IBCCES Board Member Dr. Stephen Mark Shore rang in Autism Awareness on the Nasdaq bell Thursday, April 6 to celebrate April’s Autism Awareness Month. Congratulations Dr. Shore! 

About Dr. Shore:

Diagnosed with “Atypical Development and strong autistic tendencies” and “too sick” for outpatient treatment Dr. Shore was recommended for institutionalization. Nonverbal until four, and with much support from his parents, teachers, wife, and others, Stephen is now a professor at Adelphi University where his research focuses on matching best practice to the needs of people with autism.

In addition to working with children and talking about life on the autism spectrum, Stephen is internationally renowned for presentations, consultations and writings on lifespan issues pertinent to education, relationships, employment, advocacy, and disclosure. His most recent book College for Students with Disabilities combines personal stories and research for promoting success in higher education.

A current board member of Autism Speaks, IBCCES, president emeritus of the Asperger’s Association of New England, and advisory board member of the Autism Society, Dr. Shore serves on the boards of the Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association, The US Autism and Asperger Association, the Scientific Counsel of OAR, and other autism related organizations.

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July 8, 2015 (Newswire) – Of 50,000 adult individuals with autism, just over half who have recently turned 18 in the past year hold a salaried job. Recently at a lunch & learn organized by Autism Speaks and Special Counsel, the disturbing question of whether America is fully prepared to provide employment support to the differently abled was the main topic of conversation.

Speakers and presenters from Autism Speaks, Rangam Consultants and WebTeam Corporation made a strong case for hiring adults with autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder with no known cause and cure. Autism is found to impact an estimated 3.5 million Americans, affecting communication, behavioral, emotional and occupational skills for life. Only about one third of students with special needs pursue college education. However, with early diagnosis and intervention, together with continued professional support, most autistic individuals are capable of being productive members of the workforce.

“This was the first time we made a well-coordinated attempt to make professionals from law and legal career fields aware of the benefits of hiring individuals with autism. For me, the day went exceptionally well, fostering an atmosphere of openness and stimulating interaction. We intend to host a series of lunch and learn events in near future to reach out to businesspeople from other industries as well,” said Nish Parikh, CEO of WebTeam Corporation and VP of Rangam Consultants Inc.

Mr. Parikh was particularly upbeat about the success of autism employment in the long run. The WebTeam CEO drew on data to prove that there is no dearth of opportunities for employable adults with autism. “It has been only a few months since the launch of The Spectrum Careers and we have already succeeded in creating a buzz among a growing niche of employers and service providers that perceive autism differently and are not fazed by the myths and misconceptions surrounding the condition,” he said.

Dave Kearon, Director of Adult Services at Autism Speaks, echoed Mr. Parikh’s enthusiasm about The Spectrum Careers. “This site was designed by and for job seekers with autism who have shown that they would prefer to use an online job board specifically for people with disabilities,” he said. “At the same time, we aim to make this as easy as possible for businesses that are interested in this largely untapped talent pool of individuals with autism. Remember, this is not about charity; this is about what is good for your bottom line.”

Hetal Parikh, President of Rangam Consultants, added, “If corporations such as Microsoft and Cisco Systems can develop a diverse and inclusive workplace by hiring people with disabilities, we definitely can.”

Facts:

• In the U.S., 500,000 teens with autism will age into adulthood in the next decade.
• 90% of adults with autism are unemployed or underemployed.
• 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with autism.

4 Benefits of Hiring Adults with Autism:

1. Intense focus comes naturally.  Intensity can be an asset that helps them focus on the task at hand.
2. They work when nobody is watching. Focus and commitment can make an autistic individual a model employee.
3. Individuals with autism can bring enormous creativity. Autistic minds are wired differently, and imaginations can be extreme. Managers should take advantage of this when looking for creative ideas or new ways to solve problems. If they give autistic team members opportunities to share their ideas, those ideas can lead to brilliant new concepts.
4. Passion leads to productivity. Because individuals with autism usually have intense, specific interests, the best jobs are those that allow them to be involved with those interests. An employee who is perfectly suited to a position because of a passion results in a win-win situation. He will love working in his area of extensive knowledge and be hyper-focused and productive. Not only should employers be aware of their employees’ strengths, they should also learn about some of their challenges, and how to accommodate them for better productivity.

About Special Counsel

Special Counsel is the largest provider of legal staffing services to corporate legal departments and law firms nationwide. Special Counsel services include customized staffing and project management for e-discovery and document review projects of any size and location, as well as providing experienced legal professionals for general workload management, litigation support, and business transaction support. For more information, visit SpecialCounsel.com.

About Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks is the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization. It is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. Autism Speaks was founded in 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. Mr. Wright is the former vice chairman of General Electric and chief executive officer of NBC and NBC Universal. Since its inception, Autism Speaks has committed more than $525 million to its mission, the majority in science and medical research. Each year Walk Now for Autism Speaks events are held in more than 100 cities across North America. On the global front, Autism Speaks has established partnerships in more than 60 countries on five continents to foster international research, services and awareness. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit AutismSpeaks.org.

About Rangam Consultants Inc.

Rangam is among the fastest growing staffing companies that support contingent workforce programs for Fortune 500 clients of managed service providers. Equipped with cutting-edge technologies that align with VMS applications, Rangam serves industries such as Pharmaceutical/Life Sciences, Telecommunications, Energy & Utilities, Hi-Tech & Information Technology, Financial & Insurance, Manufacturing & Retail, and Consumer Products & Food, among others. The firm has over 450 employees working in 12 business offices spread across three continents.

Rangam donates money and resources to health care and special education service providers worldwide. The company’s current corporate social responsibility programs are directed at helping individuals with special needs find suitable employment opportunities in multinational corporations. For more information, please send an email to sayantan@rangam.com or call (908) 704 8843 x344.

Sources: Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism; Six-Word Lessons for Autism Friendly Workplaces, by Patty Pacelli, Newswire: “Benefits of Hiring People with Autism” 

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