Workers On Autism Spectrum Finding Careers In Software Testing

News? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-01 08:09 · Score: 1

And on a related note, the interpersonal skills and social awareness of many IT workers place them squarely within the Autism spectrum.

Re:News? by MerlynEmrys67 · 2014-12-01 08:13 · Score: 4, Interesting

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.

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I have mod points and I am not afraid to use them
Re:News? by i+kan+reed · 2014-12-01 09:08 · Score: 3, Insightful

The thing about a spectrum: there's no hard line.
Don't overassociate here. You can enjoy the work, solving problems, figuring out patterns, without showing any substantial regressive symptoms. You could arbitrarily declare me autistic to fit your model, based on the fact that I hate noise, and I'm moderately introverted, but to me, those are just personality traits, and I doubt a clinical diagnosis would agree.
Re:News? by Jason+Levine · 2014-12-01 09:40 · Score: 1

My son falls on the autism spectrum and we strongly suspect that I do also. (Asperger's - so we're high functioning.) When we first got the diagnosis, I did a bunch of reading about Asperger's and read how the brains of Aspies see the world in If-Then scenarios. This doesn't work so nicely in social situations which tend to be shades of grey. Something that will be a perfectly find thing to say in one social situation will be totally inappropriate if you tweak the setting just a little bit.
Computer programming, however, is all about the If-Then statement. If you boil down any program, it is essentially saying "If you have this input, then do this." Looking at it this way, it's no wonder that my son and I take to computers so readily. Our brains are essentially talking the same language as computers.

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My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Re:News? by Jason+Levine · 2014-12-01 09:45 · Score: 4, Interesting

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.

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My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Re:News? by budgenator · 2014-12-01 10:29 · Score: 3, Insightful

One of the things about Autism is it is subjectively diagnosed based on symptoms, so there is no way to really tell for sure if it one condition or 20. With the difficulty researchers have been having in finding causes and whether the causes are genetic or enviromental, my suspicion leans toward multiple conditions with overlapping symptomologies.

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Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
Re:News? by blippo · 2014-12-01 11:11 · Score: 1

All really good developers are positively not anywhere near the autism spectrum.
The hard part of the job is finding out what other people thinks and wants.
Re:News? by david_thornley · 2014-12-01 11:33 · Score: 2

I was told that autism spectrum children generally like to associate with adults rather than people their age, since adults are more predictable and more likely to stick to the rules of human interaction. They also often need to learn human interaction explicitly rather than implicitly.

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"When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
Re:News? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-01 12:30 · Score: 1

Nope, that's the reasonably good group. I've seen UI focus groups been run right, and those are even better then the developer intuition. And yet they're structured enough to be run by autist. Diagnosed Aspie myself, and yet I don't doubt I'm a really good developer. I also can get requirements from people. Remember, people with problems generally want them solves - certainly the kind of problems you solve with software. Makes for easy job interviews as well. Find out where the pain is, talk a lot about the issues they're encountering, and you give people the impression you are the solution to their pain. That's 90% of the job interview passed.
Re:News? by tepples · 2014-12-01 13:49 · Score: 1

They also often need to learn human interaction explicitly rather than implicitly.
Then perhaps the problem is with parental figures who don't know how to teach explicit rules of human interaction. Wiley could probably make a killing on Surviving Asperger's For Dummies.
Re:News? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-01 14:46 · Score: 3, Interesting

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.
Re:News? by Barsteward · 2014-12-01 19:52 · Score: 2

If you ever watch any presentations given by lennart poettering, you'd possibly think the same about him. he is technically brilliant, sharp, answers questions accurately without appearing to think and all this in a second language, he can appear to be tactless in answering questions when in reality he is just answering them directly without emotion. Its just sad to see how posters mistreat him in these forums.

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Re:News? by Twinbee · 2014-12-02 01:37 · Score: 1

He also had no ability to comprehend sarcasm
So if you said "Wow you've got more coffee in that cup that all the lakes in the world combined!", he'd think you were serious?

