1 00:00:04,248 --> 00:00:08,379 I'm so excited to welcome up, David Karstens, For Cheng, and Dr. 2 00:00:08,379 --> 00:00:10,317 Justine Haigh with Fidgetech. 3 00:00:10,317 --> 00:00:16,670 Fidgetech is a nonprofit organization in Portland metro that creates technology 4 00:00:16,670 --> 00:00:22,388 focused programs for young adults on the autism spectrum age 17 and up. 5 00:00:22,388 --> 00:00:24,330 Dr. Karstens along with Dr. 6 00:00:24,330 --> 00:00:28,453 Haigh, Jeanna Johnson is one of the co founders of FIDGETECH. 7 00:00:28,453 --> 00:00:34,016 Justine Haigh is the President, Director and Co-founder of FIDGETECH. 8 00:00:34,016 --> 00:00:40,129 And she holds a PhD in consumer behavior, Master's in Innovation Entrepreneurship, 9 00:00:40,129 --> 00:00:43,771 and a Bachelors of Science in behavioral sciences. 10 00:00:43,771 --> 00:00:46,072 He is also the director of, 11 00:00:46,072 --> 00:00:50,988 [INAUDIBLE] programme at George Fox University in Oregon. 12 00:00:50,988 --> 00:00:58,441 Fortune is an engineering manager, Years, 13 00:00:58,441 --> 00:01:04,962 including software engineering, Product Marketing, and program management. 14 00:01:04,962 --> 00:01:10,272 He is also involved in the inclusion facilitating workshops, 15 00:01:10,272 --> 00:01:13,786 and managing in monthly DNI newsletter. 16 00:01:13,786 --> 00:01:17,543 He graduated from the University of Oregon and Bath college. 17 00:01:17,543 --> 00:01:24,082 Currently, he is a doctoral candidate in the DBA program of George Fox University 18 00:01:24,082 --> 00:01:28,931 working on his thesis in the area of neurodiversity hiring. 19 00:01:28,931 --> 00:01:33,399 It's so lovely to have you three here, I'm going to hand it over to you, 20 00:01:33,399 --> 00:01:34,293 take it away. 21 00:01:34,293 --> 00:01:36,282 >> Thank you, thanks so much, Ryan, good to see you. 22 00:01:38,561 --> 00:01:43,094 Yeah, that was awesome introduction by Ryan. 23 00:01:43,094 --> 00:01:47,885 Welcome everything session, we're really passionate about about this topic. 24 00:01:47,885 --> 00:01:53,015 [INAUDIBLE] The fact that I have an adult son of the office and 25 00:01:53,015 --> 00:01:57,111 stuff with Daniel, he's 22 years old now. 26 00:01:57,111 --> 00:02:03,034 And recently before the outbreak he was hired at Nike, 27 00:02:03,034 --> 00:02:09,101 as an order processing person, [INAUDIBLE] the orders. 28 00:02:09,101 --> 00:02:13,945 And his, [INAUDIBLE] but he's amazing, and he has awesome energy, and 29 00:02:13,945 --> 00:02:15,173 a great outlook. 30 00:02:15,173 --> 00:02:20,437 And bringing him up, I realized that people on the spectrum 31 00:02:20,437 --> 00:02:25,612 are amazing individuals, and they have so much to offer. 32 00:02:25,612 --> 00:02:28,889 And so sometimes it's just helping facilitate that, so 33 00:02:28,889 --> 00:02:32,043 I personally first time experienced that with my son. 34 00:02:32,043 --> 00:02:33,477 Okay, did you wanna things to adds. 35 00:02:44,659 --> 00:02:49,323 >> So, I'm Ryan already kind of explain who we are and what you, 36 00:02:49,323 --> 00:02:54,178 basically, if you check basically means technology focused. 37 00:02:54,178 --> 00:02:57,129 So when my son was about, I guess we've had 11, 38 00:02:57,129 --> 00:03:01,645 I noticed that he was obsessed with technology and working on the computer. 39 00:03:01,645 --> 00:03:07,598 And so, it just became our obvious name, [LAUGH] FIDGETECH, technology focus. 40 00:03:07,598 --> 00:03:11,550 And we've been going for about five years now as Ryan said, we're a nonprofit. 41 00:03:11,550 --> 00:03:15,351 We're serving people on the spectrum 17 and over, 42 00:03:15,351 --> 00:03:20,333 before COVID we had a number of in person as well as online classes, but 43 00:03:20,333 --> 00:03:24,230 now because of the COVID we've transition to online. 44 00:03:24,230 --> 00:03:28,231 Harley-Davidson, and some part was good, and I think our secret sauce is just 45 00:03:28,231 --> 00:03:32,428 that we have the most amazing trainers and people that work with us and volunteers. 46 00:03:32,428 --> 00:03:38,028 And so we're only as good as our people really, okay guys? 47 00:03:38,028 --> 00:03:44,592 >> Sorry, video, >> Okay, 48 00:03:44,592 --> 00:03:49,280 so today we're gonna talk about just real quickly what is ASD, and 49 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:55,158 some research that's shown the benefits of hiring people on the autism spectrum. 50 00:03:55,158 --> 00:04:00,864 Then we're gonna actually give you some useful like preparing for employment. 51 00:04:00,864 --> 00:04:05,777 And then what companies are currently doing to prepare for 52 00:04:05,777 --> 00:04:08,091 nerve diverse workforce. 53 00:04:08,091 --> 00:04:11,402 And then finally some considerations, and tips for your success, okay, Jeff? 54 00:04:16,977 --> 00:04:21,362 So just a few terms here, we see all these terms and we're like, wait, 55 00:04:21,362 --> 00:04:23,276 what is it, what does it mean? 56 00:04:23,276 --> 00:04:29,906 [LAUGH] So often you'll see Asperger's associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 57 00:04:29,906 --> 00:04:32,379 Asperger's is no longer used, but 58 00:04:32,379 --> 00:04:37,326 in its day it was to describe somebody who may be more high-functioning 59 00:04:37,326 --> 00:04:42,201 on the autism spectrum disorder, but now it's no longer being used. 60 00:04:42,201 --> 00:04:44,512 So often we call it ASD spectrum and 61 00:04:44,512 --> 00:04:48,741 a typical would be somebody who's not on the autism spectrum, 62 00:04:48,741 --> 00:04:53,544 neurodiversity and neurotypical so this is diverse thinking styles. 63 00:04:53,544 --> 00:04:56,342 So when you hear it associated with employment, or 64 00:04:56,342 --> 00:04:59,154 what companies are doing to become neurodiverse. 65 00:04:59,154 --> 00:05:04,685 This means that they are diligently and purposely trying to attract and 66 00:05:04,685 --> 00:05:09,679 recruit and maintain people who have diverse thinking styles. 67 00:05:09,679 --> 00:05:11,342 So we're really happy about that, [LAUGH]. 68 00:05:14,445 --> 00:05:19,917 Okay, Jeff So why is this important? 69 00:05:19,917 --> 00:05:24,268 Why is autism become such an important topic in society today? 70 00:05:24,268 --> 00:05:27,493 And that's because in the 1970s when I was born, 71 00:05:27,493 --> 00:05:32,306 only 1i n 20,000 people were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. 72 00:05:32,306 --> 00:05:37,431 So I kind of every 2 to 4 years this rate changes, 73 00:05:37,431 --> 00:05:42,811 just 4 years ago is 166, 2 years ago is 159. 74 00:05:42,811 --> 00:05:46,948 And today the recent CDC stats say it's 154. 75 00:05:46,948 --> 00:05:53,272 So this is becoming a society wide situation. 76 00:05:53,272 --> 00:05:56,968 And so what can we do then to accommodate neurodiverse people? 77 00:05:58,861 --> 00:05:59,554 Okay, Jeff? 78 00:06:02,976 --> 00:06:07,895 So the problem is people with on the autism spectrum don't often have the same 79 00:06:07,895 --> 00:06:10,325 path to independence that others do. 80 00:06:10,325 --> 00:06:15,524 And not knowing how, where, who, or why, or what to get there. 81 00:06:15,524 --> 00:06:18,870 They often find themselves stuck in their rooms. 82 00:06:18,870 --> 00:06:22,815 I know plenty of young adults on the spectrum who basically are up all night, 83 00:06:22,815 --> 00:06:25,231 playing video games, and sitting in the day. 84 00:06:25,231 --> 00:06:28,145 Because they don't have a clear path to employment. 