How people with autism can find training and jobs               Getting into the modern workplace is a tricky process for anyone. You have to find appropriate jobs to apply for, complete a variety of different application forms and then navigate a formal face-to-face interview, all with no guarantee of success. The system is heavily favored towards neurotypical individuals who are able to transfer skills across different settings and read the subtle body language and social cues that make for a successful interview. Autistic job ..read more

Autism-friendly Hiring and Retention Guide You’ll never regret the decision to hire an autistic person at your company. They bring a unique range of skills, from true out of the box thinking to exceptional pattern recognition and data analysis work. They’ll also benefit your entire company on a social and emotional level; for example, your staff will need to learn to communicate using clear and concrete language. This will spill over into their interactions with each other, and this will reduce miscommunication across the organization. Autism-friendly Hiring Practices Given all the benefits of ..read more

Hosted by CoreNet, this webinar features the key points of Neurodiversity in the workplace and features our very own Carol Simpson (skip to 16:19). The post Neurodiversity in the Workplace – Webinar first appeared on Orbital Learning Inc ..read more

While a third of autistic individuals are non-verbal, there’s no official diagnosis for “non-verbal autism” and as with autism, there’s a spectrum of what non-verbal means. There are those who may master a few verbal words and apply them to wider meanings, while there are others who may never gain meaningful verbal speech. Regardless, being non-verbal does not inhibit the ability communicate deep thoughts through other media, such as typing. Busting myths of non-verbal autism Unfortunately, because traditional intelligence tests rely on speech, many non-verbal autistic individuals are consider ..read more

The workforce in British Columbia and the rest of the world has changed tremendously over the last two decades. The rise of the Internet with the corresponding development of technology and devices that harness this connectivity has a large part to play in this change, as well as some progressive government policies to get more people into work. However, people on the autism spectrum remain relatively underemployed, with an estimated 40,000 autistic individuals across the province who are unemployed or in employment that does not match their skills and abilities. Fortunately, the job market is ..read more

There are an estimated 40,000 British Columbia adults with autism who are either unemployed or in employment that doesn’t make full use of their unique skills and talents. It’s becoming a recognized fact that these individuals bring a lot to the table of any workforce: an ability for high levels of focus and concentration, excellent pattern recognition skills and an eye for truly out of the box thinking are just some of the benefits that big multinational companies such as Microsoft and JP Morgan Chase have been discovering through their autism specific hiring processes.    &nbs ..read more

The rise of neurodiverse employment practices in recent years can’t be ignored. Major corporations such as JP Morgan Chase and Microsoft have set up dedicated hiring schemes specifically to hire individuals on the autism spectrum due to their unique skill sets. Employees with autism typically bring high levels of concentration (especially on repetitive tasks), excellent pattern recognition for data and true out of the box thinking for existing and new problems. Attracting neurodiverse talent While it’s estimated that there are at least 40,000 adults with autism in British Columbia, it can be h ..read more

It’s a shocking fact that over 80% of adults with autism in British Columbia are either unemployed or stuck in jobs that don’t make the most of their unique talents and skills. This represents a vast untapped talent pool for the provincial economy as well as a group of people who have spent too long on the sidelines of society. However, the steps needed to get a person with autism out of unemployment and into the workplace can be tricky given the nature of the condition. The hiring process for most organizations heavily favors neurotypical employees, which is why organizations like Orbital exi ..read more

Hiring an individual with autism will be a life changing experience for everyone associated with your business. From an external point of view, it shows that your business is invested in diversity and that you’re flexible to work with anyone. Internally, your staff will develop their empathy skills and you’ll be given a unique opportunity to re-examine long standing traditions and practices to help your business become leaner and more efficient. Of course, the person who benefits the most from the hiring process is your new employee themselves. It’s estimated that around 80% of adults with aut ..read more

It can feel that every month has special significance that affects one group or another. Black History Month is in March to highlight the need to understand and celebrate Black achievements, while October marks Breast Cancer Awareness, encouraging women to take care of their personal health. Observing these special months raises awareness in general and lets all employees know that their needs are being respected and heard. April marks Autism Awareness Month, which is a time when there is access to highlighted learnings about this often misunderstood condition. The goal of the month is to make ..read more