Empowered Employment for Adults With Autism

90% of people on the autism spectrum struggle with employment. Chris is an adult with autism who knows this struggle well. He and his company Greenbridge Growers are working to change that.

Video Transcript

Chris Tidmarsh: I’m good at, well I’m pretty precise with how far down I poke the, push the seeds. Getting it right exactly in the middle, and everything like that.

After college, Chris earned full-time work as a researcher. He was let go within one year.

Chris Tidmarsh: Had a bit of trouble with me being visual and having a photographic memory. It was hard for me to adapt to being in an environment where everything was done more by speaking, instead of visually.

That’s one of the big reasons that it didn’t work out.

With organic materials, yeah it is better for the environment to compost them instead of throwing them in the trash.

I’m not the kind that would look for them, but yeah, it does make me a little frustrated when I see that. Yeah.

Now the chemical process of converting the waste from ammonia, which it begins as, into the final product which is nitrates, the amount of bacteria that are part of that process, it is like a miracle. It’s amazing.

90% of people on the autism spectrum struggle with employment. Chris is battling that figure.

Chris Tidmarsh: We have a local place that employs people on the autism spectrum. Many people on the autism spectrum are unfortunately unemployed, and this is a great chance to offer to them some employment.

We all try our best to adapt to their needs. We think it’s important to keep visual instructions available. And also, working at a farm is more hands-on than working at an office.

We’re all done for the day. I’m a bit hot. I need to get some water to drink. I guess I do feel like I accomplished something.