85 00:06:28,145 --> 00:06:31,063 And so obviously, being the parent of a 22 year old, 86 00:06:31,063 --> 00:06:34,426 I felt like there must be something that can be done about this, 87 00:06:34,426 --> 00:06:37,861 because of your guy's amazing talents, gifts, and talents. 88 00:06:37,861 --> 00:06:41,584 We need to figure out how to create that bridge of opportunity, okay, Jeff? 89 00:06:49,478 --> 00:06:51,690 So although I'm impacted socially, 90 00:06:51,690 --> 00:06:55,708 people on the spectrum often have really amazing gifts and talents. 91 00:06:55,708 --> 00:07:00,402 And some things that people have found through research is a photographic memory. 92 00:07:00,402 --> 00:07:04,527 My son definitely has a photographic memory, a passion recognition. 93 00:07:04,527 --> 00:07:09,840 Often they're attracted to things like Mathematics, programming, cybersecurity, 94 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:14,582 and they have a really amazing ability to concentrate on things that they love, 95 00:07:14,582 --> 00:07:16,946 which is for us is technology, right? 96 00:07:16,946 --> 00:07:20,506 And so you should be utilizing all these gifts and strengths. 97 00:07:20,506 --> 00:07:25,382 And so, the fact that there's not a bridge or employment that currently exists, 98 00:07:25,382 --> 00:07:28,784 this is become our absolute passion to make this happen. 99 00:07:28,784 --> 00:07:29,383 Okay, Jeff? 100 00:07:34,562 --> 00:07:35,764 So at FIDGETECH, 101 00:07:35,764 --> 00:07:41,299 our goal has become to help young people on the autism spectrum find internships. 102 00:07:41,299 --> 00:07:45,346 And obviously, jobs by collaborating with other people 103 00:07:45,346 --> 00:07:49,237 we're deeply committed to diversity and inclusion. 104 00:07:49,237 --> 00:07:54,633 So working with tech companies, and other training services such as Treehouse, 105 00:07:54,633 --> 00:07:57,838 just other people that want to connect with us and 106 00:07:57,838 --> 00:08:01,221 congregate with us around this particular cause. 107 00:08:01,221 --> 00:08:05,962 And we've noticed that people who are passionate about this endeavor are amazing 108 00:08:05,962 --> 00:08:07,208 people to work with. 109 00:08:07,208 --> 00:08:10,811 So it's actually a real joy to be in this type of work. 110 00:08:10,811 --> 00:08:17,047 And to see people just achieved things beyond what we even knew or 111 00:08:17,047 --> 00:08:22,376 anticipated when we first started the organisation. 112 00:08:22,376 --> 00:08:26,967 So we're really excited because it's not just our idea. 113 00:08:26,967 --> 00:08:32,405 [LAUGH] A lot of prominent companies have actually reformed their processes, 114 00:08:32,405 --> 00:08:37,017 or have startup efforts to create neurodiverse opportunities. 115 00:08:37,017 --> 00:08:39,376 And so these are just some of the companies here. 116 00:08:39,376 --> 00:08:43,358 Some of them such as Hewlett Packard, Packard in California, obviously, 117 00:08:43,358 --> 00:08:44,547 Microsoft and Intel. 118 00:08:44,547 --> 00:08:49,309 He's getting interested in becoming neurodiverse, I'm here locally. 119 00:08:49,309 --> 00:08:51,731 I have been doing this now for five years. 120 00:08:51,731 --> 00:08:56,074 And so, we're really excited that the momentum is growing. 121 00:08:56,074 --> 00:09:00,615 And there's a lot of smaller organizations now too that are getting on board. 122 00:09:00,615 --> 00:09:03,596 Such as where David is currently working on xTrue, 123 00:09:03,596 --> 00:09:08,118 they've just hired somebody on the autism spectrum as a junior programmer. 124 00:09:08,118 --> 00:09:09,809 So he's been to our programs. 125 00:09:09,809 --> 00:09:12,068 So we're really excited that both small and 126 00:09:12,068 --> 00:09:14,766 large organizations have put this on their agenda. 127 00:09:16,497 --> 00:09:20,721 Okay, you can change it. 128 00:09:20,721 --> 00:09:26,008 So some of the benefits we found from research of hiring people on the spectrum. 129 00:09:26,008 --> 00:09:28,265 I think I'm gonna have four jump in here and 130 00:09:28,265 --> 00:09:30,919 talk a little bit about this with his experience. 131 00:09:30,919 --> 00:09:33,509 >> Yeah, hi everyone. 132 00:09:33,509 --> 00:09:38,715 So, I'm very interested in this topic because I have a son 133 00:09:38,715 --> 00:09:43,830 that Asperger, he's 22, so his in this transition. 134 00:09:43,830 --> 00:09:48,846 So I look into some of the benefits of how 135 00:09:48,846 --> 00:09:56,618 these people can benefit the employee if they have new hire. 136 00:09:56,618 --> 00:10:01,414 So this group of people are very reliable, honest, 137 00:10:01,414 --> 00:10:05,746 and, They will over the office politics. 138 00:10:05,746 --> 00:10:10,929 They are very tolerance in some sort of repetition and routine. 139 00:10:10,929 --> 00:10:16,850 They actually lighter the office environment that has, 140 00:10:16,850 --> 00:10:20,795 and also like many companies like HP, 141 00:10:20,795 --> 00:10:26,219 in that they are actually hiring these people to come 142 00:10:26,219 --> 00:10:31,551 in to do the validation work in computer software. 143 00:10:31,551 --> 00:10:38,307 In the vibration world, do require people to run through the test again and 144 00:10:38,307 --> 00:10:44,223 again and observe some of the practices that are out of ordinary. 145 00:10:44,223 --> 00:10:49,396 So they are really good to spot those kind of situation. 146 00:10:49,396 --> 00:10:52,346 The people attention to detail. 147 00:10:52,346 --> 00:10:55,011 They really demand accuracy. 148 00:10:55,011 --> 00:11:02,142 And also, Justin just mentioned photographic memory is also a good area, 149 00:11:02,142 --> 00:11:07,243 so matching them to the right area is also important. 150 00:11:07,243 --> 00:11:12,226 Some has really good strong logic, talent in math, 151 00:11:12,226 --> 00:11:15,397 talent in programming and so on. 152 00:11:15,397 --> 00:11:18,576 Some are talent in the arts music, so 153 00:11:18,576 --> 00:11:24,124 many different fields can be benefit from this group of people. 154 00:11:24,124 --> 00:11:28,472 And also, as Steve mentioned, they are pretty drawn 155 00:11:28,472 --> 00:11:33,403 into the technology field, scientific research and so on. 156 00:11:33,403 --> 00:11:38,667 My son really loves science and always kind of dig deeper and deeper, 157 00:11:38,667 --> 00:11:44,772 sometimes even hear technology come from my company before I hear myself, so. 158 00:11:44,772 --> 00:11:47,547 >> [LAUGH] >> Next slide. 159 00:11:47,547 --> 00:11:53,925 >> Yeah, I'll jump in with a couple of the next slide for. 160 00:11:59,051 --> 00:12:01,173 I mean, definitely. 161 00:12:01,173 --> 00:12:03,502 Okay, sorry. 162 00:12:03,502 --> 00:12:07,119 [LAUGH] So for NI, what we've been doing is we've been looking at 163 00:12:07,119 --> 00:12:11,156 research from these big companies who we showed you on a few slides ago. 164 00:12:11,156 --> 00:12:15,706 They're starting to produce articles and research articles, obviously, 165 00:12:15,706 --> 00:12:18,785 directing the doctoral program at George Fox and for 166 00:12:18,785 --> 00:12:23,345 his students in that program and doing his research, obviously [INAUDIBLE]. 167 00:12:23,345 --> 00:12:28,021 Some of the big companies have saw some really interesting statistical facts about 168 00:12:28,021 --> 00:12:31,380 the people who work there on the autism spectrum disorder. 169 00:12:31,380 --> 00:12:32,557 So for example, 170 00:12:32,557 --> 00:12:38,458 the software testing teams at HP are 30% more productive than the other groups. 