Teesside Bosses Advised To Take On Autistic Employees

A North East charity says Teesside bosses could be missing out on a huge part of the work-force who have autism.

Deborah Garland is from the National Autistic Society in the North East and told TFM:

"Unfortunately only around 15% of individuals on the autism spectrum are actually in full time employment, and we need to actually support employers to understand the skills that people with autism have".

It's as a study out today claims people with the condition are more likely to think "outside the box".

The new research looked at autistic traits which may be socially disabling, but are also linked to original thought and creativity.

Scientists found that when asked to provide solutions to a problem, people with autism delivered fewer of them.

Dr Martin Doherty, from the University of East Anglia, said:

"People with high autistic traits could be said to have less quantity but greater quality of creative ideas. People with autistic traits may approach creativity problems in a different way".

The creativity tests used in the research included asking the 312 participants to provide as many alternative uses they could think of for a brick or paper clip.