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Why OpalCalc is the best Windows calc
Re:News? by Jason+Levine · 2014-12-02 02:30 · Score: 1

The trouble is that most parents (if they are neurotypical) take the rules of human interaction for granted. They get it and if they have a neurotypical child, that child gets it too. However, their child with Asperger's will often struggle with the simplest of things. For example, with basic hygiene. Growing up I never saw the use of brushing my hair. It just didn't seem important. After all, I don't see my own hair so why should it "look nice"? Brushing my hair also didn't prevent disease like washing my hands or brushing my teeth. So I went for quite some time with completely unkempt hair. (I'm sure my parents picked their battles and allowed this as a minor issue. You can't fight every battle at every moment or you'll wind up losing more than you win.)

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My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Re:News? by Jason+Levine · 2014-12-02 02:34 · Score: 2

My son seems to like associating with people older than him (who are more his intellectual peers) and people who are younger than him (who are more his social/emotional peers). Actually, he'll associate with anyone who is kind to him since he can be starved for friendship.
That's one misconception about people with Asperger's. Others think they are anti-social, but we're not. We just find social situations complicated and difficult. We long for social contact but when we get it often can't stand it for long. Growing up (before I even heard of Asperger's), I likened it to seeing a spotlight and wanting more than anything to be inside it. Then, once you stepped inside, being blinded by the spotlight's light and wanting to leave it as quickly as possible. Many Aspies will shy away from social contact rather than deal with the difficulties and this, from the outside, looks like anti-social behavior.

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My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Re:News? by tepples · 2014-12-02 05:35 · Score: 2

From one Aspie to another, here's how to explain the importance hair hygiene: "Messy hair leaves too much visual entropy above your face. This distracts people talking to you." But then I'm more likely to just wear a hat in a public place.
Re:News? by Cederic · 2014-12-02 06:42 · Score: 1

Books already exist. The problem is knowing you need to read them.
Re:News? by Cederic · 2014-12-02 06:48 · Score: 1

He'd more likely look to correct you, as you're clearly wrong.
Met someone last night that interprets everything so literally that when someone mentioned that they talk to their cat, he got intrigued and wanted to know how they understood what their cat was saying and how the cat knew English.
In another conversation, someone mentioned visiting a local park at dawn and swimming in the sensory feedback of the birdsong, the light, the warmth as the sun moved onto them. This guy asked, "How deep is it there? When you're swimming?"
That's very extreme but people with Aspergers very often suffer from taking things literally to a lesser degree.
Re:News? by Jason+Levine · 2014-12-02 09:37 · Score: 1

Sadly, this probably wouldn't have worked on young-me as I didn't always look at people when I talked with them. I'd often start talking to my parents and then continue the "conversation" as I walked into another room. Now my son does it to me. Karma in action!

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My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.

The time-honored tradition of... by Beck_Neard · 2014-12-01 08:16 · Score: 1

Exploiting the vulnerable.

But to some degree, I guess that describes all jobs.

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A fool and his hard drive are soon parted.

Re:The time-honored tradition of... by roman_mir · 2014-12-01 08:50 · Score: 1

Exploiting people? As in creating possibilities for people to work, to become useful in a society and to give meaning to many where they had little before, to make them feel useful and appreciated, to give them a way to earn a living while at it...
so 'exploitative', do you wish nobody ever created any businesses and offered jobs in them to others?

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You can't handle the truth.
Re:The time-honored tradition of... by jythie · 2014-12-01 08:51 · Score: 2

Meh, as soon as 'Autism Speaks' is in the mix 'exploiting the vulnerable' becomes a very real concern. Autistic individuals, at least one in activism, tend to think rather poorly of the group since they have a pretty anti-autistic track record that focuses on pretty much everyone's needs except the person with autism.
Re:The time-honored tradition of... by landoltjp · 2014-12-01 09:15 · Score: 1

