Startup Hires People On Autism Spectrum

Two MIT Grads Founded A Startup That Almost Exclusively Employs People On The Autism Spectrum




Mark Leslie is a capable computer programmer who speaks four languages, but until recently the latest entry on his résumé was a retail job he held for six years at a Barnes & Noble in New York City.



Like many of the estimated 1.5 million Americans on the autism spectrum, Leslie, who has Asperger's syndrome, is at a disadvantage in traditional office environments. There, he could run into unplanned social interactions that can cause anxiety or risk reporting to a boss ill-equipped to communicate with someone on the spectrum.

But a year and a half ago, Leslie found a better work situation at a software-testing firm, ULTRA Testing, a company that not only accommodates his condition but was created with the specific intention of hiring people on the autism spectrum.

Ultratesting

ULTRA Testing cofounder Rajesh Anandan hopes to grow his team of testers to at least 250 in the next three years.

ULTRA Testing was founded in 2012 by a pair of former MIT roommates, Rajesh Anandan and Art Shectman.
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Startup Hires People On Autism Spectrum - Business Insider




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"Life on the Autism Spectrum can be ENJOYable."