It doesn’t feel like it, but I have been working for Webbed Feet for over eleven years now. I was the company’s first employee and therefore, the first autistic employee too.
We now have a staff of seven at Webbed Feet. We’re a diverse bunch, each with our own strengths and expertise that have seen us go from strength to strength. Having Asperger’s (a condition on the autism spectrum) means I have a number of unique traits, many of which (thankfully) are very useful for my job as a web developer.
Writing and debugging other developer’s code requires problem solving, following a logical process and intense focus. For someone like me with Asperger’s, these traits come natural. It’s no wonder the condition is thought to be prevalent within Silicon Valley firms and Asperger’s has been nicknamed ‘The Geek Syndrom’!
I’m sure Aaron and Alex also find it curious that I actually enjoy a lot of the jobs that the other guys in the office find boring and repetitive. I could happily work for days on such tasks. Again, a trait often accredited to Asperger’s.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t encounter challenges too, though.
The biggest obstacle I face is to do with face-to-face and verbal communication. I guess most people don’t find speaking and engaging with their co-workers or clients at all difficult. Unfortunately this is something I struggle with.
Thankfully, Aaron and Alex understood this from the get-go and ensured my work life was set up in a way that removed tasks that most office based employees would have to do such as speak directly to client, either on the phone or in person.
As we’ve grown and welcomed new staff members they are always briefed about the things I find challenging and how we do things as a company, and I really couldn’t ask for a better team to work with.
By being frank about what I find challenging and in turn Aaron and Alex being accommodating in how as a company we do things, I have had a happy and successful eleven years at Webbed Feet and hope for many more.