16 Jun 2012, 10:28 am
Gov. Jack Markell of the State of Delaware joined Thorkil Sonne, Founder and President of The Specialisterne Foundation, and Thère du Pont, President of the Longwood Foundation, in a special announcement about funding to facilitate the sustainable employment of Delawareans with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The ribbon cutting took place Friday June 15th 2012 in the Community Service Building in Wilmington, where the Specialisterne Foundation will be headquartered among other non-profit organizations.
Markell praised Specialisterne’s commitment to establishing jobs for individuals with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and for working with businesses to match people’s skills with the appropriate positions. The governor said Specialisterne’s passion and ambition for employing individuals is similar to his for the people of Delaware. “I am working to create jobs for all Delawareans, including people with a range of disabilities.”
Specialisterne (“The Specialists” in Danish) is an innovative, sustainable social business concept founded in Denmark in 2004. The employees are primarily high-functioning individuals with ASD, primarily Aspergers Syndrome, but many may also have ADHD, for instance. Specialisterne provides valuable services for the corporate sector on market terms, and also provides assessment, training and education services.
"Since Specialisterne was founded in 2004 we have developed a unique approach to identify and develop the potential in high-functioning people with autism and establish comfort zones in which they can use their special talents to solve valuable tasks for the corporate sector," said Thorkil Sonne, founder of Specialisterne and President of Specialisterne Foundation, Inc., Wilmington, Del. "The model of Specialisterne has already changed the lives of many individuals and their families, and it is with great excitement that we now are able to bring the benefits of Specialisterne to the citizens of the United States."
"We have been increasingly active in the country for the last couple of years, and have much momentum building nationwide," Sonne added. "The strong dedication from stakeholders has made it a natural choice for us to focus on Delaware as the first state for Specialisterne, and we look forward very much to working with local stakeholders to create win-win situations for the corporate sector, individuals, families and the state as an example for the United States."
Two Delaware-based foundations, the Longwood Foundation and the Welfare Foundation, will be providing initial financial support for Specialisterne in Delaware, and is inviting other stakeholders to join in the further support of Specialisterne to create jobs and career opportunities for people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and similar challenges in the Delaware Valley.
Thère du Pont, President of the Longwood Foundation, said: "Businesses need the skill set of some of the higher-functioning autistic individuals that are all over the world, and specifically here in Delaware, and his organization, Specialisterne, makes that possible."
www.specialistpeople.com
