Transportation and warehousing is not the type of workplace environment normally associated with feelings of empathy between managers and employees. The margins are tight, the work is fast paced and nothing seems to follow plan.
Empathy is front and center at Bettaway Supply Chain Services, however, as one of the largest providers of warehousing, distribution and supply chain services for beverage producers in the Northeast with a fleet of 150 power units.
The culture of the company has been influenced by John Vaccaro, president of the South Plainfield, N.J.-based company, whose son Frankie is on the autism spectrum. Every parent wants their children to be successful, but those with kids on the spectrum have to worry constantly about their employment prospects.
“It’s been on my mind every waking moment,” he said.
Government resources for kids and young adults with autism are limited. Obtaining assistance is even more difficult for adults entering the workforce. The unemployment rate for autistic adults is estimated to be around 80 percent, said Christopher Manente, executive director of the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS).
Recent research suggests that adults with autism have about half the life expectancy of those without.