171 00:12:38,458 --> 00:12:43,945 They've seen huge strides on quality improvement and I think again, 172 00:12:43,945 --> 00:12:49,339 this helps just the people it needs to make sure attention to detail, 173 00:12:49,339 --> 00:12:51,210 make sure it's right. 174 00:12:51,210 --> 00:12:55,676 Like on when he checks his orders at Nike, like he won't pass an order unless it's 175 00:12:55,676 --> 00:13:00,096 absolutely perfect, because he wants to make sure that that's exactly right. 176 00:13:00,096 --> 00:13:07,165 So and also things like in innovation, SAP and also HP overboard reported examples 177 00:13:07,165 --> 00:13:12,423 of huge brigades generated by people on the autism spectrum. 178 00:13:22,539 --> 00:13:27,036 A few other things in the improved processes, so Microsoft, for 179 00:13:27,036 --> 00:13:31,781 example, I've said in just improving processes to help assimilate 180 00:13:31,781 --> 00:13:36,643 people on the autism spectrum has improved their processes overall. 181 00:13:36,643 --> 00:13:41,300 Which is always a good thing, such as improved communication, 182 00:13:41,300 --> 00:13:45,972 how do we communicate things not only verbally, but visually. 183 00:13:45,972 --> 00:13:49,810 How do we make sure that everybody's on the same page when we're working together? 184 00:13:49,810 --> 00:13:52,242 We have it, we're seeing the problem the same way. 185 00:13:52,242 --> 00:13:55,972 So just making sure that everybody is understanding what's happening has 186 00:13:55,972 --> 00:13:59,122 improved communication across the organization in general. 187 00:13:59,122 --> 00:14:00,481 Okay, next slide. 188 00:14:05,156 --> 00:14:09,900 So, from my own firsthand experience, my son working 189 00:14:09,900 --> 00:14:15,071 within his team at Nike, and they loved him working there. 190 00:14:15,071 --> 00:14:19,686 And he was just he just a light to the office, he brings like a joy and 191 00:14:19,686 --> 00:14:21,425 excitement and energy. 192 00:14:21,425 --> 00:14:25,327 He loves working and it actually makes other people's lives better. 193 00:14:25,327 --> 00:14:30,857 Having people who are neuro diverse, so thinking differently is a good thing. 194 00:14:30,857 --> 00:14:35,311 And it brings a kind of a burst of energy and new thinking styles, 195 00:14:35,311 --> 00:14:37,331 new communication styles. 196 00:14:37,331 --> 00:14:41,494 It just helps the overall general feel of the office. 197 00:14:41,494 --> 00:14:45,504 They also make really loyal employees because they 198 00:14:45,504 --> 00:14:48,591 are thankful to have the opportunity. 199 00:14:48,591 --> 00:14:53,649 And because they love to have that repetition and to work hard, and make some 200 00:14:53,649 --> 00:14:59,204 absolutely brilliant, excellent employees that are loyal to the organization. 201 00:14:59,204 --> 00:15:03,768 And then, of course, reputation, we all need to be more diverse, 202 00:15:03,768 --> 00:15:08,109 of course, in general and including neuro diversity, right? 203 00:15:08,109 --> 00:15:12,300 So organizations need to be thinking about diversifying and 204 00:15:12,300 --> 00:15:16,499 also being inclusionary for people on the autism spectrum. 205 00:15:19,164 --> 00:15:24,106 Okay, I think we're gonna talk a little bit more now about some pointers as 206 00:15:24,106 --> 00:15:26,155 you prepare from employment. 207 00:15:26,155 --> 00:15:32,547 And then after David covers this, then he's gonna talk about what organizations 208 00:15:32,547 --> 00:15:37,609 are doing with to assimilating people on the autism spectrum. 209 00:15:37,609 --> 00:15:38,571 >> Great, thank you, Justin. 210 00:15:38,571 --> 00:15:42,774 And hopefully, my audio [INAUDIBLE]. 211 00:15:42,774 --> 00:15:46,583 So some of my experience that I've had through Figitech has been with regard 212 00:15:46,583 --> 00:15:50,765 to training and specifically for software programming, which is my background. 213 00:15:50,765 --> 00:15:52,942 I've been a programmer for 30 years. 214 00:15:52,942 --> 00:15:56,601 I'm the director and manager for our software development department at troop. 215 00:15:56,601 --> 00:15:59,535 And we did, as Justin mentioned earlier, 216 00:15:59,535 --> 00:16:03,120 just recently hired our first nearly diverse hire, 217 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:08,268 actually through a Figitech training program for software development. 218 00:16:08,268 --> 00:16:12,997 And it's been a great experience for us and this training process 219 00:16:12,997 --> 00:16:17,990 has really kind of revealed and peeled back some of the onion layers. 220 00:16:17,990 --> 00:16:22,583 What kind of obstacles might occur during a training process 221 00:16:22,583 --> 00:16:27,459 the person on the autism spectrum might need to be more aware of? 222 00:16:27,459 --> 00:16:31,511 But also this is not just unique to individuals with ASD. 223 00:16:31,511 --> 00:16:35,270 This is universal for all people who are programmers. 224 00:16:35,270 --> 00:16:38,679 So I'm gonna be talking about these things in a general sense. 225 00:16:38,679 --> 00:16:43,017 About some of the things that software developers who are in training should be 226 00:16:43,017 --> 00:16:45,198 thinking of while they're training. 227 00:16:45,198 --> 00:16:49,813 But then we can also talk about maybe some of the unique obstacles that 228 00:16:49,813 --> 00:16:53,087 these areas impose on individuals with autism. 229 00:16:53,087 --> 00:16:58,016 Keeping in mind, there isn't one set of problems any individual person has, and 230 00:16:58,016 --> 00:17:01,386 certainly that's also true for individuals with ASD. 231 00:17:01,386 --> 00:17:05,529 So different people will have a different mix of challenges in their lives, and so 232 00:17:05,529 --> 00:17:08,292 this is by no means meaning to be a blanket statement for 233 00:17:08,292 --> 00:17:10,051 all individuals on the spectrum. 234 00:17:10,051 --> 00:17:14,391 So preparing for employment, here's a couple things that we've learned. 235 00:17:14,391 --> 00:17:18,241 One of the tricks with taking that like with tree house training and 236 00:17:18,241 --> 00:17:22,299 just about any of the other training programs that are concentrated in 237 00:17:22,299 --> 00:17:24,309 software development right now. 238 00:17:24,309 --> 00:17:29,157 That wouldn't be your classical college campus type training is they're largely 239 00:17:29,157 --> 00:17:29,927 self paced. 240 00:17:29,927 --> 00:17:35,642 And when you're involved in a self paced program, you can find yourself 241 00:17:35,642 --> 00:17:40,997 kind of on a schedule that really doesn't change or flex very much. 242 00:17:40,997 --> 00:17:45,619 You may be actually looking for something that fits well with your 243 00:17:45,619 --> 00:17:49,583 ability to stay focused and your ability to stay awake. 244 00:17:49,583 --> 00:17:53,075 I admit saw somebody mentioned about how naps are needed, 245 00:17:53,075 --> 00:17:55,575 which is a very common thing, of course. 246 00:17:55,575 --> 00:18:00,438 So I think one of our tricks is to learn how to stretch as you're going through 247 00:18:00,438 --> 00:18:01,959 the training process. 248 00:18:01,959 --> 00:18:07,556 Keep in mind that most employers are gonna have more of a stricter schedule 249 00:18:07,556 --> 00:18:12,719 than you might be experiencing in a self paced training programme. 250 00:18:12,719 --> 00:18:15,548 So trying to find out how far you can stretch 251 00:18:15,548 --> 00:18:19,164 yourself to work to be concentrated on programming and 252 00:18:19,164 --> 00:18:23,339 also to measure your rate of progress as you stretch yourself. 