Like any other parent, Drew Peloso sees all the wonderful gifts his child has — and all his son can offer society.
“His whole life, he has blown me away with the way he thinks,” he said. “He’s super smart in math and science, he quotes philosophers, especially Bertrand Russell, and he helps out wherever he can. He delivers groceries to at-risk seniors in our community.
“He just makes me so proud every day.”
Peloso isn’t just your neurotypical parent. He’s the parent of a child on the autism spectrum. One that, for all his gifts, faces distinct challenges, especially when it comes to getting a job.
“If I’m a company, I think I really would like to be able to take advantage of what he has to offer – but I know he wouldn’t get past an interview — there’s just no way,” he said. “He’s not going to look you in the eye, his handshake isn’t going to be great, and his speech process is going to be delayed.”
His son is a junior at Rutgers in its center for adult autism services program, working toward a degree in data science.
A degree will be great. A job will be better. That’s why, earlier this year, Peloso began working to help those like his son find a place in the work world.
“I thought to myself, ‘There’s got to be a lot of other kids like him out there,’” he said. “I’ve got to do something.”
His quest began by reading books — including Susanne Bruyere’s, ‘Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Interests, Issues, and Opportunities. After connecting with Bruyere, he networked with executives at companies that are leaders in neurodiversity hiring, including Microsoft, SAP and EY.
Soon after, that ‘something’ became the impetus for the NeuroX Conference, to be held Oct. 29 at the Heldrich Hotel and Conference Center in New Brunswick. The all-day event, co-produced by 7Magnolia, a neurodivergent-owned and operated company, will feature top speakers from around the state and the country, including Microsoft, long a leader in this space.
(For more information and to register, click here)
The conference, which aims to bring together all the key stakeholders — higher education, business, government and philanthropy — will discuss why neurodiverse hiring is important, how it will impact your company (spoiler alert, it also improves your bottom line) and how AI changes everything.
It will include a number of other key panels and discussions, including:
- Thinking differently: Key to New Jersey’s Innovation Revolution Fireside chat on the importance of work for New Jersey’s vast neurodivergent community, how the state is leading in AI and how these two elements come together.
- Case Study: In Search of Extraordinary Talent, What One Company Learned An up-close and intimate fireside chat pulls back the curtain on the neurodiversity hiring journey for a major corporation.
- State aid: How New Jersey’s Departments of Labor & Workforce Development and Higher Education are working together to upskill neurodivergent talent and get businesses the resources they need to ramp up neurodiversity hiring.
- (For the complete agenda, click here)
The conference will serve as the kickoff event for the NeuroX Network, which was created with the mission to increase employment opportunities for neurodivergent individuals. (For more information on the NeuroX Network, email info@neuroxnj.com.)
But more than that, it aims to help jumpstart a dimension in hiring in New Jersey.
Tapping the neurodiverse community for employees is a new trend in the business world = but one that starts at the top.
Fortune 500 companies, many of which belong to Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable sponsored by Microsoft, are creating programs. EY has long had initiatives. Rutgers, Rowan and Ramapo have programs for neurodiverse students that stand out in the state
Peloso said the conference is just the start of his efforts to educate employers everywhere on the benefits of neurodiverse hiring.
“There’s plenty of white papers that have been written that demonstrate the ROI associated to what you can call inclusive hiring,’” he said. “There’s a positive ROI aspect to it. And there’s also a cost of inaction in this space that is significant.
“So, if you’re a business that is able to incorporate inclusive hiring practices, you’ll not only help your company but society.”