To 'exploit' is not always a bad thing.
Definition of exploit: To make full use of and derive benefit from (a resource).
The definition has been perverted to include a negative connotation (e.g. "Exploiting the vulnerable").
There's nothing wrong with leveraging the particular qualities of an person autism spectrum behaviours. Compensate the person fairly, be mindful (and respectful) of their peculiarities, and everyone wins. The point is to treat people with respect, regardless of differentiation.
"Vulnerable" is just your added interpretation in-order to make some "corporations are bad, m'kay?" sweeping generalization. Frankly, I'm just calling bullshit on it.
Re:The time-honored tradition of... by Jason+Levine · 2014-12-01 09:48 · Score: 5, Insightful

As the parent of someone with Autism and likely someone who is undiagnosed himself, I hate that group. They blame Autism on vaccines and want to find a "cure" for Autism. My son and I don't have a disease. We don't need to be cured. We need assistance in dealing with the neurotypical (non-Autistic) world. If you were to "cure" every Autistic person, you'd eliminate a lot of people looking at things differently. I'd wager that a lot of the eccentric geniuses throughout history had Autism. Imagine where we'd be without them.

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My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Re:The time-honored tradition of... by Beck_Neard · 2014-12-01 10:38 · Score: 1

The charity could have all the best intentions in the world, doesn't mean the IT companies are going to look at it that way.

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A fool and his hard drive are soon parted.
Re:The time-honored tradition of... by budgenator · 2014-12-01 10:39 · Score: 1

When you have people on the board of directors that have actually seriously contemplated commiting Filicide-Suicide, it's pretty hard to accept Autism Speaks as a serious advocate for the Autistics.

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Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
Re:The time-honored tradition of... by Beck_Neard · 2014-12-01 10:40 · Score: 1

There is nothing noble about 'creating opportunities to work'. The true test of being exploitative or not is how workers are treated. It could be that the workers are going to be treated very well here. If that's the case, great. But the fact that sufferers of mental disorder are being targeted makes it an issue you have to be careful about.

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A fool and his hard drive are soon parted.
Re:The time-honored tradition of... by roman_mir · 2014-12-01 10:48 · Score: 2

There is nothing more noble that creating opportunities for work for people who cannot create them for themselves. That's literally allowing people to survive on this planet where they couldn't figure out how to survive on their own without the employer.
The only people who should be careful are socialists/fascists and all types of dictatorial assholes, once they destroy the private sector there will be no jobs and then you'll know what it's like to live without anybody creating any opportunities for you not to be a subsistence hunger/gatherer and people with mental issues will not be doing that well under those circumstances compared to the others at all.

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You can't handle the truth.
Re:The time-honored tradition of... by lgw · 2014-12-01 10:53 · Score: 1

I highly recommend Elizabeth Moon's book Speed of Dark which discussed exploiting in both senses of the word in a fictional context, along with the moral questions around a cure for autism. It's well-researched, at least, and sensitive to its topic.

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Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Re:The time-honored tradition of... by vux984 · 2014-12-01 11:47 · Score: 4, Informative

When you have people on the board of directors that have actually seriously contemplated commiting Filicide-Suicide
I'd be more surprised if none of them had contemplated it. I've seen what severe forms of autism can do to a family. Is it really at all a stretch that having a child with special needs, and the pain, frustration, stress, pressure, and emotional drain that puts on everyone would result in people thinking along those lines.
Sure autism spectrum is often present in geniuses and eccentrics and other people who no doubt the world is richer for having. And it is such broad spectrum that arguably everyone is somewhere on it. But at the other end of the spectrum there is a lot of real misery, and people trapped in unbearable situations, that cannot lead normal lives, that require round the clock care, and assistance with even basic rudimentary functions, even that get violent, creating a financial and emotional drain on caregivers who rarely get adequate support.
I'd probably contemplate it too.
Re:The time-honored tradition of... by Pichu0102 · 2014-12-02 07:03 · Score: 1

As someone diagnosed with Aspergers/ASD, I would rather be rid of this disorder. It has not been kind to my life, and the disadvantages far outweigh any advantages. No soft skills means your other skills are much more difficult to use and made much less useful since you can't interact with others.
Obviously, vaccines don't cause autism, but I would like a cure to see what it's like to not have a meltdown every other social interaction. It is not a good way to live.
Re:The time-honored tradition of... by Jason+Levine · 2014-12-02 09:45 · Score: 1

I don't think people with Asperger's/Autism need to be cured, but there are definitely folks who would benefit from some sort of treatment (be it medicine or therapy) that would reduce some of the more severs Autism symptoms so they can function in a neurotypical world. There are options out there. (My guess is that I'm further towards the "more functional" end of the spectrum - for lack of a better description. My Asperger's has been a constant challenge, but I've learned a lot of coping strategies over the decades.)

