ABSTRACT
The German multinational company, AUTICON, launched its UK arm in April 2016. The company has more than 120 employees, and according to Viola Sommer, Operating Officer at Auticon in the UK, three-quarters of them are autistic. With investment from Richard Branson and from the UK charity, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the company is already turning a profit as it tries to help more autistic people get the most out of their skills. That goes for women, too. The modus operandi of this IT consultancy start-up, which now has offices across Germany, France and the UK, is permanently to employ autistic workers directly and then place them within other companies on a project basis while continuing to support them at work. Auticon has observed that having both autistic and non-autistic professionals in mixed project teams opens up new perspectives and will often significantly improve work output. All Auticon consultants are offered the support of specially trained job coaches.
