Highland Park Company Employs Adults With Autism

Rick Alexander is a model employee.  

He is conscientious and talented, having proven his abilities well enough to be called upon to lead his team on a recent project. He is committed to his craft, even devoting much of his own time at home to maintaining his technical skill set. 

So, it may surprise you that when Rick was coming out of college with a degree in computer science, he could not find a job. Dozens of companies turned him down. He was not called back for a second interview even once.

That is because Rick is on the autism spectrum. And like many people with autism, Rick lacked the social skills to do well on job interviews.

A company for those with autism

Moshe and Brenda Weitzberg know how hard it is for intelligent, highly skilled people with autism to get good jobs. Their son, Oran, who has Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of autism, had to take a job bagging groceries because no company would hire him in the technical field for which he was trained, despite the fact that he held a college degree.

The Weitzbergs, who are Highland Park residents, decided to do something about it. They conducted research and discovered that the characteristics of people with autism – sharp attention to details, ability to concentrate on repetitive tasks and technical aptitude – aligned well with software testing. 

So, two years ago, they formed Aspiritech, a software testing company that employs adults with high-functioning autism. 

Harnessing the talent

The company has an autism specialist, Marc Lazar, to help maximize the abilities of the individuals on this special team. Lazar explained that proactively reducing stress is key to enabling individuals with autism to perform well. Toward this, he organizes team-building social activities that also have the benefit of helping employees improve their social skills. The laid back culture is also fostered through flexible work hours and by permitting workers to take breaks as needed to be by themselves.

Lazar also helped to set up a framework that tailors the work to the needs of the employees. He places an emphasis on straightforward communications, provides clear direction and removes ambiguity in tasks.

The results have been remarkable.

After starting out in the Weitzbergs’ basement with no large-scale funding, Aspiritech now employs 15 software testers with offices in downtown Highland Park. 

Moshe Weitzberg said that the company has satisfied all of their clients.  

“The companies that gave us a chance are very happy.”

He attributes their success to the ability of his workers. He noted that clients have found that his team discovered up to 50 percent more bugs than typical software testers.

Ongoing challenges

Still, as a fledgling startup, high hurdles remain.  Aspiritech is not yet able to provide full-time employment for its testers. Weitzberg said that their greatest challenge is getting companies to give them an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. 

And while Aspiritech’s cost structure is competitive with any U.S. or offshore company, their not-for-profit status is a roadblock as some companies refuse to work with any non-profit organization.

Aspiritech remains the only company of its kind in America, and with the growing population of adults with autism, a lot is riding on its success. 

“The entire country is looking at us,” Weitzberg said.

Most of the attention is from the autism community who want to see this business model succeed so that gainful employment opportunities would be available for those on the autism spectrum. 

But while that is a worthy cause, in terms of getting new clients, Weitzberg believes that the quality of Aspiritech’s work should stand on its own.  

“We are a not-for-profit company,” he says, “but our work is not a charity.”

For employees like Rick Alexander, the work is not a charity either. It is simply an opportunity to work in the field for which he was trained and is well qualified.

Having him, and others like him, be a productive member of society is just a benefit for the rest of us.