SPECIALISTERNE NETWORK

International Specialisterne Community

Specialisterne Foundation

Specialisterne Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation with the goal to generate meaningful employment for one million autistic/neurodivergent persons through social entrepreneurship, corporate sector engagement and a global change in mindset.

SPECIALISTERNE FOUNDATION

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About Specialisterne

We seek to value the special

characteritics of people with

autism or neurodivergent.

Specialisterne is a social organization, born in Denmark in 2004 and with a direct or indirect presence in 23 countries, dedicated to the labor inclusion of people with autism and other diagnoses within neurodiversity.

Thus, we offer people with autism and other neurodivergent training and job opportunities. And we provide companies with talent and knowledge on how to include neurodiversity in their teams. We seek that neurodivergent people improve and value their capacities, which in many cases especially suitable for certain tasks, and also with this, companies obtain all the benefits of including these people and generate a positive social impact.

Specialisterne means, in Danish, “the specialists”, and is the name of the Danish foundation and the original concept developed by Thorkil Sonne. The Specialisterne brand belongs to the Specialisterne Foundation, which works to help create one million jobs for people with autism and similar diagnoses through social entrepreneurship, business and public sector engagement, and a global mindset shift. The Specialisterne Foundation is associated with the United Nations.

Our logo is the dandelion seed.”

 

Dandelion is seen as a weeds to most people – something that needs to be eradicated from our lawns and flower pots. But what many people do not know is that, when cultivated, dandelions are one of the most valuable and useful plants in nature, well known for its healing and medicinal properties. The value of the dandelion depends largely on the knowledge of each one about this plant. Most of us don’t want it in our gardens – it doesn’t fit. But if you plant dandelion seeds and grow them, it can come to great value. Dandelion is used in beer and wine production, in salads and as a natural medicine. Simply put, cultivate it and you will reap the rewards.

Good or weed? It’s up to you. The value of what you see depends on who you are.

We see a clear parallelism between the perception of the dandelion in nature and the perception of people with autism and neurodivergent people in general as potential workers. At Specialisterne, we see the value that people can bring within neurodiversity where others cannot.

The blue square of the logo around the dandelion represents the open sky of opportunity, with a rounded corner to illustrate that even though we are in a difficult market, we adapt the environment to the individual. The letters ‘I’ in Specialisterne are the yellow color of a ripe dandelion flower.

Our motto “Passion for details” reaffirms the focus of all our activities, and is integrated into the focus of our company.

VISION:

A world where people have the same opportunities in the job market.

 

MISSION:

PROVIDE TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT TO NEURODIVERGENT PEOPLE.
DISSEMINATE THE VALUE OF NEURODIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE.
DISSEMINATE OUR KNOWLEDGE AND SHARE OUR BEST PRACTICES

VALUES:

Respect: We strive to create a work environment that embraces diversity and respects the requirements of individuals, their needs, and their abilities.

Adaptation: We listen, learn and support each other.

Accessibility: We share knowledge and experiences and collaborate openly with our external partners.

Transparency: We keep our promises and work towards clear goals.

Sustainability and scalability: We strive to replicate the Specialisterne model and multiply its social impact in an economically sustainable way.