Jaden Lake is a high-performance library worker who happens to have autism.
Co-workers describe his work as fast and accurate.
鈥淗e's better than us at most of these tasks,鈥� a colleague says. 鈥淗e just knows exactly where everything goes and how to do it.鈥�
Lake, 19, was diagnosed with autism when he was two and now volunteers at a school library in Edmonton stocking shelves, cataloguing, labelling and working with computers.
He鈥檚 non-verbal, but is extremely enthusiastic and loves his work, according to library staff.
According to a 2013 study out of Ontario, Canadians with autism are under-employed: a mere 13.9 per cent work full time, with an additional 6.1 per cent working only part-time.
The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 1 in every 68 children are born with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), up from an estimated rate of 1 in 88 cases noted in 2008.
But advocates for people with autism believe that giving this group of Canadians a job isn鈥檛 charity 鈥� it鈥檚 an opportunity for companies to benefit by tapping into the under-utilized skills of people with autism.
Teacher-librarian Krista Sabo 鈥� who works with Lake -- couldn鈥檛 agree more.
鈥淗e could work in an office or bank or anywhere there are numbers and organization,鈥� she says.
Edmonton-area MP Mike Lake 鈥� Jaden鈥檚 father 鈥� is encouraging employers to give adults with autism a chance to demonstrate what they can do.
鈥淗e wouldn't be able to do a job interview,鈥� Lake told CTV News. 鈥淪o if he wanted to work in a library or a warehouse or somewhere where he would use his skills, he would need someone to communicate for him and explain what he is good at.鈥�
released last February, promised $11.4 million over four years to support vocational training programs for people with autism spectrum disorders.
And some companies are responding.
鈥� a software and website testing company -- is a leader in connecting businesses with adults with autism. Meticulon CEO Garth Johnson believes that people with autism may have advantages over other workers in some circumstances.
鈥淒edication, commitment, focus,鈥� Johnson says. 鈥淭hey will do the job again and again and again for a long time -- longer than we will do it and still love it.鈥�
