AutARK – Research Project TU Dresden

News

Call for Paper: Special Issue relating to Assistive Technologies for Neurodivergent People

12. November 2024

Invitation for submissions to the special issue of Interacting with Computers with the title “Designing Technology for Neurodivergent Self-Determination: Challenges and Opportunities”! The topic area covers the use and development as well as the design of assistive technologies for neurodivergent people. Personal experience reports are also welcome!
Submission Deadline for Extended Abstracts:
31.10.2024

2nd meeting of the project advisory board successfully held

8. November 2024

On November 8, 2024, the AutARK research project held its second advisory board meeting at the Faculty of Computer Science. The all-day event was attended by participants from the advisory board as well as Dr. Prof. Weber and the AutARK team. The invited persons represent various areas of interest and institutions throughout Germany, such as autistic self-representations, representatives of the vocational training center, science and the employment agency. The advisory board meeting was held in hybrid mode with a total of 6 people invited on site and 2 people in online mode. The results and solutions presented were discussed with interest by all participants and activities for future work were derived.

1. October 2024

The Center for Demography and Diversity at TU Dresden (CDD) and the State Statistical Office of Saxony organized the Saxon Data Salon for the 9th time this year on October 1, 2024, at which current key topics and challenges in Saxony are highlighted and possible solutions are discussed with an audience of experts. Around 90 participants from politics, business and science discussed issues of increasing importance for the Free State of Saxony in particular. “Demography: Ideas. Perspectives. Potentials” – the title already reveals the focus of the event.

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Supporting people on the autism spectrum in the professional domain through technical aids

Psychological disorders and developmental disabilities often entail reduced performance and adaptability, frequently leading to impairments in occupational functioning. Despite having received a good professional or scholastic education, individuals on the autism spectrum are significantly more prone to experiencing unemployment or being employed in vocations that have low qualification requirements, as compared to non-autistic individuals. Primary reasons for the low employment rate of autistic individuals in the primary labor market are the challenging work conditions, such as time constraints, information overload, high communicative demands, social competence, too many sensory stimuli, as well as the requirement for a high degree of flexibility.

“We say that individuals with autism lack empathy. No, we lack it. For them.”
Neuroscientist Henry Markram

Autism spectrum disorders are characterized, in particular, by difficulties in communication and social interaction. Perception processing is also often altered, leading many individuals with autism to struggle with an excess of visual or auditory information. These characteristics necessitate a workplace environment that is tailored to the specific needs of individuals with autism in their professional and academic daily lives. Traditional work environments are typically not designed to meet the needs of individuals on the autism spectrum. As a result, many individuals with autism are more frequently affected by unemployment or are employed in vocations that have low qualification requirements as compared to non-autistic individuals. Although many individuals with autism have received a good professional or scholastic education, their chances in the job market are thus lower.

Numbers & Facts

Frequency

Donut chart. The outer ring represents 99% in purple and 1% in green. The center of the circle reads — Approximately 1% of people in Germany are on the autism spectrum.

Unemployment

Donut chart. The outer ring represents 70% in purple and 30% in green. The center of the circle reads — 30% of people within the autism spectrum are affected by unemployment

Primary Labor Market

Donut chart. The outer ring represents 95% in purple and 5% in green. The center of the circle reads — 5% of working-age individuals within the autism spectrum are employed in the general labor market

Source: Autismus Spektrum Portal

OUR GOALS

Supporting People on the Autism Spectrum in the Workplace Context

Sensory Regulation: Reduction of stimuli to avoid sensory overload
Communication: Assistance in verbal and textual communication.
Task management: Providing assistance in structuring and prioritizing tasks and time management.

Discover more about the project

AutARK – Automatic Adaptation of Overstimulating Contexts