Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Not a term that rolls off the tongue easily but increasingly big corporations such as Microsoft and SAP have launched programs to attract candidates with ASD for roles which require certain skill sets.
ASD is the name for a range of conditions that affect the way a person sees the world, processes information and interacts with people. The term covers high-functioning autism such as Asperger’s.
Under-employment is high among autistic adults. Only 14% of adults with autism held paid jobs in their communities, according to the National Autism Indicators report published by Drexel University’s Autism Institute. The report looked just at those who had received state developmental disabilities services. About one-fourth of adults with ASD had community employment as a goal in their service plan.