About this project
Project Chrysalix aims to create an autism-friendly environment to help high-functioning people with autism (ASD) to integrate into the community and prepare them for Professional, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMET) jobs.
Through an inclusive environment with appropriate facilities that support adapted training and activities, Project Chrysalix will be able to gear these high-functioning individuals with ASD for the real world work environment. The team envisions the success of the project which in turn sets the foundation which will encourage various parties in the community to provide more for this group of individuals. High-functioning individuals with ASD often do not have a wide network of support as compared to their peers diagnosed under the low functioning spectrum where often they tend to be left out and their talents not duly recognized.
We have secured the use of a bare office space where renovation works still needs to be done to create a conducive training environment. Thus, we humbly seek your help with the cost needed in making the training facilities a reality.
Background
For years, the society has underestimated and undermined people with ASD and their abilities. Fortunately, this stereotypical thinking is increasingly being rectified with more awareness and advocacy on neurodiversity – to view and accept one with ASD as a variation in functioning rather than a disorder. The unique characteristics of people with ASD, which may relatively consider disadvantageous in most situations that are designed for neurotypical functional people can, in fact, be their advantage in certain jobs which neurotypical people may shun or require enormous effort to accomplish.
These characteristics could be further enhanced with appropriate training. For example, their sameness behaviour and absolute regard for routines can make them a natural fit for jobs, which involves repetitive task and maintenance of high and consistent quality of standards. While people with ASD may face difficulties in understanding social cues or think from other person’s perspective, this very same trait allows them to be independent thinkers and approach a problem from a different perspective which allows for more innovative insights.
Our motivation
Deeply rooted in the team is our shared belief that everyone has their own strength, and this strength can be developed and be put to good use. It is important that a person, regardless of his or her physical, social, or cultural background, is valued and recognized for the talents that they can bring to the workplace and society. Driven by this belief, the team envisions to create a platform that empowers disadvantaged people to demonstrate their talents and pursue their goals.The team also believes that effort and resources from the caring individuals, organizations, and stakeholders could help with building a greater inclusive society in Singapore.
With the time away at training, independence and/or successful employment gained through this initiative, the caregivers of the beneficiaries can also benefit from relief of the mental and/or financial burden in caring and providing for their loved ones with ASD.
What the plan hopes to achieve?
Apart from working with the individuals with ASD, we also work with inclusive employers through our proposed work design concept.
In a given workplace, the work given to individuals with ASD is often limited to a particular scope and set aside from the other colleagues. The proposed work design hopes to achieve a work setting that can integrate persons with autism with their mainstream colleagues, working together to deliver an equivalent or an even better outcome for projects of similar nature.
In order to demonstrate the viability of the proposed work design concept. We would first require an environment that is conducive to people with autism to work in and also adapt actual working facilities as a proof-of-concept for the work redesign.
Your contribution can help:
By contributing to this campaign, you have played a pivotal role in the creation of a supportive environment, both physically and socially, allowing people with ASD a chance and a platform to develop their career prospect attributing to the following:
Highly adapted workplace
Many people with ASD find it difficult to filter out background noises and visual information. An autism-friendly environment is expected to have minimal distractions so as to decrease sensory overload and help the person with autism focus his/her attention on the task at hand rather than other stimuli around. Moreover, the environment should allow for social interaction, for example, a trainer can stand beside to observe and provide necessary guidance at the same time also providing adequate space between individuals for them to get their bearings. People with ASD tend to get anxious easily when first-faced with a new task or person. A soothing area where a person with autism can find serenity when feeling stressed or momentarily getting away from an overwhelmed stimulus is also included.
Social space
People with autism are often misperceived as being “unsociable”. However, young adults with ASD likewise have the needs for friendship, just like us. Similarly, just like any other youth, they too express interest in different activities and are curious when exploring new or novel things. Unfortunately, the majority of our society is not able to understand them and do not know how to interact with them that they rather chose to exclude them. This exclusion gradually left them helpless which forces people with ASD to isolate themselves and develop the preference for being alone. Regrettably, the conventional social settings do not provide conditions that allow them to socialise. From our pilot study, we have come to notice that they are more than capable of organising their own project meetings to discuss and disseminate tasks to accomplish assigned deliverables. In addition, they are also able to facilitate discussions to plan for their outdoor activities. We believe that with the right environment and work design, they are capable of doing even more.
The Team
This project is initiated by a team of individuals who aspires to apply their unique knowledge and expertise to help the autism community in the society to lead an independent and dignified living.
- ) Joe Chang
Role: Technology Innovator
Graduated from the University of Glasgow with the background in Computing Science, he is highly driven with an unwavering belief and firm commitment to create innovative solutions through technology for the benefits of the underprivileged.
2.) Chi Kit Wong
Role: Product Designer
A multidisciplinary designer who has been integrating creativity with technical knowledge and business sense, turning complex problems into intuitive designs. He is set to improve the quality of lives of the underprivileged through his knowledge and experience.
3.) Adeline Oh
Role: Trainer
Adeline is motivated to create and apply new communication techniques to enhance the inclusiveness of our society and the growth of individuals with ASD. She believes that an inclusive society can be promoted through raising awareness, understanding and with the right kind of support.
Rewards
Totebag
Notebook
Risk and challenges
Changing people’s mindset towards people with autism is a difficult journey. While stakeholders around the world are eagerly looking forward and opening up to sustainable employment in white collar jobs for people with autism where there are already sustained successes from companies such as Microsoft and SAP, there is scepticism if this could be achieved in Singapore in the near future.Through this initiative, we strive to instil belief in employees with ASD and provide evidence-proven solutions for inclusive employers with outcomes that exemplify the returns and values that are equivalent or superior to those carried out by mainstream employees.
Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrysalixsg/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrysalix
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJvxyLdMU-bmthzqXEh1IpA
FAQs
1. Where is my donation going to?
- It will be used to pay the key employees (instructor, counsellor), location, resources.
2. Are there companies that will hire autistic people?
- Yes! In fact, many top-tier companies such as Microsoft, SAP, Walgreen have implemented their own pilot program to hire them.
Credits
Balloons Video - Author: kenji kawasawa Author webpage: https://vimeo.com/kawasawa License: Attribution License 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/) Downloaded at Mazwai.com
Soundtrack - Walk In The Park by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://audionautix.com/
