????兩黨的國會領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人也都跳上了這條船。密西西比州共和黨眾議員格雷格?哈伯對此頗有感觸，因為他的兒子患有X染色體易裂癥（Fragile X Syndrome）。這種遺傳缺陷能導(dǎo)致類似自閉癥的癥狀。哈伯說：“被診斷患有自閉癥的人往往非常聰明。經(jīng)過適當?shù)穆殬I(yè)培訓(xùn)之后，他們可以擁有突出的工作業(yè)績。”他于最近提交了一項涵蓋三大內(nèi)容的法案，也就是眾所周知的TEAM法案（向卓越、成就和移動性邁進）。這項法案所包含的多項條文十分有利于幫助自閉癥患者尋找全職工作。法案中的一條重要條款將改善州教育機構(gòu)與州發(fā)育性殘疾機構(gòu)之間的協(xié)作。

????同樣，患有自閉癥的年輕人成為了最近修訂的《勞動力投資法案》（Workforce Investment Act）的重點保護對象。這項法案的發(fā)起人是參議院衛(wèi)生政策委員會主席、民主黨參議員湯姆?哈金。例如，根據(jù)法案建議的行政長官學(xué)者計劃（Commissioner's Scholars program），每個州將資助兩名自閉癥學(xué)生接受STEM專業(yè)研究生教育。哈金說：“我們不能讓這些有才干的美國人游離在勞動力大軍的邊緣?！?/p>

????如今，人們發(fā)現(xiàn)，自閉癥患者的數(shù)量要比之前預(yù)計的更多；疾病防治中心（CDC）最近的研究顯示：2%的美國人都患有自閉癥。盡管那些癥狀較為嚴重的患者在處理最基本的交際問題時都會感到十分困難，但那些高功能患者則并沒有多少限制。但是患有自閉癥的人時常會直抒己見；或者，他們可能對噪音或其他環(huán)境刺激異常敏感。結(jié)果，就算這種高功能組的患者順利完成了高校學(xué)業(yè)，他們可能仍然難以找到一份既有意義、又與自身技能相匹配的工作。自閉癥患者自我宣傳網(wǎng)絡(luò)（Autistic Self Advocacy Network，簡稱：ASAN）總裁阿里?尼曼指出，在持有本科或碩士學(xué)歷的自閉癥患者當中，找不到工作或大材小用的現(xiàn)象很普遍。阿里自己也是自閉癥患者。他說：“我們的障礙來自于社會構(gòu)架。我們應(yīng)該在公司中享受和肢體障礙員工同樣的待遇?！?/p>

????而這就是索科爾?索內(nèi)所從事的工作。他所舉辦的為期四周的培訓(xùn)項目能幫助自閉癥患者適應(yīng)職場環(huán)境。盡管這些患者最初并不愿意與他人一起工作，但在索內(nèi)的指導(dǎo)下，他們學(xué)會了如何以團隊的方式處理問題。索內(nèi)還為公司經(jīng)理出謀劃策，告訴他們?nèi)绾螏椭@些人適應(yīng)工作環(huán)境。這些患有自閉癥的人通常需要比常人稍微多一點的私人空間——例如，帶門的辦公室。當然，讓那些自閉癥員工在飲水機旁或在咖啡廳與同事暢談閑聊不大現(xiàn)實。

????索內(nèi)宣布第一批四位美國雇員已準備好今夏上崗時，這些雇員立刻受到了特拉華州衛(wèi)生和社會服務(wù)部部長瑞塔?蘭德格拉芙的熱烈歡迎。她說：“我曾親眼目睹過索內(nèi)教授學(xué)員的過程。這是一個非常好的項目。”蘭德格拉芙注意到，與自己相比，自閉癥員工往往能更快地發(fā)現(xiàn)數(shù)據(jù)規(guī)律。蘭德格拉芙補充說：“從雇主的角度來講，這樣做得投資很小，因此風(fēng)險較低。但是，由此得到積極成果的可能性非常高?！保ㄘ敻恢形木W(wǎng)）

????喬舒亞?肯德爾是《美國的偏執(zhí)心理：成就一個國家的強迫性力量》一書的作者。

????譯者：翔

????Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle have also jumped on the bandwagon. Republican Representative Gregg Harper of Mississippi was sensitized to the issue by his son, who has Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic disorder that results in autistic-like symptoms. "People diagnosed with autism are often very, very bright, and with proper vocational assistance, they can be very productive," Harper says. He has recently introduced three pieces of legislation known as the TEAM Act (Transition toward Excellence, Achievement and Mobility), which contain various planks that would be particularly helpful to autistics seeking full-time employment. One key provision would improve the coordination between state educational agencies and state developmental disability agencies.

????Likewise, young people with autism figure prominently in the latest reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act put forward by Democratic Senator Tom Harkin, the chairman of the Senate committee on health policy. Under the proposed Commissioner's Scholars program, for example, every state would fund graduate education for two autistic students in STEM fields. "We can't afford to have these talented Americans sidelined on the margins of the workforce," says Harkin.

????Today, autism is understood to be much more common than previously thought; according to a recent CDC study, it affects 2% of Americans. While those on the more sever end of the spectrum experience difficulty handling eveb basic social situations, those on the high functioning end have far fewer limitations. But those with autism are sometimes inclined to blurt out exactly what is on their mind; alternatively, they can be overly sensitive to noise or other environmental stimuli. As a result, even when members of this high-functioning group succeed in higher education, they can still have trouble finding a meaningful job commensurate with their skills. Ari N'eeman, president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), who himself suffers from autism, notes that there is widespread unemployment and underemployment among those with ASDs who have college and graduate degrees. "We face barriers of social architecture," he says. "We need the same kind of accommodations that companies have made for those with physical disabilities."

????That's where Thorkil Sonne comes in. His four-week training program prepares autistics for the workplace; while these individuals are initially uncomfortable working with others, under Sonne's tutelage, they learn how to tackle problems as a team. Sonne also advises companies on what managers can do to ease the adjustment. Those with ASDs often need a little extra privacy—say, an office with a door. It is also unrealistic to expect those with autism to engage in chit-chat at the water-cooler or in the cafeteria.

????When Sonne pronounced his first four American employees ready for work this summer, Rita Landgraf, the secretary of Delaware's Department of Health and Social Services, welcomed them with open arms. "I have watched Sonne do the training," she says. "It's an excellent program." Landgraf has noticed that autistic workers can often pick up data trends quicker than she can. "From an employer's perspective," adds Landgraf, "my investment is minimal, so the risk is low. And the likelihood of a positive outcome is really high."

????Joshua Kendall is the author of America's Obsessives: The Compulsive Energy That Built a Nation.