253 00:18:23,339 --> 00:18:28,480 So not expanding the amount of time you spend in programming may not actually 254 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:33,571 be as smart if your ability to program reduces greatly as your expend time. 255 00:18:33,571 --> 00:18:35,561 So working an eight hour shift, 256 00:18:35,561 --> 00:18:40,144 your last four hours might be half as productive as your first four hours. 257 00:18:40,144 --> 00:18:42,860 And you need to be aware and conscious of how that impacts you. 258 00:18:42,860 --> 00:18:47,976 So our process that we've been using is we try to find out where somebody is at, 259 00:18:47,976 --> 00:18:50,934 where they're able to start with training. 260 00:18:50,934 --> 00:18:54,451 And as the training progresses, we try to increase time. 261 00:18:54,451 --> 00:18:57,432 And continuously, measure rate of progress through 262 00:18:57,432 --> 00:19:02,083 the material to see if we're still being effective in that learning environment. 263 00:19:02,083 --> 00:19:06,558 So actually, we found that it's best to schedule that. 264 00:19:06,558 --> 00:19:11,320 Don't kind of wait for it to happen, but instead, be very proactive and 265 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:13,130 put that on your calendar. 266 00:19:13,130 --> 00:19:16,491 This week, I'm gonna be 15 hours as student. 267 00:19:16,491 --> 00:19:19,768 Next week 16 or 17, and the week after that a little more, 268 00:19:19,768 --> 00:19:22,746 maybe it's a month between times that you increase it. 269 00:19:22,746 --> 00:19:27,197 Depending on your training program, you might have a lot of time to expand that. 270 00:19:27,197 --> 00:19:31,711 So the stretch is a really important thing in preparing for employment because you 271 00:19:31,711 --> 00:19:35,967 may find yourself in an employment condition that isn't very flexible, and 272 00:19:35,967 --> 00:19:39,661 that you need to meet their expectations in order to keep that job. 273 00:19:39,661 --> 00:19:43,180 So finding your upper limit and then being honest and 274 00:19:43,180 --> 00:19:48,784 forthright about that limit to during the interview process is really important. 275 00:19:48,784 --> 00:19:55,764 Repetition, so there's always one more than one way to solve a complex problem. 276 00:19:55,764 --> 00:20:00,017 No two people are gonna solve their problem in the same way. 277 00:20:00,017 --> 00:20:03,935 And another thing that happens in training is very often, we are challenged to solve 278 00:20:03,935 --> 00:20:07,465 our problem We saw that one way we submit that solution and 279 00:20:07,465 --> 00:20:08,673 we move on to the next lesson. 280 00:20:08,673 --> 00:20:12,387 So we don't really give ourselves very much opportunity, 281 00:20:12,387 --> 00:20:14,846 to repeat our problem solving skills. 282 00:20:14,846 --> 00:20:19,688 So one of our challenges that we like to do is to send somebody back 283 00:20:19,688 --> 00:20:24,632 to a lesson and say, okay, solve that problem maybe in a new way. 284 00:20:24,632 --> 00:20:26,858 Sometimes it's hard to come up with, 285 00:20:26,858 --> 00:20:30,487 to think about a different way once you've solved a problem. 286 00:20:30,487 --> 00:20:33,480 Sometimes you think well, that's the only way you could possibly solve that problem. 287 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:39,143 And that's where the next stage actually really comes into place, 288 00:20:39,143 --> 00:20:43,229 is working with others to establish some ideas. 289 00:20:43,229 --> 00:20:47,005 So collaboration can help with repetition, in other words, 290 00:20:47,005 --> 00:20:50,721 I'm not sure how I can solve this problem in different a way. 291 00:20:50,721 --> 00:20:54,142 Go ask somebody, go have them give you a suggestion or 292 00:20:54,142 --> 00:20:58,180 maybe reveal a new methodology that you haven't considered. 293 00:20:58,180 --> 00:21:03,337 And then go solve that exact same problem with this new approach. 294 00:21:03,337 --> 00:21:07,644 You could change your programming language, the tools that you use, 295 00:21:07,644 --> 00:21:10,933 any framework that you're using to solve problems. 296 00:21:10,933 --> 00:21:16,895 There's a lot of different ways to revise your solution, to exercise your process. 297 00:21:16,895 --> 00:21:21,719 One key for that is, very rarely will you experience the same 298 00:21:21,719 --> 00:21:27,309 development platform tools processes, from employer to employer. 299 00:21:27,309 --> 00:21:30,292 There's always a slight difference in the mix. 300 00:21:30,292 --> 00:21:35,231 So challenge yourself to solve problems in different ways, kinda prepares you for 301 00:21:35,231 --> 00:21:37,991 that flexibility that you might experience. 302 00:21:37,991 --> 00:21:39,942 One employee that I know, 303 00:21:39,942 --> 00:21:45,985 their role changes from project to project because they move across companies. 304 00:21:45,985 --> 00:21:48,101 They're part of a contract company. 305 00:21:48,101 --> 00:21:52,786 So they are always being challenged to fitting into other teams, and 306 00:21:52,786 --> 00:21:57,002 doing things the way they do them and using the tools they use. 307 00:21:57,002 --> 00:22:01,798 So that's a great thing to be able to do coming out of a training program, 308 00:22:01,798 --> 00:22:04,960 having practiced that process of repetition. 309 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,153 And solving problems in more than one way. 310 00:22:08,153 --> 00:22:12,450 So with regard to collaboration, it's what, sorry about that. 311 00:22:12,450 --> 00:22:16,998 It's a really important thing to do to work with others, 312 00:22:16,998 --> 00:22:21,560 and very rarely will you ever write software on your own. 313 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:24,751 You're almost always collaborating with others to do that. 314 00:22:24,751 --> 00:22:29,318 That includes not only coming up with the idea of how to solve a problem. 315 00:22:29,318 --> 00:22:34,316 But even in a code module, two people, three people, multiple people working 316 00:22:34,316 --> 00:22:38,726 in the same code module and breaking the work apart amongst the group. 317 00:22:38,726 --> 00:22:42,948 It's really important that that group, be aware of what kind of 318 00:22:42,948 --> 00:22:47,025 activity other people are doing, and how they're doing it. 319 00:22:47,025 --> 00:22:52,529 So you're kind of all want to use the same processes and methods. 320 00:22:52,529 --> 00:22:58,516 And again, in a self learning environment that you can very often become isolated. 321 00:22:58,516 --> 00:23:03,183 So giving yourself options or opportunities to work with others while 322 00:23:03,183 --> 00:23:07,069 you're learning to be a programmer is really important. 323 00:23:07,069 --> 00:23:11,908 One of our programs what we do is we actually have environment where multiple 324 00:23:11,908 --> 00:23:16,083 people might be working independently in a training situation. 325 00:23:16,083 --> 00:23:20,508 But they get together, when they're working on something to 326 00:23:20,508 --> 00:23:25,119 get that some feedback and some suggestions from other people. 327 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:29,734 So, look for opportunities, put yourself in a place where you can collaborate. 328 00:23:29,734 --> 00:23:33,604 I think Treehouse has some great tools to make that possible online, 329 00:23:33,604 --> 00:23:34,813 which is fantastic. 330 00:23:34,813 --> 00:23:38,450 And the whole world of course, is being challenged to do that online right now. 331 00:23:38,450 --> 00:23:43,328 And it's really important that you do that on your way to employment. 