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INTRODUCTION

The individuals who wrote their stories for this book are adults, most of whom are about 50 years old. For many of the contributors, receiving a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder helped them to understand their problems with relationships. It was a relief to have an explanation for problems they had in relating to other people. Their journeys have not been easy, but they have all found success by earning a living, and some have even had children. Some of the contributors came from families with modest financial resources, which meant they had to work harder to succeed.

Throughout my life, I have met and worked with many people on the autism spectrum whose condition has gone undiagnosed. Many of them are in technical fields, such as engineering, computer programming, industrial design, and equipment construction. I too am a “techie” and feel that my career is my life. I am what I do. I have observed that “techies” who get into good careers appear to be happier because they are surrounded by “their people.” John Robison, in his book Be Different, embraces Asperger’s syndrome and talks about his good techie life, making special effects for rock bands and learning about electronics from various mentors. At the time of writing this introduction, I was doing lots of public speaking and teaching but not a lot of technical work. In between speaking engagements, I managed to visit a beef plant to fix some equipment problems. It was so much fun being a techie again. I love using my mind to solve problems.

Some of the most important companies in Silicon Valley are led by people on the autism spectrum. Many school systems today would assign a diagnosis of autism to Albert Einstein. He did not speak until the age of 3, and he demonstrated many odd behaviors that are attributed to autism. At an autism meeting, a retired NASA space scientist walked up to me and said that he was sure many of his colleagues were on the autism spectrum. Several books have been written that profile famous scientists and musicians who were likely on the spectrum, as well.

NOT ALL TECHIES

The “techie”-type person is only a portion of the population on the autism spectrum. A huge percentage of autistic individuals do not have primary strengths in technical subjects or art to rely on for employment. They long for satisfying relationships, and this group often has a more difficult time finding work. They do not have easily displayable skills in art, design, music, math, or programming that can be shown in a portfolio. In my livestock design business, I sold clients by showing my portfolio of drawings and photos of completed projects. I sold my work, not myself. Nontechnical people on the autism spectrum often have keen interests in facts about a favorite subject, like history or politics. Though interests can be harder to sell, it can be done. In this book, chapter 1 will begin with the account of a woman whose life became happier and more meaningful when she became a tour guide, allowing her to talk about history.

Autism is a truly continuous spectrum. There is no black-and-white dividing line between the geek, the nerd, the socially awkward person, and the mildly autistic individual. In fact, many people in the general population have autistic traits. A large study conducted in Korea showed that in 7- to 12–year-old children in regular schools, 1.89% had symptoms of autism but had not received an autism diagnosis. I have visited state science fair competitions and have seen many children with autistic symptoms. Some had received a diagnosis, and some had not. Many of the individuals who tell their stories in this book had difficult childhoods, in which they were ostracized by other children and constantly bullied for their apparent symptoms. Yet, they were inspired to succeed by teachers and mentors who encouraged interests in skills and things they were good at.

ASPIE FRIENDS IN COLLEGE

Life was really difficult for me in both college and graduate school. I did not fit in with the other students. The saying, “Birds of a feather flock together,” rang very true. During this time, I had several friends whom I believe were on the spectrum but were undiagnosed. My college years were very difficult emotionally. These friends kept me going when I felt depressed. Through the years, I have maintained contact with the friends I made then. Some of them endured many difficulties, but they all managed to support themselves and remain employed. These people were some of the few who sought me out and made an effort to be my friend.

Tim, a short, nerdy kid who loved CB (Citizens’ Band) radios, invited me to join his CB club. Nobody else at my college shared Tim’s enthusiasm for CB radios or emergency communication. Tim saw me as a kindred spirit who could share his interest in CB radios. We had a great time going to CB Club meetings off campus. Tim went on to become an emergency medical technician, or EMT, and today, he runs an ambulance company.

The physical education teacher, Mrs Estes, also sought me out. She was the weird lady on campus who wore long johns under all her skirts and put together strange mixtures of clothes. When I felt lonely, I often went over to her house just to talk. When I graduated, she gave me a little card and told me that it was a “phone card” I could use to call her anytime if I ever needed advice. Today, if Mrs Estes were a child, I think she would likely receive a diagnosis of Asperger’s. Mrs Estes was married to another faculty member and had children, as well.

In graduate school, I became friends with two people who were definitely on the autism spectrum. One of them received a PhD in history, and every year, I receive a card from him. He has been underemployed all his life in specialty retail. He has held three jobs since he graduated in the mid-1970s. One job he lost when the business closed, and his present job, at a large specialty retailer, has been stable for years. Specialty retail is a good job for a “non-techie” type because the employee is appreciated for his or her keen knowledge of the merchandise. Examples of specialty retailing are hardware, men’s clothing, sporting goods, electronics, computers, jewelry, books, and furniture. I can also remember the Aspie guy who worked for years at the local hardware store. He knew everything about paint. Everybody laughed at the goofy Superman advertisements he did at the local TV station. It was “Bobby to the rescue for your painting problems.”

