Software testing by people with autism

Abstract

Having a regular job is of great value for people with autism, but acquiring a regular job is not that easy. People with autism do not only face prejudices when applying for a job, they also have social impairments that make this process very difficult for them. Characteristics of people with autism are that they have eye for detail and enjoy repetitive work. These characteristics are characteristic of software testing, seems to make people with autism highly suitable for software testing. From our research it shows that people with autism possess the right qualities to become a test engineer. Companies employing people with autism acquire test engineers with the same level of skill as people without autism and additionally they also practice corporate social responsibility. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.