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Understanding Autism: Why Many Autistic People Would Love to Pay Tax
Many autistic people who want to work are unemployed, but this has nothing to do with our ability to do a good job in an area where we excel, and everything to do with inflexible approaches to recruitment and retention.
Usain Bolt is widely recognised as the greatest sprinter of modern times, if not all time. For many years, he was effectively unbeatable over 100 or 200 metres. When he retired from athletics, he tried his hand at professional football (soccer). Speed is a huge asset in football, so he should have been a strong player. But even being the fastest man on earth was not enough for him to succeed in his new role, and after giving it a go for a while, he moved on.
So, how will history view Usain Bolt — as the fastest man of his time, or as a failed footballer? Obviously, it is the former, as his lack of skill in a different area in no way detracts from his supreme ability as a runner. It is perfectly right and proper that we focus on his strengths rather than his weaknesses. So why do we so often not take the same approach with other areas of life and employment?