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My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Re:The time-honored tradition of... by cwsumner · 2014-12-03 08:38 · Score: 1

Exploiting the vulnerable.
But to some degree, I guess that describes all jobs.
It describes all jobs, -from both sides-.
A good deal is where -both- sides feel that they are taking advantage of the other, but are happy with what they are getting from them.
And yes, it is possible. It's the Politicians that say it's not... 8-P

A different take on why they're well-suited: by jeffb+(2.718) · 2014-12-01 08:25 · Score: 4, Interesting

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".

Re: A different take on why they're well-suited: by liam_p · 2014-12-01 08:58 · Score: 1

I couldn't disagree more. As the software evolves and the bugs get worse, I can only see the level of frustration increasing. Either the behavior will have changed on purpose or accidentally but either way the AS individual is likely to find this uncomfortable. saying that, regression testing and smoke tests are probably better. Fyi, I know a couple of amazing artists diagnosed who would make awful testers. Individuals are just that I guess.
Re: A different take on why they're well-suited: by TapeCutter · 2014-12-01 10:30 · Score: 2

My 5yo grand daughter has mild autism, she was diagnosed because her language skills are in the bottom 10%, very literal, doesn't get metaphors, etc, her other skills are all in the top 10%. Getting her to sit at a desk and concentrate on anything for more than five seconds is an effort. She would make a much better dancer than a tester because she simply can't "think" while sitting still.

TFA pops up every six months or so, it's a gimmick that relies on a stereotyping of Autism and a poor understanding of "real world" software testing, but autistic people still need to pay the rent.

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And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
Re:A different take on why they're well-suited: by TapeCutter · 2014-12-01 11:01 · Score: 1

robot costs.
In most commercial shops the cost of writing and maintaining the test cases is by far the largest cost of automated testing, it's often not worth the effort in $ terms.

Management has long looked away from such auto-test robots because they can't be talked down to nor considered an FTE that can be managed to help out annual evaluations.
It's not about YOU, it's about the $$$. If test teams could be replaced by a cheaper robot, there wouldn't be any test teams.

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And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
Re:A different take on why they're well-suited: by Cederic · 2014-12-02 07:01 · Score: 1

That being said, to my knowledge, one cannot really put that they're autistic on their resume if they have any hope of hiding it (as i do) lest they be rejected from the job for it (unless that's illegal, which i don't think it is).

I wouldn't want to put it on the job application myself, but I have informed my HR department (diagnosed since joining). My management team don't know - and appear not to have guessed, which I'm delighted by.
HR know because I've had trouble at four previous jobs as a result of this (which was one reason I went off to find out what was so different about me) and in the UK it is a legally protected disability.
What I don't want to do is beat my manager about the head with that (so no "You can't say that to me, I'm disabled!") which is one reason he doesn't know about it. I do want the safety net in case I get feedback along the lines of (to quote actual feedback from another job) "You're weird" followed by deep criticism of my interpersonal skills, after I'd spent months improving them and was really chuffed how well I was doing. Should that happen now, I can bring HR into the conversation and switch focus away from "You're shit" and towards, "How can we mitigate this?"
But admitting it as part of the application? Tricky. Very tricky. I'd probably seek advice from local experts, and temptation would be to mention it on the equality assessment that only HR see, and leave it off the stuff the hiring manager sees.
Bear in mind that some companies would be glad to get someone on board that improves their balance of disabled people - I've known companies get worried that they haven't met some invisible unstated quota before now.
Re: A different take on why they're well-suited: by Cederic · 2014-12-02 07:27 · Score: 1

Leaving the testing aside, raising bug reports is surely a fucking nightmare for them?
Completing forms is anathama. I can't spell anaethama. Anathaema. Bah. (Quick google). Anathema. Completing forms is anathema to a lot of people on the autism spectrum. Last time I had to complete an expenses form at work I was nearly in tears, had to ask for help from bemused colleagues and went home at lunchtime to get a hug. It shouldn't cause such distress but it does.

