Friday, November 30, 2012

Harnessing the Skills of Autistic Persons

A couple of days ago, i was arguing with a colleague whether the rise in the number of recorded cases for almost many non-communicable diseases was caused by better surveillance or a real epidemic at hand. As time went by, we both had to accept that it probably differs by the type of illness and that there is perhaps no single answer. Reading this article in the NYT has reminded me of that argument but on this occasion,  pleasantly so.

In short, the piece goes through the very creative way in which a danish parent deployed the photographic memory and mathematical abilities of an autistic child to establish a niche in business services. Forming a corporation that selects for the skills that autistic individuals have and thereby creating an significant advantage in using them in software and other businesses that develop high-end technology, is just very creative. as the story reveals, this is not only a considerable advantage but one that is sound business strategy. I tip my heart for Mr. Sonne.     

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