332 00:23:43,328 --> 00:23:48,858 One of the first things that you'll need to really expose when you're applying for 333 00:23:48,858 --> 00:23:51,713 jobs is, what kind of team work did you do? 334 00:23:51,713 --> 00:23:56,662 You'll list out projects, how big the team were, what your role was in the team, 335 00:23:56,662 --> 00:23:59,776 and then what your experience was in that process. 336 00:23:59,776 --> 00:24:04,630 So I think you'll find, making sure that you experience a highly 337 00:24:04,630 --> 00:24:10,294 collaborative process during your training will be very valuable for you. 338 00:24:10,294 --> 00:24:14,827 So there is some additional things that will happen kind of near the end of your 339 00:24:14,827 --> 00:24:18,681 technical training as you're preparing for applying for jobs. 340 00:24:18,681 --> 00:24:23,222 But some of these things you should be keeping track of throughout your training 341 00:24:23,222 --> 00:24:24,044 experience. 342 00:24:24,044 --> 00:24:26,583 Because it's hard to build some of these things up, 343 00:24:26,583 --> 00:24:29,248 let's say in a short period of time or a couple months. 344 00:24:29,248 --> 00:24:30,428 It takes months and 345 00:24:30,428 --> 00:24:35,018 years for some of these critical work components to actually be built up. 346 00:24:35,018 --> 00:24:39,472 So starting on them early in your training is much better than trying to start on 347 00:24:39,472 --> 00:24:41,165 them later in your training. 348 00:24:41,165 --> 00:24:46,071 Portfolio building, this is not a one time thing. 349 00:24:46,071 --> 00:24:49,301 [LAUGH] You're gonna want to every time as a programmer 350 00:24:49,301 --> 00:24:53,334 you're working on something new that you've never done before. 351 00:24:53,334 --> 00:24:56,947 You're gonna want to make that part of your portfolio. 352 00:24:56,947 --> 00:25:00,615 Or if you're reworking something that you've done before, 353 00:25:00,615 --> 00:25:03,372 making that revision part of your portfolio. 354 00:25:03,372 --> 00:25:08,014 Showing people your progression as a student and also, 355 00:25:08,014 --> 00:25:13,360 when you start applying your skills to actual jobs or projects. 356 00:25:13,360 --> 00:25:17,887 Showing what you did in those projects is incredibly valuable. 357 00:25:17,887 --> 00:25:20,413 At some point, you'll start to pick and 358 00:25:20,413 --> 00:25:23,919 choose which projects you might expose on a portfolio. 359 00:25:23,919 --> 00:25:27,671 But in your initial stages, you almost wanna just say anything and 360 00:25:27,671 --> 00:25:31,838 everything that has a user interface, or maybe even has some logic in it. 361 00:25:31,838 --> 00:25:36,477 That you want it described, is a very valuable asset in a portfolio. 362 00:25:36,477 --> 00:25:39,380 Build your own site, if you can. 363 00:25:39,380 --> 00:25:42,827 If you can't build your own site, use a site too like Squarespace. 364 00:25:42,827 --> 00:25:44,786 There's a bunch of them out there. 365 00:25:44,786 --> 00:25:48,064 Try to find one that's free or very, very cheap. 366 00:25:48,064 --> 00:25:52,855 There are many but take advantage of starting with something small, 367 00:25:52,855 --> 00:25:55,014 and just build it up over time. 368 00:25:55,014 --> 00:26:00,191 GitHub, almost the universal version control system across the world. 369 00:26:00,191 --> 00:26:03,312 It is highly public. 370 00:26:03,312 --> 00:26:09,397 And we suggest using it as a repository for your projects. 371 00:26:09,397 --> 00:26:10,762 I also use Azure, just so 372 00:26:10,762 --> 00:26:13,884 you know it's not just get help that exists in the world. 373 00:26:13,884 --> 00:26:20,710 But for the purpose of work and getting work, GitHub happens to be a key. 374 00:26:20,710 --> 00:26:23,559 Keep your code active and GitHub. 375 00:26:23,559 --> 00:26:26,289 When you're done with your training, 376 00:26:26,289 --> 00:26:30,266 make sure you do small projects and track them in GitHub. 377 00:26:30,266 --> 00:26:32,254 Keep track and make it active. 378 00:26:32,254 --> 00:26:38,454 So, people and employers are gonna wanna see what you're doing. 379 00:26:38,454 --> 00:26:44,729 And how often you are being a programmer, even when you don't have a job. 380 00:26:44,729 --> 00:26:49,350 For most programmers, we love to solve problems all the time. 381 00:26:49,350 --> 00:26:53,374 One of my favorite things to do is try to come up with a new way to solve tic 382 00:26:53,374 --> 00:26:53,931 tac toe. 383 00:26:53,931 --> 00:26:57,225 And so using some artificial intelligence tools, or 384 00:26:57,225 --> 00:26:59,356 some other kind of logical tools. 385 00:26:59,356 --> 00:27:01,242 It's kind of a fun problem to solve. 386 00:27:01,242 --> 00:27:06,371 And so, anytime you have an idea that, hey, what about if I tried this? 387 00:27:06,371 --> 00:27:11,590 But it didn't get hard, even if it's very, very small, keep that system active. 388 00:27:11,590 --> 00:27:18,374 I think I did see a question come through apologize here. 389 00:27:18,374 --> 00:27:19,734 Okay, I'll come back to that one. 390 00:27:19,734 --> 00:27:24,010 So Rena, I will get back to your question on that. 391 00:27:24,010 --> 00:27:26,871 And then entrepreneurialism. 392 00:27:26,871 --> 00:27:31,774 As we all know America is built on entrepreneurialism, 393 00:27:31,774 --> 00:27:36,167 and I think we celebrate that quite some heavily. 394 00:27:36,167 --> 00:27:40,355 It is possible to be entrepreneurial and be employed at the same time. 395 00:27:40,355 --> 00:27:43,295 [LAUGH] And I think part of that is to try and 396 00:27:43,295 --> 00:27:47,284 balance in your life, but also to feed your interest. 397 00:27:47,284 --> 00:27:52,792 It's really important that you don't let programming burn you out because it can. 398 00:27:52,792 --> 00:27:58,097 And the one way to really avoid that is to be entrepreneurial, come up with an idea. 399 00:27:58,097 --> 00:28:03,697 Try to develop a skill and idea, this could be maybe an Internet of things. 400 00:28:03,697 --> 00:28:06,244 The bicept you've kind of thought, hey, 401 00:28:06,244 --> 00:28:08,941 it'd be fun if I opened my door with my phone. 402 00:28:08,941 --> 00:28:11,427 And like make it swing open or something or 403 00:28:11,427 --> 00:28:16,345 maybe a device that works your dog up into more interfaces and away from the table. 404 00:28:16,345 --> 00:28:20,476 So any of these kind of things that you might imagine work on it, by the way, 405 00:28:20,476 --> 00:28:22,190 it makes sure it's in GitHub. 406 00:28:22,190 --> 00:28:23,621 It makes sure it's on your portfolio. 407 00:28:23,621 --> 00:28:26,599 It really doesn't matter how successful it is, 408 00:28:26,599 --> 00:28:31,038 what matters is that you're showing and experiencing your practices. 409 00:28:31,038 --> 00:28:37,048 By the way GitHub has a fantastic tool to look at opportunities for 410 00:28:37,048 --> 00:28:40,005 coding, that are open source. 411 00:28:40,005 --> 00:28:44,803 And lets you exercise your coding skills in existing projects, and 412 00:28:44,803 --> 00:28:47,507 contribute to the open source world. 413 00:28:47,507 --> 00:28:51,640 If you haven't looked at that, it's a very valuable and by the way, 414 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:53,218 looked at area of coding. 