Weed or herb. You decide

Specialisterne translates from Danish as “The Specialists”, and is the name of the original Danish company and concept developed by Thorkil Sonne. The Specialisterne trademark is owned by the Specialisterne Foundation.

The different Specialisterne operations around the world are truly socially innovative companies, using the characteristics of people with autism as a competitive advantage, and as a means to help people with autism secure employment. The majority of the employees in Specialisterne have a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, and work as consultants on tasks such as software testing, programming and data-entry for the corporate sector.

At Specialisterne, people with autism work in an environment where they are presented with the best possible opportunities to reach their potential. They don’t have to learn to adapt to the usual working-environment norms, such as being a good team player, being empathetic, handling stress well and showing flexibility. These are not the usual characteristics for people with autism; a fact that usually results in their being excluded long-term from the labor market. Instead, Specialisterne welcomes the very differences and character traits that are so often seen as a stigma.