Specialisterne (‘the Specialists’ in Danish) seeks to harness strengths that many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders possess - good attention to fine details, precision, and high tolerance for repetitive tasks. Their consultants bring the joy of work into areas where it is often missing today.
**While Specialisterne is designed to compete on the open market (rather than being a ‘sheltered workshop’/charity), it also accepts external funding and grants. **Prior to the social enterprise opening up in Iceland for example, the Specialisterne Iceland project received generous funding from the European Union’s initiative, Lifelong Learning Programme (Leonardo grant). Likewise, at least 700,000 [pounds] in government grants and loans were awarded prior to the opening of Specialisterne Scotland.
(sources: https://sites.google.com/site/specialisterne20102012/; Jobs cash for people with autism in Scotland - BBC News)
Similarly, in October 2009, Mark El-Tawil, president of Humana of Arizona, named the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) as the winner of a $100,000 grant funded by the health benefits company. SARRC used the funds to create the Humana Gardenworks program.
The ten week training series offers individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders hands-on garden and landscape training that should give them skills they can use to give them future financial independence. Training includes basics of caring of commercial, public and residential landscape spaces; as well as growing, preparing and selling products from SARRC’s organic garden and greenhouse…