Duplicate story? by Nutria · 2014-12-01 08:26 · Score: 1

ISTR a very similar story on /. regarding ASD and s/w QA from a few years ago.

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"I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1

Re:Duplicate story? by antdude · 2014-12-01 12:49 · Score: 1

I remember it too and found it through /.'s search: http://developers.slashdot.org... ... I also do software testing, but I don't have a sharp memory. I also do like patterns.

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Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).

Every individual is a "master" at something. by aussie.virologist · 2014-12-01 08:31 · Score: 3, Insightful

The hard part is finding what that "thing" is and being able to integrate it into your life in a beneficial way.

Re:Every individual is a "master" at something. by Opportunist · 2014-12-01 09:57 · Score: 2

Oh that one's easy, a career in politics.

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We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.

Re:I can haz job? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-01 08:33 · Score: 2, Interesting

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.

Re:fuck AS by seebs · 2014-12-01 08:35 · Score: 1

Yeah. Autism Speaks is not exactly a good source for information.

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Re:I can haz job? by jythie · 2014-12-01 08:49 · Score: 1

Well, if you can get it. Ketamine is not generally rated for use as a mind altering drug (and even there, it will not impact autism, but might help other issues that combine with autism to cause people problems) so going this route can be tricky unless you have a doctor willing to fudge some paperwork.

Because our interfaces weren't bad *enough* by gestalt_n_pepper · 2014-12-01 08:55 · Score: 1

As much as I sympathize with those a bit higher than average on the autism spectrum disorder scale, I know that they shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a dialog box, a set of command line parameters, and please, please don't let them choose the names of anything. Regular programmers who can't bring themselves to use the word "filter" are bad enough.

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Please do not read this sig. Thank you.

Re:Because our interfaces weren't bad *enough* by Cederic · 2014-12-02 07:06 · Score: 1

Most of us are of average intelligence, some higher and some lower. Having autism doesn't mean your retarded.
There are some definitions of autism that actually do include the criteria of being significantly below average intelligence. Those definitions tend to give other labels to people with average or above average intelligence that are also on the spectrum.
But on your other points, you did reply to an ignorant twat, and all neurotypical people are indeed liars. Interestingly some autistic people are not.

Why only software testing? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-01 09:00 · Score: 1

I have spent some time in software testing. Making sure the Primary Flight Computers of the Boeing 777 worked as expected for example.

So, you start from the Software Requirements Specification a pile of paper two meters high if you print it out. Then you start designing and writing tests. You have to understand what the system should do and what it should not do. Your tests should be designed to check the system does everything it is designed to do and find out what it does when pushed out of its limits. Etc, etc.

This is a very long and intensive lot of work and there will be more lines of code in the tests than the code you are testing.

All in all it requires the same skills as designing and writing the code to the specs in the first place.

I fail to see how one would target the suffers of autism to testing as opposed to writing the code itself.

Re:Why only software testing? by tnk1 · 2014-12-01 09:33 · Score: 2

A good question. The difference is probably delivery time and interaction with product owners.
Autistic individuals can often be very OCD. An autistic individual who finds every problem in the process of coding the actual application may cause delays while they identify and fix every one of them. That compulsion may be too strong for them to overcome. This is a problem, even with some "neurotypical" programmers. You don't want to make the perfect the enemy of the good.
If the code already exists, the autistic QA individual will still find all the issues, but then decisions by people with less compulsion can be made about "need to fix now", "patch", or "won't fix", without delaying the code delivery cycle.
Most of the time, you need something that does the job, but it is nice to know what you could do better, or where errors have crept into the process for later polish.
Re:Why only software testing? by Cederic · 2014-12-02 07:13 · Score: 1

