First Day of 2018 Autism at Work Summit

The 2018 Autism at Work Summit opened tonight at Microsoft’s Redmond, WA campus with a keynote address and chance to network.

People from across the country attend, from companies like SAP, Microsoft, EY, DXC, Ford; nonprofits like Integrate, Autism Alliance of Michigan, Tech Kids Unlimited;  state agencies like North Carolina Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services and the Texas Workforce Commission; schools like Vanderbilt and UNC Chapel Hill; and private companies like Cognoa.

The evening’s talk was introduced by Chuck Edward, Corporate VP of Global Talent Acquisition, Microsoft. He told a story about how he gathered scores of recruiters in Microsoft recently and, at the end of their gathering he focused a spotlight on stage for three different new hires: one, hired from another company, the second a new hire from Romania, and the third was a new hire’s mother; the woman spoke of how happy she was that her autistic son had been hired. Years of work and worry had come to bear more fruit than she could handle and she could now utter, “my child works for Microsoft!” proudly.

The keynote address was delivered by the founder of Rising Tide Car Wash, Tom D’Eri. Tom created the company when his brother, who has autism, turned 22 and he decided his family had to do something to create meaningful employment for their sibling. So they created a car wash company that hires people with autism.

Tom spoke proudly of his employees, emphasizing, “They earn; they are not carried.” Employee morale and customer satisfaction are over the top. He spoke of the clear processes the employees were given to follow, the excellent work they did, the intense concertation, love and pride they give their work.

He emphasized that the traditional interview and selection process doesn’t work for this. His company uses a model more like a trial, in which the candidates are given tasked to do and observed for their performance and selected accordingly. He stressed the need for each industry to create jobs in their industry and not token jobs just to hire and pay someone. His is a profitable business for himself and his employees. For many, it is just a first job – many move on to other jobs or go to college.

At the conclusion he urged all of us in the audience to