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Autism according to Tony Attwood, Autism expert, is a difference, not a defect.  These differences can help companies grow and flourish, especially in these uncertain times.

However, we can struggle to get and keep work.  According to the NAS only 16% of people with Autism are in work, many more want to be.  I was only diagnosed late in life having struggled in work, being put on review due to misunderstandings, despite using my autistic skills to optimise processes, and feeling I had no choice but to resign.  I was not the first, nor was I the last to gain an official diagnosis following this experience.

Whilst people with Autism, like myself, may have challenges in social interaction, communication and behaviours, we have many skills we can bring to the workplace, to help companies grow.  I will briefly discuss a few skills, which can help companies.

1. Hyperfocus: Deep concentration on work, sometimes very detailed, for extended periods of time.  This can be work others can find uninteresting and tedious
2. Databases: Able to focus, ensuring the details are correct, allowing easy searching
3. Excellent eye for detail: ability to see through detail for specific information.  I have seen where spaces are missing or there are extra spaces, and misspellings in published books
4. Can see patterns naturally: in information, tables of information, can see how to exploit to improve information display, or to hilight potential issues.  These patterns can also be obvious in connections with languages
5. Problem seekers: can see issues in suggested processes, before being put into action, or in current processes
6. Artistic and creative skills: We can see and create images and processes in our minds, before anything goes on paper, and thus help save time and money.  This will also help with any artistic requirements.
7. Ambidextrous: I like many other autistic people am ambidextrous.  I can write with either, or both hands similtaneously, upside down and backwards (a total of 14 different ways).  Just a party trick?  No, it means both hemispheres of my brain are active, leading to greater creativity and idea generating

All of these gifts are a result of the way the autistic brain functions, without the filters the neurotypical brain can have.  This gives us a different view of the world.  There are many other skills that we autistic people have.

What company would not like these, especially in these uncertain times with more uncertainty likely to come.

I believe that, based on my experiences and information put together companies and autistic people can work together throughout and after this crisis.