People with autism could be suitable for data analytics & tech jobs

Around 15,000 people with autism in Ireland could be suitable candidates for lots of jobs, particularly in the data analytics and tech sectors.

Specialisterne Ireland is a specialist employment agency that helps people with autism to access employment, and helps employers recruit and retain people with autism.

Autism is an invisible disability, and the challenges for someone with autism in the workplace are social and sensory.

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"The sensory issues are the obvious ones like sound or bright lights," Peter Brabazon, CEO of Specialisterne Ireland explained. "You can accommodate those, they're not big challenges. The main challenge is around their social understanding of a situation."

A person with autism does not understand ambiguity, and instructions need to be clear. For example, if a colleague asks for a copy of a report, it is important that they are clear when they want the copy of the report. 

People with autism have a greater aptitude in STEM fields - science, technology, engineering and maths.

Mr Brabazon would like to see people with autism get opportunities that play to their strengths. "The world of data analytics is growing and we want to grow with it because people with autism work well in the sector."

Specialisterne Ireland meets around 170 candidates a year, and has enabled around 200 people to access employment to date.

The agency partners prospective employees with austim with companies. "Our distinguishing feature is that we support those people in work on an ongoing basis, sometimes over five years later, because change, which happens a lot in tech companies, is often a challenge."

At any one time, Specialisterne has 50 people on its books.

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Companies have been receptive to employing people with autism.

"A lot of organisations have diversity and inclusion programmes, and we help businesses understand autism, and we help them recruit the person, through an autism friendly recruitment process.

"Usually someone in a company takes the lead, because autism is very common, and they may have children who are autistic, or they might be autistic themselves and understand what we are trying to do," Mr Brabazon said.

Specialisterne is the winner of the Diversity in the Workplace award from the Analytics Institute of Ireland.

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Source; RTE