There's a difference between perfectionism and OCD.
I write code that works. It fucking works perfectly. I fix every single bug I know about, and I do a hell of a lot of work to find any that I might have missed.
I'm not OCD about it though. I don't run the same test 28 times in a row. I don't refuse to go home until a bug is fixed. I don't rewrite the same code fourteen times because the initial design wasn't symmetrical. (Maybe 2-3 times).
Wanting code that looks like it's been through a pretty printer isn't OCD. Wanting code that's well structured isn't OCD. Wanting code that uses sensible naming conventions isn't OCD. It's actually bloody good software engineering, and the perfectionism is realised through the application of good software engineering and distress at the people that don't understand how much easier it makes the end-to-end process.
That's not being OCD, it's not being obsessive, it's being logical, rational, somewhat perfectionist and just more fucking intelligent than the fuckwits you have to work with.
I'll get flamed for this post, but hey, fuck the NTs. They get the easy ride everywhere else in life.

Everyone's on the spectrum by wonkey_monkey · 2014-12-01 09:18 · Score: 3, Interesting

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.

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systemd is Roko's Basilisk.

Re:Everyone's on the spectrum by Jason+Levine · 2014-12-01 09:50 · Score: 1

I'll wait for the Autism Amiga.
I misread that at first as "Autism Ninja" - which, now that I think about it, would be kind of awesome.

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My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Re:Everyone's on the spectrum by kruach+aum · 2014-12-01 10:10 · Score: 1

Some of us are just more equal than others.
Re:Everyone's on the spectrum by ignavus · 2014-12-01 15:08 · Score: 1

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.
They call it a spectrum because autistic people vary quite a lot from each other - not because "everyone is on the spectrum". Not everyone is tall, even though everyone has a height. Not everyone is smart, even though everyone has an IQ. Not everyone is autistic, even though everyone can get an AQ ("autism spectrum quotient") test score greater than zero.

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I am anarch of all I survey.

Re:I can haz job? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-01 09:56 · Score: 1

I recommend mushrooms and/or DMT.

Speed of Dark by Sir+Realist · 2014-12-01 10:01 · Score: 1

Elizabeth Moon. Someone's apparently been reading it.

Good book, by the way.

SAP has been doing this for months by Hussman32 · 2014-12-01 10:06 · Score: 3, Informative

Referring to the following article, SAP has done this since April of 2014. My understanding is the program has been successful for both the company and the employees.

I have close friends who have an autistic child, and programs like these give them hope. I admire companies that follow Sun Tzu's philosophy that all people can be useful if you look for their strengths.

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"Who are you?" "No one of consequence." "I must know." "Get used to disappointment."

Re:SAP has been doing this for months by Bender+Unit+22 · 2014-12-01 22:57 · Score: 1

I know these people have been doing that at least since 2009.
http://dk.specialisterne.com/e...

Re:Speed of Dark by crankyspice · 2014-12-01 10:38 · Score: 1

Elizabeth Moon. Someone's apparently been reading it.

I was drawing parallels to the Emergents' use of the mindrot virus to create "Focus," in A Deepness in the Sky (Vernor Vinge).

--
geek. lawyer.

I'm on the spectrum by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-01 11:23 · Score: 1

And I hate everything to do with the office environment: the social dynamics and back biting grow really tiresome. I found highly satisfying work as a long haul truck driver. My boss is often at least 500 miles away although he is cool, I can take a nap during the day, and I can listen to audio books. Best of all, no one to bug me. I never thought for a second that I would ever find such a great career. I came from IT and it's in the rear view mirror.

It's not news if it's not new by nut · 2014-12-01 12:03 · Score: 1

.. And this seems to be news every few months.

--
Never trust a man in a blue trench coat, Never drive a car when you're dead

Autism speaks do /not/ speak for us. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-01 12:12 · Score: 1

That charity does NOT have the best intentions in the world and in no way speaks for me, they are in it for the money, nothing more.
They are pro cure / pro eugenics and wish to develop a pre natal test to wipe autistic/aspie people out.
We are not broken, we do not need fixing. We most certainly do not need eliminating with such vile technology.

