kids (and maybe some adults) on the spectrum -- the things that "most of us" find monotonous and tedious are frequently rewarding and reassuring for them.
To the extent that this is true, it's a terrific win/win/win scenario. Companies get people particularly well-suited for the job. People well-suited for the job get work that they enjoy. People not well-suited for the job don't have to stick with drudgery because "nobody likes to do it but somebody has to".
For people on the low end, I strongly recommend a ketamine trip. It fixed how I relate to the world, and I no longer need to fake normal human interaction. Dealing with people is now effortless.
Workers On Autism Spectrum...
Everyone is on the autism spectrum. That's why they call it a spectrum.
Alternative post: No thanks, I'll wait for the Autism Amiga.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
There are also people on the spectrum who have developed coping mechanisms.
My son was diagnosed with Asperger's. We're nearly positive I'm an Aspie too. I'm not going for a diagnosis because it would cost money we don't have and wouldn't help my son any. I've already learned all the coping mechanisms I need. I can delay or internalize my meltdowns so I don't become a screaming wreck in the middle of a meeting because someone said something that set me off. I can deal with people in certain social situations but not others. (I'm fine in a business environments but stick me in a loud party and watch me squirm and attempt to flee.)
My son has also started showing some of these coping strategies - though obviously not as robust as mine as he hasn't had the time to learn them all. Still, it's both gratifying and frustrating to hear from his teacher how he had a great day while he's melting down at home - having delayed it all school day. Gratifying because he's not doing it in school (which made him a target for bullying before). Frustrating because the teachers don't see what's setting him off.
My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
I know that this is off topic but why does underemployment have to be seen as such a negative thing. I am on the spectrum, I have a masters degree in Information Systems, and I drive a truck. I love my job! I don't consider it being underemployed at all. I have precious solitude, books on tape, the ability to take a nap during the day, and a boss who I communicate over text message. The office requires some really strong social skills and savvy personalities. Forget all of that noise and stress. I'm far happier and more successful as a truck driver than I ever was administering windows and unix systems. I gave up trying to get any kind of accommodation from a workplace, instead I chose a career to suite my temperament and interests. The bottom line is that society places too much emphasis on a very saccharine, one dimensional definition of success and happiness. I now see success and happiness as holding down a job I like and living below my means. If I could do my professional live over, I never would've gone to college - I would've gone right to tractor trailer training school. Instead, I got caught up in society's expectation for me to make it big in some bullshit white collar gig and lead a miserable daily life. Yeah sure, I don't make high five figure salary anymore but no amount of toys that that money could buy me gave me any happiness whatsoever. This is just my 0.02 cents but I feel a sense of freedom in the past six months that I've never felt in my adult, professional life. Choose a career based on your temperament, aptitude, and interests - not on how much money you can make or what society expects of you.
Have you looked into Sensory Processing Disorder?
Back in the day of my primary education (I'm 39), there was no Aspergers or Autism spectrum. They just dumped everyone who didn't fit the mold into a separate classroom and were done with us. Today I *would* have been diagnosed Aspergers, as would my father if those resources existed back in his day.
My three year old son is following in the family footsteps (will surely be another engineer!). Luckily I married a superb 2nd grade teacher with a Masters Degree in Special Education. She has recognized early on that he's not quite like the other kids and has found an Occupational Therapist and a Developmental Ophthalmologist who recognized the signs of Sensory Processing Disorder and work with us several times a month to show us exercises to help develop those areas of his brain and treat the issues early on. We've seen improvements already - less meltdowns in crowded social situations, less toe-walking, improvements in gross motor skills, etc.
It's all new stuff. Our pediatrician was quick to point out that Sensory Processing Disorder isn't even recognized by the AAP, but it's worth at least Googling the subject if you've never heard of it.