415 00:28:53,218 --> 00:28:56,341 Many are job seekers if they have done that work, 416 00:28:56,341 --> 00:28:59,548 the employers will see that on their GitHub site. 417 00:28:59,548 --> 00:29:04,571 And look at the actual code you're contributing to the world, 418 00:29:04,571 --> 00:29:06,954 it's a valuable thing to do. 419 00:29:06,954 --> 00:29:10,874 That is it for me. 420 00:29:10,874 --> 00:29:15,643 >> Okay, so, basically, from the research and then I was gonna have Paul 421 00:29:15,643 --> 00:29:19,631 talk a little bit from his own experience in his work in TLM. 422 00:29:19,631 --> 00:29:23,079 Like he's been researching internally. 423 00:29:23,079 --> 00:29:24,979 That really to make it work for 424 00:29:24,979 --> 00:29:29,699 employers to have a neurodiversity program they have to have a champion. 425 00:29:29,699 --> 00:29:34,404 It has to be somebody at a high level in the organization who supports in 426 00:29:34,404 --> 00:29:35,696 neorodiversity. 427 00:29:35,696 --> 00:29:40,174 And establish a whole team of people who are passionate about driving this. 428 00:29:40,174 --> 00:29:43,400 So without kind of a champion it's really hard to get momentum. 429 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:46,627 And so this is why companies such as Microsoft and 430 00:29:46,627 --> 00:29:51,281 Hewlett Packard have been successful, because they had champions. 431 00:29:51,281 --> 00:29:54,938 And Intel up until now, I think It got really excited 432 00:29:54,938 --> 00:29:59,851 about becoming more diverse, [INAUDIBLE] Has kind got more involved. 433 00:29:59,851 --> 00:30:02,880 And thinking about how do we bring this into one. 434 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:04,075 For Ken, can you, 435 00:30:04,075 --> 00:30:08,638 are you frozen anymore cuz I see you >> I am Diana, can you hear me? 436 00:30:08,638 --> 00:30:10,583 >> I just started talking about having a champion. 437 00:30:10,583 --> 00:30:13,727 I was just about to get to the sport circle notion. 438 00:30:13,727 --> 00:30:18,025 >> Yeah, so one of my interests is how to view a high 439 00:30:18,025 --> 00:30:21,691 performing team for the organization. 440 00:30:21,691 --> 00:30:28,920 And diversity and inclusion is really important topic because only when people, 441 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:33,016 you have diverse people, diverse thoughts. 442 00:30:33,016 --> 00:30:38,448 Where you include the idea, the opinion into the consideration of your solution. 443 00:30:38,448 --> 00:30:43,821 You can create a very good solution and view the high performing organization. 444 00:30:43,821 --> 00:30:50,872 And so having the diversity and inclusion champion for 445 00:30:50,872 --> 00:30:57,002 your organization is an important piece that is 446 00:30:57,002 --> 00:31:02,531 the executive sponsor for such a program. 447 00:31:02,531 --> 00:31:09,926 We saw a lot of company like Microsoft, HP, SAP. 448 00:31:09,926 --> 00:31:13,404 They all have this high level champion, 449 00:31:13,404 --> 00:31:18,021 executive sponsor to help start a program like this. 450 00:31:18,021 --> 00:31:22,342 Also, in order to create such a program, 451 00:31:22,342 --> 00:31:27,032 you do need a core team of people in the company 452 00:31:27,032 --> 00:31:32,473 are passionate about being helping in this effort. 453 00:31:32,473 --> 00:31:37,293 And also, when people coming into the organization, 454 00:31:37,293 --> 00:31:41,606 when autism employee joined the organization. 455 00:31:41,606 --> 00:31:47,964 How do you create a support group, that includes team body, 456 00:31:47,964 --> 00:31:53,574 mentor, job coaching, and also maybe your employee 457 00:31:53,574 --> 00:31:58,326 resource that can help assist those people? 458 00:31:58,326 --> 00:32:01,606 They do need accommodation and so 459 00:32:01,606 --> 00:32:06,411 on to help them to flourish in that environment. 460 00:32:06,411 --> 00:32:11,800 At the same time, employee training, I saw a question 461 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:17,441 about how to work with peers that are not in the spectrum. 462 00:32:17,441 --> 00:32:22,182 So, a lot of people may not be aware of those people. 463 00:32:22,182 --> 00:32:26,689 So providing training to manager, 464 00:32:26,689 --> 00:32:31,946 to peers is also very important how to work 465 00:32:31,946 --> 00:32:37,971 with those spectrum employee intentionally. 466 00:32:37,971 --> 00:32:43,250 The pair programming is also important part when you 467 00:32:43,250 --> 00:32:49,975 facilitate that collaboration that they've just talked about. 468 00:32:49,975 --> 00:32:56,258 And having people paired with an existing employee, 469 00:32:56,258 --> 00:33:02,957 that they can help them to learn about the environment and 470 00:33:02,957 --> 00:33:06,877 get into the workplace quickly. 471 00:33:09,159 --> 00:33:13,955 Next slide, yeah, I think. 472 00:33:13,955 --> 00:33:15,786 >> Yeah, I'll do it, I'll take this one. 473 00:33:15,786 --> 00:33:20,008 Just so you guys know, there's a number of social partners out in the community that 474 00:33:20,008 --> 00:33:22,579 supports organizations that you can reach out to. 475 00:33:22,579 --> 00:33:27,404 So anybody trying to start neuro diversity program, there are people that 476 00:33:27,404 --> 00:33:32,003 can help with suggesting candidates, assisting with pre screening, 477 00:33:32,003 --> 00:33:36,464 arranging some public funding, administer training, of course. 478 00:33:36,464 --> 00:33:41,358 Like similar to what Figitech is doing, helping with job and life skills coaching. 479 00:33:41,358 --> 00:33:46,082 So there's job coaches, there's Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and 480 00:33:46,082 --> 00:33:47,219 there's others. 481 00:33:47,219 --> 00:33:52,245 Other private public organizations that help in a variety of different 482 00:33:52,245 --> 00:33:57,031 ways that can provide things like mentorship and ongoing support. 483 00:33:57,031 --> 00:34:02,059 So organizations are not alone in their endeavor to become more diverse. 484 00:34:02,059 --> 00:34:06,275 So just so you know, there's a number of different things out there and 485 00:34:06,275 --> 00:34:10,793 we could provide some suggestions if anybody were interested in a handout. 486 00:34:10,793 --> 00:34:13,127 >> Okay, interesting. 487 00:34:13,127 --> 00:34:18,239 [INAUDIBLE] We have a question I think kind of fits in really well right here. 488 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:19,697 >> Okay. >> And we have a few. 489 00:34:19,697 --> 00:34:20,849 I apologize to everybody. 490 00:34:20,849 --> 00:34:24,558 I think I missed some of these [LAUGH] questions that were coming through. 491 00:34:24,558 --> 00:34:29,461 How would you recommend handling it if you're the only out autistic person at 492 00:34:29,461 --> 00:34:30,221 a company? 493 00:34:30,221 --> 00:34:33,698 It's especially stressful when you're worried and 494 00:34:33,698 --> 00:34:37,020 not just about your actions reflect on yourself but 495 00:34:37,020 --> 00:34:41,744 influencing your coworker's opinions on autistic people in general. 496 00:34:41,744 --> 00:34:46,358 >> Yeah, so and the next kind of slides are going to talk a little bit 497 00:34:46,358 --> 00:34:50,632 about how to be organized and also how to read social cues and 498 00:34:50,632 --> 00:34:55,361 the sensory and sensory motor, sometimes challenges, right? 499 00:34:55,361 --> 00:34:58,498 So, yeah, I would say it's difficult, and 500 00:34:58,498 --> 00:35:03,055 I would bet the other people on the spectrum in the organization. 501 00:35:03,055 --> 00:35:05,085 [LAUGH] I know that Bill Qaiser, 502 00:35:05,085 --> 00:35:08,921 who was working at New Relic is a distinguished engineer. 503 00:35:08,921 --> 00:35:12,476 He started an internal network for people on the spectrum, 504 00:35:12,476 --> 00:35:15,758 and he just thought there's gonna be a couple people. 