ASPIES IN MY WORKPLACE

I have worked with all kinds of technical people who are on the autism spectrum but have never received a diagnosis. They have adapted better than some of the people in this book and therefore didn’t feel a need for a diagnosis. The reason why the contributors sought out a diagnosis as older adults was because of the serious problems they continued to face. When I first started my career, I often got lonely, and I would go down to the Armour Corporate Center in Phoenix to talk to Sam. Sam was an engineer, and his work mates would say, “You ask Sam what time it is, and he will tell you how to build a watch.” It was so much fun to talk to Sam about building meat plants. He was definitely on the spectrum, and he held a high-level engineering job and frequently visited the meat plants. When I was fully engaged with individuals who loved to talk about engineering, animal behavior, or cattle, I was happy, and I forgot about the emotional difficulties.

Some of the people I work with on my design projects have a certain degree of autism. One, an excellent specialty metal fabricator, has worked on many of my projects. He has a small shop and builds conveyors for many major meat companies. He called me one day all upset because a plant manager had been really mean to him. He told me the entire story, and it became obvious that the manager was using him and had no intention of paying for the equipment he “bought.” I understood his frustration and was able to help. I told him that the guy was a jerk and that the best thing to do was to quietly remove the equipment and walk away. I reminded him that he had many good clients and that he needed to concentrate on them. I told him to work with the many other clients who appreciated his excellent, innovative work.

OBSERVATIONS OVER THE YEARS

So many people sent in personal stories for inclusion in this book that it was impossible to use all of them. I tried to pick a wide variety of people who have supported themselves in many different types of employment. I purposely avoided filling the book up with successful, happy people who work in computers or science. During the 30 years that I have been a part of the autism community, I have seen some definite trends. Services for individuals with more severe problems have greatly improved, and sometimes these people have fewer problems integrating into society when compared with a fully verbal individual on the milder end of the spectrum.

In the 1950s, children with severe problems were simply “put away” in institutions, but most Aspies with milder cases managed to remain employed. In the 50s, manners and basic social skills were pounded into all kids. I was expected to be on time, shake hands, and say “please” and “thank you.” When you do not instinctively pick up on social cues, learning basic social rules like these is a lifesaver. Recently, somebody wrote on the Internet that I was showing my age, because I emphasized manners and criticized excessive video-game playing. Some job counselors estimate that 65% of teenage boys on the spectrum are addicted to video games. If it could be proven that the video games were helping them learn skills to make them employable, I would not be critical. Video-game companies are short on programmers and software engineers. What I would like to see is getting them interested in spending hours making the games instead of playing them. However, the video-game field is very crowded, and jobs in other types of computing would be easier to get. A September 19, 2011, article in Bloomberg Businessweek reported that there are shortages of software engineers, certified welders, machinists, nurses, and people in computer-support roles. There is also a need for electricians, plumbers, and technicians to repair medical equipment. These are all jobs that could be fulfilled by Aspies.

DIFFICULT JOURNEYS

The people in this book have had their difficulties—especially in the area of relationships. For some of these individuals, this arena has been more difficult than employment. One of the reasons why they sought out a diagnosis was their difficulty with relationships. For most individuals on the spectrum, the road to successful employment started with teenage jobs, such as paper routes. Having a paper route taught the basic work skills of being on time and having to do it every day. Today, the paper routes are mostly gone, but a good modern substitute for a young Aspie is dog walking. Like a paper route, it has to be done every day. Other good jobs for teenagers on the spectrum would be fixing computers, making PowerPoint presentations, maintaining and updating Web sites, working in a farmer’s market, writing for the church or community newsletter, selling art, or helping an elderly neighbor.

When I was a teenager, I did hand-sewing for a seamstress, cleaned horse stalls, built carpentry projects, and painted signs. The crucial skill that has to be learned is how to do work that is assigned by other people. In my design work, I often had to modify my designs to either fit the building site or satisfy some whim of the client. There are some people on the spectrum who can get hired easily by showing a portfolio of artwork or programming code. However, they cannot keep a job because they do not get assigned work done. They are either rigid and inflexible in modifying a project to satisfy the boss, or they refuse to do work that is outside their area of interest. When kids do jobs in middle and high school, it teaches them valuable work skills, such as flexibility and doing assigned tasks. If a teenager is creating a Web page for a real-estate office, he will learn that he cannot decorate it with science-fiction characters. When I made signs as a teenager, I did not paint horses on a sign for a beauty shop. I had to learn how to do work that other people wanted.

Recently, I had a lady walk up to me in the airport and say, “Your book, Thinking in Pictures, saved my marriage. Now I understand my engineer husband, and we are able to work things out.” Each contributor in this book has a unique story, and my intent is that their stories will provide hope and insight to individuals on the spectrum, as well as parents, teachers, and professionals.

People on the autism spectrum always keep learning. It is never too late to learn new skills, improve relationships, or learn better work skills. To grow, a person on the spectrum has to “stretch.” Stretching is a good analogy, because sudden surprises cause fear. Even individuals my age can learn new skills. When I was writing this introduction, I talked to a family member of a woman in her 60s who has autism. Within the past year, she discovered that the way she dressed herself improved her life, and now she enjoys nicer clothes. The mind of the person with autism can always keep learning. It is never too late to change. A person on the spectrum needs an employer, spouse, or friend who will calmly coach him when he makes social mistakes. He has to be instructed on how to behave, like a character in a play. In my own life, I have gained great insight from reading the writings of other individuals on the spectrum.

Dr Temple Grandin