加州大学圣地亚哥分校的研究人员获得了260万美元的国家科学基金资助，帮助培训自闭症成年人从事科技工作
San Diego, Calif., Jan. 9, 2020 -- A team of researchers from the University of California San Diego has been awarded a $2.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop an employment-training program that will tap into the talent and potential of autistic adults for technology work.
加利福尼亚州圣地亚哥市，2020年1月9日——来自加州大学圣地亚哥分校的一个研究团队获得了国家科学基金会的260万美元的资助，以开发一个就业培训项目，该项目将挖掘自闭症成年人从事技术工作的才能和潜力。
“This project seeks to capitalize on the strengths of the autism community and other neurodiverse populations who have previously been marginalized in the workforce but have unique talents that can be leveraged with the right support for technical work,” said Leanne Chukoskie, an assistant research scientist with UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute who is a principal investigator on the project.
加州大学圣地亚哥分校高通公司的助理研究科学家Leanne Chukoskie说：“本项目旨在利用孤独症社区和其他神经多样性人群的优势，这些人群以前在劳动力市场上处于边缘地位，但拥有独特的才能，在技术工作的适当支持下可以发挥作用。”是该项目的主要研究者。
The research team is comprised of coprincipal investigator Pamela Cosman and Sujit Dey, professors in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Jacobs School; Craig Callendar, a professor of philosophy and codirector of the Institute for Practical Ethics; Joshua Shapiro, director of research and evaluation at the Center for Research on the Regional Economy at UC San Diego Extension; and Shana Cohen, an assistant professor in the Department of Education Studies.
该研究小组由雅各布斯学院电气与计算机工程系教授帕梅拉·科斯曼（Pamela Cosman）和苏吉特·戴（Sujit Dey）组成；哲学教授、实践伦理学研究所联合主任克雷格·卡伦达（Craig Callendar）；乔舒亚·夏皮罗（Joshua Shapiro），坎特伯雷大学圣地亚哥分校区域经济研究中心研究和评估主任；以及教育研究部助理教授Shana Cohen。
“There exists a lot of talent in these communities but it’s not being leveraged into the workforce because of a lack of appropriate training for those groups and assumptions in hiring practices,” she said.
她说：“在这些社区中有很多人才，但由于缺乏对这些群体的适当培训和在雇佣实践中的假设，它并没有被雇佣到劳动力中。”
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), which are life-long neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by difficulty communicating and interacting with others, affect one out of 59 people. The researchers note the cost of direct autism services in the United States exceeds $236 billion annually and estimate that more than 500,000 people with ASDs will reach working age over the next decade.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASDs）是一种终生的神经发育障碍，其特点是难以与他人沟通和互动，影响59人中的一人。研究人员指出，美国每年的自闭症直接治疗费用超过2360亿美元，估计在未来10年内，将有超过50万自闭症患者达到工作年龄。
The four-year project, “Neurodiversity in tech: using interactive decision theory and augmented reality to enable employment for adults with ASD,” will expand an existing summer training program for young adults on the autism spectrum and develop and test new tools to support communication with neurodiverse employees, with a goal of increasing their employment in the technology industry locally and nationally.
这项为期四年的项目“技术中的神经多样性：使用交互式决策理论和增强现实技术来为ASD成年人提供就业机会，”将扩大现有的针对孤独症谱系的年轻人的暑期培训计划，并开发和测试新工具以支持与神经多样化员工的交流，以增加他们在本地和全国科技行业的就业为目标。
Power of NeuroGaming (PoNG) summer interns demonstrate their work at a showcase event to a packed crowd in the Qualcomm Institute’s VRoom (August 2018).