If you wish to learn about Autism you can try these sites.

http://www.wrongplanet.net/ - largest autistic forum on the internet
http://www.kupo.be/ - irc web chat for the above (chat.freenode.net #wrongplanet in your irc client)

http://autismfriendsnetwork.bi... - forum for those who are against these pro cure ideologies. (successor to aspies for freedom)

My 0.02 by DaMattster · 2014-12-01 12:14 · Score: 5, Interesting

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.

Re:My 0.02 by Cederic · 2014-12-02 07:19 · Score: 1

I like pair programming. You're working with someone, but you're also always discussing the code.
When your specialist interest is the code, that's fucking nirvana for someone with Aspergers. You're not just able to talk to someone because it's their job to listen, they're actually interested and you can learn from them.
I do struggle to see why agile development processes and use of Java would be seen as a bad thing. One thing to always remember when reading bad java code: Imagine if the idiot that wrote it had been using a language that let them shoot themselves in the head.
Re:My 0.02 by DaMattster · 2014-12-04 01:59 · Score: 1

This is why long distance, over the road trucking is great. It attracts people who are wired a little differently. I found I don't even have to think about being on the spectrum. I actually have friends and something of a social life with many fellow drivers. We have a tendency to be brutally honest to each other but we'll go to the ends of the earth to help a fellow trucker in need.
Re:My 0.02 by DaMattster · 2014-12-04 02:00 · Score: 1

Oh, I did not realize this. I thought that was a government statistic based on reported education levels and careers.

Re:I can haz job? by tepples · 2014-12-01 13:20 · Score: 1

They're doing studies on Ecstasy (MDMA) to see if it can treat PTSD. Why not do studies on Ketalar (ketamine) to see if it can treat Asperger syndrome and other flavors of high-functioning autism?

Allowed to talk to someone who has the pain by tepples · 2014-12-01 13:45 · Score: 2

Makes for easy job interviews as well. Find out where the pain is, talk a lot about the issues they're encountering, and you give people the impression you are the solution to their pain.

Getting to the point where you're allowed to talk to someone who even has the pain is the problem.

Re:I can haz job? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-01 14:01 · Score: 1

There are some studies on using ketamine to treat some forms of depression. One problem is there is a lot of social stigma surrounding the drug so it is difficult to find funding, interest, or approval to do studies with it.

wonder how big that market is by bouldin · 2014-12-01 17:04 · Score: 1

This doesn't surprise me. Some of the HFA people I've known take naturally to this kind of detail-oriented work that might seem tedious to other people.

I wonder how much of a market there is for high quality software testers. Based on what I've seen, software vendors care a lot about time-to-market, but not so much about software quality.

The ones that do care about quality don't test much beyond functional tests, and the QA folks they pay to break their software are marginalized.

Re:I can haz job? by tehcyder · 2014-12-02 04:57 · Score: 1

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.

Just remember kids, always take your medical advice from Anonymous Cowards on the internet, especially if it involves self-diagnosing mental conditions and using illegal drugs.

There is literally nothing that could go wrong.

--
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it

Re:I can haz job? by jythie · 2014-12-02 15:16 · Score: 1

It is one thing to do studies (which I am in favor of), it is another thing to try to illegally obtain some because of suggestions on the internet when dealing with something as broad as ASD. PTSD is a very specific neurological thing that can be studied and treated with some level of isolation. ASD, for any individual, tends to get lumped in with any number of one off problems like sensory integration for social anxiety, and it is not unusual for someone to treat one of those and then claim it "helped their autism", which makes it useless or dangerous for someone with ASD but not those other issues.

Where are you on the ASD spectrum? by matbury · 2014-12-02 16:13 · Score: 1

There's a simple survey to take that tells you if your answers correspond to an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Reading the questions gives you an idea of what ASDs are about, at least for people who are high-functioning: http://psychology-tools.com/au...

Not an excuse by cwsumner · 2014-12-03 08:47 · Score: 1

Note that: None of this is an excuse to get you out of having to debug your code!!! 8-P

8-)

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