Left is Right

The brain is divided into two hemispheres. It is generally believed that each side of the brain is responsible for a specific type of thinking, and, like being right- or left-handed, most of us have at least a slight preference for one side or the other. Below is a quick comparison of right and left brain functions.

(For a quick quiz to determine if you are right or left-brained, try the turning dancer test.)

Unsurprisingly, individuals with Asperger’s are often left-brain dominant. Consequently, while these individuals often have the drive and intelligence to be competitively employed, they have difficulty locating employers who are tolerant of their limitations and able to capitalize on their strengths.

Enter Left is Right, a consulting company based in Sweden. Left is Right offers a variety of services, including:

• Converting
• Digitalizing
• Archiving
• Information processing
• Detail inspection
• Control/compare
• Testing
• Proof reading
• Language control
• Translation programming

These are all jobs that require an ability to perform meticulous and repetitive work while maintaining a high level of quality. Who is likely to have these skills and abilities? Well, someone who is very left-brained, for one.

In fact, all 20 of Left is Right’s consultants have Asperger’s. (They also employ two coaches – who make sure the communication works – and one seller.) Left is Right is not afraid to advertise the special strengths of their team. According to their website:

Many companies today work with products that require competence at a high technical level. Those companies need a precise and deep competence…. They [persons with Asperger’s] are not often generalists, but specialists and often within areas of mathematics and logic. Within their areas of expertise they can solve problems considerably faster than a person without Asperger syndrome.

AHEADD views Left is Right as a model for successful employment, and shares in their passion for awareness and recognition of the strengths and abilities of individuals on the autisms spectrum.

To learn more about Left is Right, and view a clever company slide show, click here.