《神经游戏的力量》（PoNG）暑期实习生在高通研究院虚拟教室（2018年8月）的一场展示活动上向拥挤的人群展示他们的工作。
Specifically, the researchers intend to:
具体来说，研究人员打算：
Build upon and refine a successful internship program Chukoskie has developed with tools that support workplace-appropriate communication and other behavioral skills Develop an augmented reality (AR) coaching system where a virtual coach conveys the guidance of a human coach when interacting with autistic individuals Create a video game that helps participants learn which workplace communication tools are appropriate to use in different scenarios Develop an email tool that improves written communication to and from autistic workers to avoid misunderstandings common to ASD-style communications Adapt roleplaying scenarios appropriate for the workforce Study economic and ethical questions that arise from these technologies
建立并完善一个成功的实习项目Chukoskie开发了支持工作场所适当沟通和其他行为技能的工具开发了一个增强现实（AR）辅导系统，虚拟教练在与孤独症患者互动时传达人类教练的指导，创建一个有助于参与者了解哪些工作场所沟通工具适合在不同情况下使用开发一个电子邮件工具，改进与自闭症员工之间的书面沟通，以避免对ASD式沟通常见的误解适应适合于员工的角色扮演情景研究经济和道德问题由这些技术产生的
“Several peaks in ability associated with ASD, such as a detail-focused cognitive style and willingness to stay with a single task for extended periods of time, are well matched to the demands of technical employment, especially in the areas such as computer programming, software testing, data science and information technology,” said Chukoskie.
“与自闭症相关的能力有几个高峰，例如注重细节的认知风格和愿意长期从事单一任务，与技术就业的需求非常匹配，特别是在计算机编程、软件测试、数据科学和信息技术等领域；丘科斯基说。
Chukoskie, a neuroscientist, began exploring ways to help individuals with autism lead fuller lives after a family member was diagnosed with the disorder. She is the associate director of the Research on Autism and Development Laboratory at UC San Diego’s School of Medicine. She also directs the Power of NeuroGaming (PoNG) center at the Qualcomm Institute where she leads researchers and students in the design of gaze-driven video games and other technologies to help those with autism improve their focus.
丘科斯基是一位神经科学家，在一位家庭成员被诊断患有自闭症后，他开始探索帮助自闭症患者过上更充实生活的方法。她是加州大学圣地亚哥分校医学院孤独症研究和发展实验室的副主任。她还领导高通研究所的神经游戏（PoNG）中心，带领研究人员和学生设计凝视驱动的视频游戏和其他技术，帮助自闭症患者提高注意力。
Young audience members take their turn to try out a two-person eye tracking game created by a team of PoNG interns (August 2018).
年轻的观众轮到他们来尝试一个由乒乓球实习生团队创建的双人眼睛跟踪游戏（2018年8月）。
“I have the pleasure of working with talented students and young adults on the autism spectrum who play a vital role in the work we do at PoNG. They bring skills and perspectives that strengthen our team and the technologies we develop,” Chukoskie said. “San Diego is home to a thriving tech community that will benefit from a truly diverse work force that these people can contribute to.”
“我很高兴能与自闭症谱系中有才华的学生和年轻人一起工作，他们在我们在庞氏所做的工作中发挥着至关重要的作用。Chukoskie说：“他们带来的技能和观点可以加强我们的团队和我们开发的技术。”。“圣地亚哥是一个欣欣向荣的科技社区的所在地，这些人可以为真正多样化的劳动力做出贡献；
The project has a unique aspect in leveraging the researchers’ existing connections with technology industry partners, such as San Diego Tech Hub, to provide feedback on the internship program and to innovate hiring practices so that the program can move trainees into technical careers such as software testing and development.
该项目有一个独特的方面，利用研究者与技术产业合作伙伴（如圣地亚哥技术中心）的现有联系，为实习计划提供反馈，并创新招聘方式，使该项目能够将受训者转移到技术测试中，如软件测试和开发。
Companies that have stretched to include neurodiverse individuals in the workforce have seen advantages in creative problem-solving and productivity, the researchers said.
研究人员说，那些将神经多样性个体纳入员工队伍的公司在创造性解决问题和提高生产率方面看到了优势。
“The continued growth of our digital economy demands a large and diverse pool of talent. With the right training and support, individuals with ASD can contribute meaningfully and substantially, improving both individual outcomes as well as advancing productivity of the digital economy overall,” said Chukoskie.
“我们数字经济的持续增长需要大量多样化的人才。Chukoskie说：“在正确的培训和支持下，患有自闭症的个人可以做出有意义和实质性的贡献，改善个人成果，并提高整个数字经济的生产力。”。
Chukoskie, along with local business and technology experts, will present a session, “Neurodiversity in Tech: The Power of Inclusion,” at the 2020 South by Southwest Conference in March.
Chukoskie和当地的商业和技术专家将在3月举行的2020年西南偏南会议上发表一篇题为“科技中的神经多样性：包容的力量”的文章。
