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. Specialisterne’s founder, Thorkil Sonne, views the ideal outcome of the perceptual shift that his social enterprise is trying to promote to be: that there will be no need for ‘specialist’ companies in the future, and inclusive hiring practices will simply be a hallmark of successful businesses.
(source: The Autistic Revolution | Jobpostings.ca)
In the above example, Thorkil Sonne is acting as an advocate of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. He is standing up for the rights of people who he sees are being treated unfairly. Self-advocacy occurs when people with Autism Spectrum Disorders stand up for their own interests (they might be assisted by others without Autism though). Self-advocacy refers to the civil rights movement for people with developmental disabilities, also called cognitive or intellectual disabilities, including Autism.
Here is a link to a set of slides with more points on self-advocacy from a Webinar by Scott Michael Robertson, Chairman of the Board and co-founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network:
ASAN Webinar with Autism NOW Center February 15, 2011
Sumida River Solutions is an example of a company working to advocate for a greater understanding of Autism in the Workplace:
(sources: FaHCSIA : Research of the Models of Advocacy Funded under the National Disability Advocacy Program; Sumida River Solutions, Inc. - Autism Advocacy; Press Release - Sumida River Solutions and Easter Seals Announce Partnership to Create Career Opportunities for Adults with Autism; Sumida River Solutions, Inc. - ATS FAQs)