"Autistic people are very talented in different areas, equipped with powerful memory skills, love respecting rules and pay great attention to detail; work teams can benefit greatly from greater neurodiversity and autism sometimes gives surprising points of view." The agreement signed with Amazon to support the start of work for autistic people is based on these foundations, explains the president of Autismo Abruzzo Onlus, Dario Verzulli. The first logistics site from which the project started is the distribution center of San Salvo, in the province of Chieti. "The autism spectrum is not a disease, but a condition, a set of characteristics, a way of being - underlines Verzulli on World Autism Awareness Day - a form of neurodiversity as an individual difference and not as a pathology".
A process of mutual understanding and adaptation began with the Amazon contacts, the company planned the reception and sharing of the technological processes that regulate the workflow; after the first insertion, which took place at the beginning of the year, the objective is to work on the employment inclusion of other young people. The project, managed by the association's representative Rachele Giammario, psychologist and professor at the University of L'Aquila, involves an initial meeting with the families, to identify the children to be included, and the training of Amazon staff on the characteristics of autistic people and on the correct communication to be adopted . The company evaluated the children's reactions to the spaces and sounds of the different areas of the distribution center which was followed by a work test. The psychologist facilitated the connection between the young autistic person, the family and the company.
"We are really proud to be an integral part of such a far-sighted project. We believe that diversity in all its many facets is an added value and a richness from which to draw inspiration and ideas. This new and beautiful journey undertaken together with Autismo Abruzzo Onlus is teaching us a lot, we will continue to commit ourselves to creating an increasingly inclusive workplace" declares Salvatore Iorio, Human Resources manager of Amazon Operations in Italy.
"Autismo Abruzzo Onlus - concludes Verzulli - expresses all its gratitude to Amazon Italia, which appreciates and enhances the strengths of autistic people".
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