Software testing training for people diagnosed with autism combines structured testing theory with hands-on modules and workplace internships. Typical strengths associated with autism—such as attention to detail, the ability to concentrate, and perseverance with repetitive tasks—are particularly valuable in quality management. A prerequisite is a clearly structured work environment with unambiguous instructions, fixed time boxes, and a designated contact person within the company.
Key Takeaways
- People diagnosed with autism immediately spot spelling and consistency errors in documents because their perception automatically registers inconsistencies that others simply don’t notice.
- Repetitive testing tasks that cause other testers’ concentration to wane actually boost performance in people with autism because routine and familiarity with the test object activate their strengths.
- