in, and utensils in the exact arrangement he was first shown. At Rochester’s Dillman & Upton Lumber each tube of caulk was placed on the shelf with precision – label facing out and in the proper slot for the brand and type. And in his semester at Duke Humphries’ Grill, luncheon diners would see every place setting in perfect match and each salt and pepper shaker filled to precise spot Christoph“Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! Am I stupid?” excitedly requested Christopher, nearly out of breath from the long run into the kitchen. She knew he had been playing with neighborhood children under a mighty pine tree in the side yard.

Saddened by the question and realizing he had just been tormented by the others, she tenderly gave him a hug and lovingly told him, “No, Christopher, you are not stupid.”

“Oh,” replied Christopher, with obvious disappointment in his tone.

Certainly you must be wondering why these loving words of motherhood would be met with such sadness. You see what had really happened was that as the children were teasing him about his autism they were really paying attention to him. He was the center of their focus and for a brief moment he felt like he was accepted by them. He felt special. His value as a human had astronomically increased because he was, as they put it, “stupid”.

As Christopher grew he understood the lesson he learned that summer afternoon better than most people ever do. He understands that he is different, but that it is okay to be different. Now a teenager, Christopher sees himself as an individual that has value. He knows that even though he may be “stupid” in many people’s eyes, he is an individual with special traits and talents that excel above those same traits and talents in “normal” people.

During his work training class at Rochester’s Stoney Creek High School, Christopher has proven these talents. During his assignment at Mr. Pita every take-out bag was exactly the same: neatly bagged pickle, napkin, and utensils in the exact arrangement he was first shown. At Rochester’s Dillman & Upton Lumber each tube of caulk was placed on the shelf with precision – label facing out and in the proper slot for the brand and type. And in his semester at Duke Humphries’ Grill, luncheon diners would see every place setting in perfect match and each salt and pepper shaker filled to precise spot Christophe

d.”

“Oh,” replied Christopher, with obvious disappointment in his tone.

Certainly you must be wondering why these loving words of motherhood would be met with such sadness. You see what had really happened was that as the children were teasing him about his autism they were really paying attention to him. He was the center of their focus and for a brief moment he felt like he was accepted by them. He felt special. His value as a human had astronomically increased because he was, as they put it, “stupid”.

As Christopher grew he understood the lesson he learned that summer afternoon better than most people ever do. He understands that he is different, but that it is okay to be different. Now a teenager, Christopher sees himself as an individual that has value. He knows that even though he may be “stupid” in many people’s eyes, he is an individual with special traits and talents that excel above those same traits and talents in “normal” people.

During his work training class at Rochester’s Stoney Creek High School, Christopher has proven these talents. During his assignment at Mr. Pita every take-out bag was exactly the same: neatly bagged pickle, napkin, and utensils in the exact arrangement he was first shown. At Rochester’s Dillman & Upton Lumber each tube of caulk was placed on the shelf with precision – label facing out and in the proper slot for the brand and type. And in his semester at Duke Humphries’ Grill, luncheon diners would see every place setting in perfect match and each salt and pepper shaker filled to precise spot Christoph

epted by them. He felt special. His value as a human had astronomically increased because he was, as they put it, “stupid”.

As Christopher grew he understood the lesson he learned that summer afternoon better than most people ever do. He understands that he is different, but that it is okay to be different. Now a teenager, Christopher sees himself as an individual that has value. He knows that even though he may be “stupid” in many people’s eyes, he is an individual with special traits and talents that excel above those same traits and talents in “normal” people.

During his work training class at Rochester’s Stoney Creek High School, Christopher has proven these talents. During his assignment at Mr. Pita every take-out bag was exactly the same: neatly bagged pickle, napkin, and utensils in the exact arrangement he was first shown. At Rochester’s Dillman & Upton Lumber each tube of caulk was placed on the shelf with precision – label facing out and in the proper slot for the brand and type. And in his semester at Duke Humphries’ Grill, luncheon diners would see every place setting in perfect match and each salt and pepper shaker filled to precise spot Christoph

ws that even though he may be “stupid” in many people’s eyes, he is an individual with special traits and talents that excel above those same traits and talents in “normal” people.

During his work training class at Rochester’s Stoney Creek High School, Christopher has proven these talents. During his assignment at Mr. Pita every take-out bag was exactly the same: neatly bagged pickle, napkin, and utensils in the exact arrangement he was first shown. At Rochester’s Dillman & Upton Lumber each tube of caulk was placed on the shelf with precision – label facing out and in the proper slot for the brand and type. And in his semester at Duke Humphries’ Grill, luncheon diners would see every place setting in perfect match and each salt and pepper shaker filled to precise spot Christoph

in, and utensils in the exact arrangement he was first shown. At Rochester’s Dillman & Upton Lumber each tube of caulk was placed on the shelf with precision – label facing out and in the proper slot for the brand and type. And in his semester at Duke Humphries’ Grill, luncheon diners would see every place setting in perfect match and each salt and pepper shaker filled to precise spot Christopher has been shown.

Despite this unquenchable desire for perfection in the accomplishment of routine tasks, thousands of people just like Christopher have another label placed on them today: “unemployable”. When the economy is strong and unemployment is low, employers find autistic workers to be among their best. However in an economy where every worker must market themselves to beat out dozens or competitors for the few available jobs, the autistics lack the polish and credentials of the more traditionally groomed candidates.

It seems employers quickly forget the advantages of autistic workers when it comes to repetitive tasks. Those with autism possess an uncanny ability to focus on their work and perform the repetitive tasks with tremendous accuracy and reliability. They are also extremely loyal workers, unlikely to jump ship because they can earn a quarter an hour more at another employer.

The Federal Reserve board is reporting “fresh momentum” in all 12 surveyed districts across the nation. This is an early indicator of economic conditions that will change the current employer’s market back to the employee’s market. Along with the change will be a return to the problem of employee retention. Gallup shows nearly 50% of employees feel disconnected from their employer and BostonWorks.com finds that only 43% of employees are satisfied with their current employment situation, down from 50%. According to BostonWorks.com president, Peter North, many employers are misled by the fact that their current retention is low. These three facts point out th