Where are all the autistic techies? Need your help!

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Once again, Hacking Autism isn't bringing any money to the NT developers either. They are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, often because they have close family or friends on the spectrum. This is FREE to the public.

This isn't an Autism Speaks thing. They aren't controlling it. There are many organizations involved and AS happens to be one.

If you don't want to offer anything, no one is making you.

If you have some free time and would like to help out or submit an idea online, please do so.

This is a charitable venture. These applications will help non-verbals to communicate, among other things, and they are FREE.

If you aren't the charitable type, or don't have the time or ideas, don't worry about it. There will be other autistics who want to help out, simply because they feel rewarded by helping their fellow autistics.

I myself haven't submitted any ideas, but that's because I don't have any. I will try and think of one though.

That irritation around my anus would also need to be dealt with. Its always money with you guys at Autism Speaks aint it?

meh

I am the charitable type. You assume this is about being uncharitable? I volunteer both my time and my goods.



Apparently not according to your opening post.


I work in software development. GOOD software doesn't happen easily. Angry Birds and the other apps that have recently gone viral are NOT the typical trajectories of a software project. You want something both conceptually effective and well written it takes a great deal of effort, planning and just plain work.

I'm all for building software solutions to facilitate autistic communication. This project might even stumble on to something that works out really well. Seems to me their success would be far more likely if they dropped the "feel good" volunteerism and committed some real resources to the project.

And regarding my comment about the CEO of Autism Speaks, you missed the point. The point is that there is a lot of money floating around. The compensation of Autism Speaks executives is only one example. Insert HP executives (or programmers for that matter).

Are you really telling me that among all the big names involved in this project that they can't scare up a few 100K and actually HIRE a few autisitcs? Even if it's only for a few months? You offer a job and there will be autistics banging down the door to get involved.

How many of the NTs involved in this project are marginally employed or unemployed like the vast majority people on the spectrum? They volunteer their time but are backstopped by a paycheck and benefits from a job but HFA/Asperger's "sufferers" have to just suck it up?

If you think I'm just being pissy and mean spirited you are completely wrong. There is a reason they can't get enough autistic volunteers for this project. Maybe I'm wrong about what that reason is, but something about the way this is structured and promoted DIDN'T WORK as expected. When something doesn't work, examine the underlying assumptions.

I'll bet if someone actually funded a REAL project, a few of us autistics COULD make a killer app because we HFA's/Aspergians understand autistic thinking in a way that NT's can NEVER understand. Put us in a room and get out of the frickin' way.

Don't put us in the cheap seats. Let us fly the god damn plane.

Kapeesh?

@Tambourine-Man
Sorry you're getting all the negativity! I'm just a script kiddie (learned C++ at a basic level but just use javascript and similar), and I'm naive enough to think making free stuff is a good idea. Which may explain why I have almost no income, struggle from day to day to pay bills, and cannot even get to the nearest city, let along to America.

However, the problem of low attendance from autistics may be simpler than not being paid:

When NTs enjoy something, their natural thought is "let's get together."

I am not NT. The whole concept terrifies me.

Also, if I had the time to contribute, losing travel time and working with strangers would greatly reduce my efficiency. I don't see the logic unless you enjoy social occasions and networking. It just makes me hyperventilate and lock the door.

I hate meet ups. The only thing I hate more than meet ups is meet ups with people I have never met before. The only thing I hate more than meet ups with people I have never met before is meet ups with people I have never met before in order to do something worse than I would have done otherwise. The only thing I hate more than that is doing that at great cost in travel time and transport. And a cell phone is probably not a big draw to a typical AS person. I have a cell phone for testing my software, and I send or receive maybe one call per month.

To end on a positive note, if there is software that needs writing and aspies willing to do it for free, why not make it an online competition instead? At least an award would look good on a CV.

THIS!! DUH!

Quite running the project as if it were an NT thing. Like I said, take us out of the cheap seats and let us fly the plane.



LOL. This is spot on.

I know. Let's get autistics to do something constructive for other autistics but lets do it just the way NTs do things. This is would be comical if so much weren't at stake.





Now this is something worth thinking about. Turn this into an opportunity for some talented autistics that can't negotiate the typical social aspects of careers in the NT world.

I've got a ton of work that needs doing

I can write a thank you note for a CV, and offer a free gift bag

How many Autistics are regularly-paid member of the Autism Speaks staff?

How many of their department heads are Aspies?

And do any of them earn more than minimum wage?


I hope that these questions will be answered without hyperbolic word salads, and that I won't be called "negative" or a "trouble-maker" for asking them.

Ah, I do agree here. I was mostly asking who would be interested if a Hackathon was held in their area.

Autism Speaks had no problem paying for my time, flight and expenses. In turn, I wrote a three part article.

Would I have flown out their without pay? Probably. Would I have flown out their on my own dime, paying for my flight and all my expenses? Of course not.

But it would be well worth participating if there was one in your area, and you can always submit ideas online.

They have had interest from autistics, but not as much as they expected.

moved from General Autism Discussion to Computers, Math, Science, and Technology

why all the yelling?

Maybe this bit from abc7.com will help clarify the financial element...



CUPERTINO, Calif. (KGO) -- An unusual event is unfolding on a satellite Hewlett-Packard campus in Cupertino. More than 40 developers have gathered to create applications to help people with autism. They are all volunteers with a desire to use technology. They are breaking into teams of eight to 10 people. Each team will work on developing a specific app.

Because of the wide spectrum of needs of people with autism, the app's will try to address different aspects of their lives. One, for example, will be a "social story" that represents what a child will experience on a visit to the dentist. Another will discuss the nature of appointments and time management. Others will address bullying and safety skills.

The work each team is doing could typically cost from $50,000 to $175,000. An organization called "Random Hacks of Kindness" is helping to coordinate their work. A typical team includes specialists in UI (user interface), graphics, coding, testing and quality assurance. An expert of autism is joining each team to guide the developers.

This isn't exploitation. It is charity. Everyone contributing time and imagination are doing so on a volunteer basis. The applications are NOT FOR SALE. They are free to the public.

Why do i laugh when i read this?


To give you a hint: I attended a training event about a year ago, on the final day of the event we had this team exercise. Naturally, the "teamwork" went from good to bad. I pulled out of the NT-group, finished the task solo, reported my findings to the teacher about 3 hours before deadline and left with my diploma.

"One developer presented a bonus application, which he had created on his own while the rest of his team worked together.  That was me, always doing my own thing, lost in my own obsessions, while the rest of the world worked together."

- From my article about the event, "Communication Breakdown: Hacking Autism Provides a Dose of Technology, Part III"

Any idea how many of these people were ASD?

What about an app that lets autistics imagine TOM so they can see through the manipulation and indoctrination of a PR man....

Such a ****charity*** which pays out its directors $500k a year, but expects to pay its 'monkeys on a piece of string'....... peanuts, all the while grining through a fake smile, as it digs its hand deeper into your pockets while fiddling with your balls

or an app which enlightens auties about the dangers of medication?

Prolly get an app which recommends TV shows that contain themes conducive to controlling a minority neurotype

And the creators will construct this for free, from the goodness of their hearts

Once again, Hacking Autism is not an Autism Speaks project. It is an HP project. Many autism organizations are involved. Autism Speaks is one of them.

My involvement in Hacking Autism is limited to the article I wrote. I just thought you guys might like to know about it.