505 00:35:15,758 --> 00:35:20,681 And he realised like there's a bunch of people in the organization that joined. 506 00:35:20,681 --> 00:35:24,378 So it could be championing something like that where you can connect with other 507 00:35:24,378 --> 00:35:28,090 people, and you'll probably soon find out that you're not the only person. 508 00:35:28,090 --> 00:35:32,569 And it's just like building awareness, too, and enforcement to talk a little bit 509 00:35:32,569 --> 00:35:37,187 here about this recognizing what your own, maybe your sensory motor abilities are. 510 00:35:37,187 --> 00:35:41,302 Maybe how you think and how you communicate and how you organize yourself, 511 00:35:41,302 --> 00:35:43,130 understanding what those are and 512 00:35:43,130 --> 00:35:46,604 then be able to communicate that with your direct supervisor. 513 00:35:46,604 --> 00:35:51,586 Or find a mentor to their supportive and understanding of some of the challenges. 514 00:35:51,586 --> 00:35:52,269 And so, yeah, 515 00:35:52,269 --> 00:35:55,432 why don't you hit on the next three slides and I'll hop through those? 516 00:35:55,432 --> 00:35:59,498 >> Yeah, we can talk with that but I just want to get a quick notes. 517 00:35:59,498 --> 00:36:02,390 So I think self education is very important. 518 00:36:02,390 --> 00:36:05,829 Some of my coworker in their past experience, 519 00:36:05,829 --> 00:36:09,806 they did not disclose the condition to the employer. 520 00:36:09,806 --> 00:36:14,875 And the employer will treat them as a neuro typical 521 00:36:14,875 --> 00:36:19,350 employee so, expectation is hard to meet. 522 00:36:19,350 --> 00:36:21,896 But when you work closely with your manager, 523 00:36:21,896 --> 00:36:24,978 you may not necessarily want to disclose to everyone. 524 00:36:24,978 --> 00:36:29,027 But that is what if your manager and see how you get that 525 00:36:29,027 --> 00:36:33,811 accommodation is important to help address some of the issue. 526 00:36:33,811 --> 00:36:39,869 So, let's come back, here are some consideration for success for 527 00:36:39,869 --> 00:36:46,586 people who are in the spectrum that are employed in the high tech industry. 528 00:36:46,586 --> 00:36:54,231 One of the area is that we think the social coup in other points of view. 529 00:36:54,231 --> 00:36:59,024 Many time, people with autism, 530 00:36:59,024 --> 00:37:04,329 they will be not necessarily ECD look 531 00:37:04,329 --> 00:37:10,673 into some of the sarcastic come in a new one. 532 00:37:10,673 --> 00:37:14,781 So sometimes it's easy to miss that. 533 00:37:14,781 --> 00:37:20,229 Not that it's easy to do it with that condition but 534 00:37:20,229 --> 00:37:25,934 be aware that it is one of the areas that I can tell I get 535 00:37:25,934 --> 00:37:31,248 into how to weld people also mixed up- >> [INAUDIBLE] but 536 00:37:31,248 --> 00:37:36,733 sometimes it was taken in the wrong way, so just appreciating that. 537 00:37:36,733 --> 00:37:42,696 [LAUGH] Some people say that, they may say very bluntly. 538 00:37:42,696 --> 00:37:47,649 They actually pic a joke or humorous or a sarcastic thing, but sometimes that very, 539 00:37:47,649 --> 00:37:51,444 very few point like my son really struggles to read facial cues. 540 00:37:51,444 --> 00:37:54,497 So just hearing that tone of voice sometimes very hard to miss, so 541 00:37:54,497 --> 00:37:55,561 just be aware of that. 542 00:37:55,561 --> 00:38:00,468 So always be open, and not necessarily think that people are necessarily saying 543 00:38:00,468 --> 00:38:04,149 something to you directly that specifically about you, but 544 00:38:04,149 --> 00:38:05,612 it could just be a joke. 545 00:38:05,612 --> 00:38:08,625 And I know that's hard to anticipate and understand, but 546 00:38:08,625 --> 00:38:10,542 just kind of be open minded about it. 547 00:38:10,542 --> 00:38:16,874 >> Yeah, the other area is your interest versus other people's interests. 548 00:38:16,874 --> 00:38:21,704 Sometimes, people with autism may be very hold on 549 00:38:21,704 --> 00:38:26,650 to their interests, if that topic get into that and 550 00:38:26,650 --> 00:38:30,922 they will be keep talking and keep talking. 551 00:38:30,922 --> 00:38:31,690 That's like my son. 552 00:38:31,690 --> 00:38:35,279 A lot of times, he would just, when he just talk about airplane, 553 00:38:35,279 --> 00:38:37,842 he just keep talking and talking and talking. 554 00:38:37,842 --> 00:38:42,550 Other people has no chance to interject in their perspective. 555 00:38:42,550 --> 00:38:46,198 So listening to other people's perspective and 556 00:38:46,198 --> 00:38:51,719 also be aware of how much we involve our interest into that conversation. 557 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:56,461 A small talk is also difficult for people with autism. 558 00:38:56,461 --> 00:39:01,027 So they may not be interested in some of 559 00:39:01,027 --> 00:39:06,167 those small talk that some other people may 560 00:39:06,167 --> 00:39:10,896 treat them as like our group of people. 561 00:39:10,896 --> 00:39:16,340 So, not necessary, you have to involve in any type of 562 00:39:16,340 --> 00:39:21,428 discussion, but be aware that is one of the area. 563 00:39:21,428 --> 00:39:28,753 And monitoring, I mean, sometimes my son is very honest, 564 00:39:28,753 --> 00:39:33,733 and some of the comments can be hurting, 565 00:39:33,733 --> 00:39:37,409 how to interact with people. 566 00:39:37,409 --> 00:39:41,298 One time, he went to a interview and 567 00:39:41,298 --> 00:39:47,927 the interviewer asked him what is your area of improvement? 568 00:39:47,927 --> 00:39:53,338 And he has this procrastination that he will tell 569 00:39:53,338 --> 00:39:59,411 people I've missed my homework many times in school, 570 00:39:59,411 --> 00:40:03,830 and that's an internship position and so 571 00:40:03,830 --> 00:40:10,055 That may easily make people associate that, you missed your commitment. 572 00:40:10,055 --> 00:40:15,701 So sometimes honesty, not that we try to lie or cover up something, 573 00:40:15,701 --> 00:40:20,865 but do think about how you communicate that similar message. 574 00:40:20,865 --> 00:40:26,713 And also the eye contact in smile is difficult for 575 00:40:26,713 --> 00:40:33,704 people with autism, my son, sometimes they look at you, 576 00:40:33,704 --> 00:40:38,267 and then all of a sudden it was tough not 577 00:40:38,267 --> 00:40:43,135 feel comfortable in the icon that area. 578 00:40:43,135 --> 00:40:46,313 Next slide, okay, sensory and 579 00:40:46,313 --> 00:40:51,035 motor abilities an area that needs to be aware. 580 00:40:51,035 --> 00:40:58,985 Sometimes sensory can be overloaded in terms of lighting temperature, noise. 581 00:40:58,985 --> 00:41:03,950 I have a coworker that he is sensitive to noise and lights. 582 00:41:03,950 --> 00:41:07,953 So he has to put up a tent above his office. 583 00:41:07,953 --> 00:41:13,591 And as a manager, I will ask him do you need to find 584 00:41:13,591 --> 00:41:19,656 a corner in the area that are more feel comfortable. 585 00:41:19,656 --> 00:41:24,943 And he did want to do it, but usually in the corner area is those 586 00:41:24,943 --> 00:41:30,659 kind of high up manager location that they want those situations. 587 00:41:30,659 --> 00:41:33,755 So, he doesn't know how to self advocate his need. 588 00:41:33,755 --> 00:41:38,639 So that's also linked to self advocate that if you have 589 00:41:38,639 --> 00:41:43,217 any need concern to talk to the manager, and so on. 590 00:41:43,217 --> 00:41:47,907 We also need to wear the noise cancellation 591 00:41:47,907 --> 00:41:52,860 area to consider other type of accommodation 592 00:41:52,860 --> 00:41:57,699 that you need to work with your supervisor. 593 00:41:57,699 --> 00:42:00,736 So, next slide. 594 00:42:00,736 --> 00:42:05,637 So this industry group called autism at work is a kind of 595 00:42:05,637 --> 00:42:10,128 consortium, a lot of high tech company doing it. 596 00:42:10,128 --> 00:42:17,300 The pilot thing or they already in the journey of start that new diverse hiring. 597 00:42:17,300 --> 00:42:22,569 I saw a question about how do I contribute 598 00:42:22,569 --> 00:42:28,615 if I have skill but now I need to find a job area. 599 00:42:28,615 --> 00:42:33,459 A lot of this company has a public website, Eli, Ernst, and 600 00:42:33,459 --> 00:42:37,463 Young, which is a consulting firm, Microsoft. 601 00:42:37,463 --> 00:42:42,375 They have a neurodiversity hiring program, and the way that they 602 00:42:42,375 --> 00:42:47,825 structure of hiring will be a little bit different from regular hiring, 603 00:42:47,825 --> 00:42:52,675 because they know that interview is very difficult for people. 604 00:42:52,675 --> 00:42:57,982 So, they will be actually bringing people into 605 00:42:57,982 --> 00:43:03,158 some type of activity so that they can evaluate 606 00:43:03,158 --> 00:43:08,342 the candidates, their skill set, and so on. 607 00:43:08,342 --> 00:43:13,875 And avoid some of the pitfalls area of company hiring and 608 00:43:13,875 --> 00:43:19,056 expecting the same type of behavior you will typical 609 00:43:19,056 --> 00:43:24,017 employee will be doing in the interview process. 610 00:43:24,017 --> 00:43:31,591 With the COVID, I think is more and more people can accept like virtual workforce. 611 00:43:31,591 --> 00:43:37,399 And so, now physical location may not even be so important. 612 00:43:37,399 --> 00:43:43,317 And if you think that your local area may not have Microsoft hear the important, 613 00:43:43,317 --> 00:43:47,486 or other area, or some other company to look into that. 614 00:43:47,486 --> 00:43:51,730 Whether that's an option, and then you can target for 615 00:43:51,730 --> 00:43:55,890 companies that are open up for new diversity hiring. 616 00:43:55,890 --> 00:44:00,774 So that is one area that I can look into to see. 617 00:44:00,774 --> 00:44:02,181 Next slide, please. 618 00:44:02,181 --> 00:44:10,822 >> I think we're just out of time wrapping things up. 619 00:44:10,822 --> 00:44:15,567 So, thanks for listening to us, [LAUGH] as we talked about kind of a lot of 620 00:44:15,567 --> 00:44:18,746 different aspects with regards to what is ASD. 621 00:44:18,746 --> 00:44:22,730 Thinking about why we're passionate about this cause, 622 00:44:22,730 --> 00:44:28,460 thinking about organizations, and their efforts to become more neurodiverse. 623 00:44:28,460 --> 00:44:33,305 And then, also things to just be aware of in interviewing or thinking about working 624 00:44:33,305 --> 00:44:37,337 in a workspace where they're increasingly becoming more diverse. 625 00:44:37,337 --> 00:44:40,307 I would just say, this is so new, really? 626 00:44:40,307 --> 00:44:45,153 I mean, this is such a new thing, as far as published first goes on, 627 00:44:45,153 --> 00:44:47,374 in 2017, it was nothing. 628 00:44:47,374 --> 00:44:52,094 It was non existence, neurodiversity wasn't even a term that was used. 629 00:44:52,094 --> 00:44:55,846 So I mean, we're we're just like a couple years into this. 630 00:44:55,846 --> 00:45:00,750 And that's what's exciting is that the companies who have helped pioneer this 631 00:45:00,750 --> 00:45:05,068 have seen what a great contribution people on the spectrum can bring to 632 00:45:05,068 --> 00:45:06,110 the workforce. 633 00:45:06,110 --> 00:45:10,190 They have pioneered other organizations to take notice. 634 00:45:10,190 --> 00:45:16,908 So, thanks for listening to us, and we know this isn't a simple fix. 635 00:45:16,908 --> 00:45:20,748 Any company becoming diverse or neurodiverse, 636 00:45:20,748 --> 00:45:25,531 it takes effort, and it takes passionate people involved. 637 00:45:25,531 --> 00:45:29,103 But we're just really glad to collaborate with other organizations, and 638 00:45:29,103 --> 00:45:32,065 people that also believe in this, and are championing this. 639 00:45:32,065 --> 00:45:34,833 And just thanks for listening to us. 640 00:45:34,833 --> 00:45:40,231 You guys are amazing, and don't forget as we do go through interviews, 641 00:45:40,231 --> 00:45:43,161 and analyzed, you have, [INAUDIBLE]. 642 00:45:43,161 --> 00:45:45,740 You deserve a space at the table like everybody else. 643 00:45:45,740 --> 00:45:48,897 And I think that's one thing is as an educator working at George Fox, 644 00:45:48,897 --> 00:45:51,791 I've noticed that young people often sell themselves short. 645 00:45:51,791 --> 00:45:55,585 And so whether you're on the spectrum or not, [LAUGH] and just be aware of what 646 00:45:55,585 --> 00:45:59,466 your talents are, and that you're important, and you have your own gifts. 647 00:45:59,466 --> 00:46:02,991 And talents that only you as you as a person can bring, and 648 00:46:02,991 --> 00:46:05,061 that you should be proud of that. 649 00:46:05,061 --> 00:46:07,111 You're not trying to steal somebody else's shoes, 650 00:46:07,111 --> 00:46:08,667 no two people in this world are the same. 651 00:46:08,667 --> 00:46:13,235 We all are entirely unique in the way that we think, what we're passionate about, 652 00:46:13,235 --> 00:46:16,709 what talents we have, that what makes us a unique individual. 653 00:46:16,709 --> 00:46:20,569 Remember that as you're job hunting, and as you're interviewing, and 654 00:46:20,569 --> 00:46:24,945 even if you're working in an organisation that's trying to become more diverse. 655 00:46:24,945 --> 00:46:29,138 Just remember, we're all different, and we all have something to offer, 656 00:46:29,138 --> 00:46:30,905 and so let's embrace that, and 657 00:46:30,905 --> 00:46:35,057 let's work towards a common goal that every person in this on this planet. 658 00:46:35,057 --> 00:46:37,467 Should be able to use their skills, their passions, and 659 00:46:37,467 --> 00:46:39,641 their talents in a way that's meaningful to them. 660 00:46:39,641 --> 00:46:43,912 And that can bring that organization success in what they're trying to do. 661 00:46:43,912 --> 00:46:48,201 But also just as collaboratively as human beings all working together towards 662 00:46:48,201 --> 00:46:49,112 the same cause. 663 00:46:49,112 --> 00:46:53,551 So thanks for hearing from us, as you can tell, we're super passionate about that, 664 00:46:53,551 --> 00:46:55,041 we'd love to hear from you. 665 00:46:55,041 --> 00:46:57,891 I think there's ways for you to contact us through Treehouse. 666 00:46:57,891 --> 00:47:00,530 So, thanks again everybody, it's been a pleasure. 667 00:47:00,530 --> 00:47:04,247 >> Thank you so much, Justine, David, and For, it was very informative. 668 00:47:04,247 --> 00:47:10,292 I appreciate you answering a lot of the questions from our attendees as well, 669 00:47:10,292 --> 00:47:12,438 your work is so important. 670 00:47:12,438 --> 00:47:14,327 And I wanna thank you for it, and 671 00:47:14,327 --> 00:47:18,322 thanks to everyone who attended really appreciate you being here. 672 00:47:18,322 --> 00:47:21,506 Please check out FIDGETECH, they're doing really good work. 673 00:47:21,506 --> 00:47:24,945 Thanks everybody, we'll see you at the next session, take care. 674 00:47:24,945 --> 00:47:26,117 >> Bye, everybody. 675 00:47:26,117 --> 00:47:26,862 >> Bye-bye.