Patrick Avant gives the thumbs up after completing another fire helmet and setting it on a rack filled with other helmets. At 33 years old, this is the first job he's ever held and one he earned after completing a work-study program throughThe company manufactures helmets for firefighters and first responders worldwide.
"There's kind of been a stigma associated with hiring neurodiverse candidates and we're trying to eliminate that, and best way to do that is one employer at time," he added. "This really is the solution to the workforce problems that we face today. Just in the Inland Empire alone, we have around 18,000 people living with autism that are ready to work," said Sanchez.