AS-IT (pronounced 'Asset') is a supported employment project that helps people with Asperger syndrome (AS), one of the autism spectrum conditions, find work at their ability level and with proper career progression opportunities. We have Community Interest Company status. We have recently completed a two year feasibility study in Lincolnshire and are now starting the project proper in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset.

People with autism are among those most excluded from all aspects of society. Most people with AS are of above average intelligence, with many educated to degree level or beyond, but only 12% of people with AS are in full time employment, often in work well below their ability level. Many people with AS experience multiple rejections or failed work placements, for the want of a little adaptation on the employer's part. AS-IT works with a  three pronged appraoch:

1. Providing an autism freindly office environment for people with AS to work in.
2. Generating employment opportunities through social enterprise.
3. Educating employers about the needs of staff with autism and supporting employers during work placements.   

Knowledge and understanding of Asperger syndrome are increasing all the time, and there is now much literature available on the subject. The major problem facing most people with Asperger syndrome still remains largely unacknowledged; it is simply that for people with Asperger syndrome to be comfortable in society, be that in work or social situations, it is the people without Asperger syndrome, the ‘Neurotypicals’, who have to change, to make the accommodations, not the people with Asperger syndrome.

As a society we have a better understanding now that discrimination can be passive as well as active. We understand that if we do not provide documents in Braille or computers with Braille keyboards for people who are blind then we are excluding those people from many aspects of everyday life and that that is discrimination. But we still don’t understand the nature of discrimination when it comes to people with the autism spectrum disorders. Autism is a social and communication disorder, but we generally expect people with autism to fit into the social and communication structures we have created to suit neurotypical people. To allow people with autism equal opportunities to their neurotypical counterparts we have to provide an environment where autistic neuroprocessing models are the norm and it is the neurotypical staff who have to adapt their ways of working, not the other way round.

There is a fundamental conceit in the concept of social inclusion that social inclusion is the best solution for everybody in every situation. For people with the autism spectrum disorders socially inclusive solutions can be actively discriminatory. In the case of Asperger syndrome and employment we need to stop focusing on how we can get people with Asperger syndrome into mainstream employment and focus instead on how we can bring mainstream employment opportunities to people with Asperger syndrome.

As a society we are conditioned to think of the autism spectrum disorders as a disability, but in truth the main problem faced by many people with autism is the same as that faced by any stranger in a strange land; most people don’t speak their ‘language’ and aren’t particularly interested in or patient about communicating with them because they don’t speak the ‘native’ tongue.

This explanation of the processing differential in Asperger syndrome is clear and helpful in understanding the issues involved:

There is a difference between the neuroprocessing models present in neurotypical people (those without autism) and in people with autism, but in a more enlightened world that difference would be viewed as just that; a difference and not a disability.

The theories behind AS-IT’s operation both as a company and as an autism friendly environment are very simple, and are based firmly on known research into Asperger syndrome and best practice in social enterprise. This is how we work:

AS-IT is a Community Interest Company. We have been granted the prestigious Community Interest Company status by the Community Interest Company Regulator. This ensures that AS-IT is not run for personal gain and that all profits are used to increase employment opportunities for people with Asperger syndrome.

We recognise that people with Asperger syndrome are disadvantaged in interview situations and we use objective IT aptitude tests to determine an individual’s work potential.

Our office environment is as autism friendly as we can make it, both in terms of the physical environment and in terms of work practice. We have neutral walls and furnishings and use uplighters and not fluorescent lights. We have sensory therapy areas, such a light corner, and a quiet room, without telephones, for people to work in if they wish. Wireless equipment is used to help reduce clutter. Throughout our offices it is the neurotypical staff, and not the staff with Asperger syndrome, who are expected to modify their behaviour.

We recognise and accommodate the processing overloads that can make work problematic for people with Asperger syndrome. All work is broken down into discrete steps and work is handled one step at a time. We use a computer based task control system to minimise the need for personal interaction between staff and their supervisors, and to flag up automatically that someone may need help or intervention.

We recognise that new situations are stressful for people with Asperger syndrome and we build up our work placements very gradually. People typically start with us for two hours a day, two days a week.

We believe that people with Asperger syndrome are capable of proper career progression, and encourage our more experienced staff into mentoring and supervisory roles.

We recognise that most adults with Asperger syndrome will have a history of failed work placements and that their confidence will have been severely affected by this. We anticipate that it will be between six months and a year before someone on the project can generate the income to support their placement.

Above all we recognise that work should be an enjoyable experience. Our office is a friendly and supportive environment and our aim is to help people with Asperger syndrome achieve their potential in their whole lives, not just at work.

We believe that people with Asperger syndrome should participate fully in the decisions that affect them, and our staff are involved in making the decisions that take AS-IT forward.