A different model for Autism/Aspergers friendly technology companies

Ian Ford, whom I have spoken about before, posted to the Wrong Planet forums about hiring ASD programmers and artists who would work from home on projects he secures. Whether he knows it or not I think he has suggested a new style of ASD friendly company to compliment the efforts of Aspiritech, Specialisterne, Autism Works UK, Uzmanlar [note: in Turkish; Google Chrome does a decent translation] and Kaien.

I see three drawbacks to the current crop of testing oriented companies like those mentioned above:

1. Geographically bound - each one serves the local Autism/Aspergers community by establishing a traditional office space; if you are not close by or cannot commute you are out of luck
2. Limited in scope - beyond testing and supporting testing there is little to offer in the way of ASD friendly/compatible work
3. Crowded market place - five companies operating in the same niche is getting a bit crowded; thankfully they are spread out among various countries with Uzmanlar and Kaien enjoying a natural barrier based on language. Still Autism UK and Specialisterne will start to compete against each other in the UK and those two along with Aspiritech will start to run into each other in the English speaking market as a whole.

Ian's model of employing multiple disciplines (so far he has used artists and programmers and looking for more) while allowing people to work from home addresses all three of these issues. He is offering a service in the 'ASD Niche' not otherwise seen. True he has to compete with the general population of tailored technology consulting but that is something that can be said of the five testing companies for independent test verification as well.

Tomorrow, Monday, I am going to reach out to someone in Tucson who is also interested in starting an Autism/Aspergers friendly company. Her initial idea was to emulate the Specialisterne model but I will be suggesting a new one to her as well.

If you spend your days ripping things apart you become jaded to the process of creation

I posted a link over on Wrong Planet regarding Ian Ford looking for programmers to work in his ASD friendly business. One respondent lamented that it was for technical people and that he needs a non-computer job. I can understand his frustration.

I have posted before about whether Software Quality Assurance is the best job for people on the Spectrum due to the conflict that can be innate in many software development environments. However, while contemplating another set of articles I want to do I came up with another reason that Testing may not be the best.

Don't get me wrong, I love Aspiritech, Specialisterne, Autism Works UK, Uzmanlar and Kaien and their goal of providing well paying jobs for ASD folk. But the constant analyzing and picking apart someone else's work does something to people (NT or ASD). I think it devalues the original work in our eyes and possibly bleeds over to original work in other areas. How many times do you see someone post something original and get torn apart for it?

Georg Hegel posited that the creation of something with our hands and minds is essential to our well-being while saying nothing of critiquing someone else's work. It is an important developmental step in our life when we learn we can create even if it was just finger painting or coloring a picture with Crayons (r).

So even if you are just evaluating someone else's work take the time to create with your own hands & mind. The sense of self and accomplishment that comes from it will help be an antidote to the cynicism that comes from always finding something wrong with someone else.

NYT Opinion Piece on Aspiritech & Specialisterne

An Opinion Piece in the New York Times gives a nice rundown of both Specialisterne and Aspiritech as well as a mention for Customized Employment. I wish they had mentioned Uzmanlar, Autism Works and Kaien too but any news is good.

If you have not hit your cap on the NYT paywall check it out.

NYT Article: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/30/putting-the-gifts-of-the-autistic-to-work/

Is Software Testing the best job for ASD/Aspergers folk?

Companies like Aspiritech, Specialisterne, Uzmanlar, Kaien and Autism Works certainly provide an excellent opportunity for people on the Spectrum to engage in decent paying jobs in the high tech industry. But after 15+ years in software development I have to wonder: is software quality assurance the best place for ASD folk?

Outside of those companies I would have to say that it is not as ideal a job as it might seem. True the core strengths of ASD/Aspergers certainly play into the demands of a Software Quality Assurance Engineer or Analyst. However there is one key drawback to the job: conflict. Depending on the company there can be a lot of conflict. Conflict over the defects reports, conflict over the deadline, conflict over resources and so on. If there is one thing that is difficult for people with ASD it is conflict.

So I am thankful that the companies above can act as a shield for good software testers but keep in mind before jumping off into the great wide open world of software testing that the shield may not always be there. Many companies treat SQA as a necessary evil (and their products tend to show it) providing little in the way of advancement, training and compensation. I once had a CEO claim that SQA was an impediment to revenue... I always wondered what he thought the jammed support lines were.

If you are investigating a SQA position look for these things:

1. Equality of equipment. If the developers have two monitors and the SQA staff has one, if the developers sit in offices while SQA has cubes or if the desk furniture for developers looks better than QA; STAY AWAY. It is telling you right there that you will be a second class citizen.
2. Body language of the testers. I know; this is a hard one. To make it easy look for slumped shoulders, baggy eyes and downcast expressions. One is not a problem. A few is a warning. If the whole staff is like that, run. I once walked away from a great monetary offer because the one (ONE) tester for a department of 20 developers looked like some sort of undead creature.
3. If during the interview the testers treat you like an inferior. Showing an inferiority complex in an interview is a bad sign anywhere; for software testers it usually means they are frustrated with their job and taking it out on you.
4. Ask them what happens when QA stops a release. The answer will tell you a lot. If QA has never stopped a release, run. If the answer includes descriptions of horrendous meetings, run. If they laugh, run very fast.
5. Inquire what the additional compensation is for QA (bonuses, stock, etc.). If QA is not eligible for it then you have another sign that you will be a second class citizen.
6. If the interviewers do not let you speak with members of the team beyond them, even for a moment, then that is not a good sign. What are they hiding back there?
7. Find out what the turnover is like in the department. Evasive or vague answers should server as yellow or even red flags.

This is not a foolproof method but it will certainly help inform you about the job. You may also go on to forums for SQA (e.g. QA Forums) and ask if anyone knows about the company.  Forewarned is your best bet to avoiding a conflict laden disrespectful environment.