犹他大学 startup NeuroVersity and the Columbus Community Center, which provides support services for people with disabilities, launched a new pilot project to help address the increasing numbers of individuals with 自闭症 spectrum disorder – a developmental disability that affects an estimated 1 in 54 children in Utah and 1 in 68 in the nation, according to the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We have teamed up with the Columbus Community Center to bring a great learning opportunity to the most underemployed group with disabilities in the U.S.,斯科特·赖特说, 护理学教授, who co-founded NeuroVersity with Cheryl Wright, a professor of family and consumer studies. "Our company helps transition-aged students with 自闭症 turn their strengths into highly sought-after abilities and technical skills. Columbus is helping us take our efforts to the next level and reach even more people."
NeuroVersity helps students on the spectrum tap into the natural strength many of them have for detailed projects and visual-spatial reasoning by teaching them how to use the 3-D modeling software Sketchup Make. 通过这次培训, they start developing valuable professional skills that are increasingly in demand while also developing social interaction skills needed to hold a job.
The partnership with Columbus Community Center will bring this learning opportunity to high school students in the Salt Lake City area. During the two-week pilot project, students will learn the 3-D modeling software and work on real projects for local construction companies, including Big-D Construction, by converting 2-D drawings into 3-D models.
The pilot will run through July 15. 如果成功, NeuroVersity and the Columbus Community Center hope to expand the program to provide ongoing training to students on the 自闭症 spectrum.
“自1968年以来, Columbus has been successful in partnering with employers to find meaningful employment for individuals with disabilities. In light of the significant increases of those with 自闭症, we continue to expand our programs to respond to community need,加里·纳普说, executive director of the Columbus Community Center. "We hope to become a leader at empowering this group through our new partnership with the 犹他大学."
NeuroVersity and the Columbus Community Center want to encourage these students to pursue the growing number of technology jobs that require intense attention to detail and long hours on a single project. Professions like software programing and computer drafting can be a good match for some people on the 自闭症 spectrum.
Autism spectrum disorder is considered the fastest growing developmental disability with a growth rate of 1,148%, according to the Autism Society. Matching these students with training and employment opportunities is increasingly urgent.
"We hope to be training the next generation of potential employees for technology and design companies like Trimble, 谷歌, 苹果和微软,谢丽尔·赖特说. "While students on the 自闭症 spectrum may have some social challenges, many of them have the potential to be expert software testers, programmers and technicians."
NeuroVersity has steadily made progress developing and testing their curriculum since launching the company in 2013 with help from graduate students at the U's Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, a division of the David Eccles School of Business that continues to support the project.
The researchers behind the company have already conducted pilot programs in Oregon, 佛罗里达州和科罗拉多州. They have also received substantial financial support including a new $40,000 grant from the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development. Other funding has come from the Utah Autism Foundation, 犹他大学, McCarthy Family Foundation, “孤独症代言人”, Autism Council of Utah, 谷歌和Trimble, 公司.
相关新闻, NeuroVersity will be presenting in Salt Lake City at a "The Bottom Line of Disabilities," symposium hosted by the Columbus Community Center, 西南寺3495号, 早上8点开始.m. 7月14日. NeuroVersity will be joined by many guest speakers, including Thorkil Sonne, 丹麦的, a leading activist and entrepreneur helping people on the 自闭症 spectrum develop talents to find jobs in technical fields. The event is open to the public by registering at http://bit.ly / 1 nzr3hj.