Autism Symposium Focuses on Creating a Fulfilling Life
- Posted on:
- May 31, 2011
At UJA-Federation of New York’s Autism Symposium on May 26th, noted scientist Temple Grandin spoke about how to find the right jobs for people on the autism spectrum so they can have a meaningful life.
Grandin — who is an author, professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University, livestock equipment designer, and on the autism spectrum herself — told more than 275 participants at the conference, “People on the autism spectrum have different minds, and we need all of them.”
The fourth annual symposium, organized in collaboration with the Hilibrand Foundation, had a special focus on creating a fulfilling life for young adults with autism. The symposium is part of UJA-Federation’s commitment to funding grants to agencies that help individuals on the autism spectrum, including socialization opportunities, professional training, and family-centered autism programs in New York City, Westchester, and Long Island.
Travis Epes of UJA-Federation’s Caring Commission Autism Committee welcomed the conference participants that included professionals working with individuals on the autism spectrum, parents of children and young adults with autism spectrum disorders, and young adults living with autism.
“We recognize that to have a significant impact, funders must work collaboratively so people with autism can have fulfilling and productive lives,” said Roberta Leiner, managing director of UJA-Federation’s Caring Commission, who acknowledged the important contributions of the Butler Foundation, Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation, and Hilibrand Foundation.
Grandin stressed the importance of developing children’s interests when they are teens. Reflecting on her own experiences, she said, “Nobody would talk to me because they thought I was weird, but I’d whip out my drawings and I’d get respect. My identity is first about my work in animal sciences, not about my autism.” Grandin paused and added, “If I fixated on autism, I wouldn’t be here now.”
She advocated starting to teach children about the workplace in middle school and developing their strengths.
“Too often too much emphasis is on our deficits, not our strengths,“ Grandin said. “Get kids interested in programming video games, not just playing them. There’s a shortage of game programmers.”
She also outlined different kinds of jobs that are compatible for different kinds of thinkers — visual thinkers, math and music thinkers, verbal thinkers, nonverbal thinkers.
“I’m a visual thinker and could test new equipment in my mind,” she said. “I didn’t know that I thought differently from others.”
Jobs That Draw on Autism’s Strengths
One company founded with the principal of providing jobs to young adults on the autism spectrum is Aspiritech, started in 2008 by Brenda and Moshe Weitzberg near Chicago.
Aspiritech is a nonprofit software testing firm whose 10 employees all are individuals on the autism spectrum. The organization taps the unique abilities of people with autism disorders to solve workplace problems.
“Software testing aligned perfectly with people on the autism spectrum,” explained Brenda Weitzberg, who started the organization with her husband so their son Oran would have employment that made the most of his skills.
“Testing requires focus, attention to detail, logical thinking, and excellent memory,” she said. “It’s monochronic work, which means that someone does things one at a time; the tasks are with a clear start and end point, data-oriented, and follow a plan.”
The firm includes job coaching to help their employees with the work environment. Weitzberg said she hopes to see Aspiritech expand their model to every major city of the country within the next five years. Yet she recognizes, she said, that software testing is not the only vocational answer.
“Software testing can’t suit every individual with autism spectrum disorders,” Weitzberg added. “We need to see what jobs are good vocational fits with the strengths of autism.”
The symposium also included a session on financial planning and a special session on UJA-Federation of New York’s Community Trusts for Disabled Adults. These special-needs trusts protect and enrich the health, care, and well-being of individuals with disabilities.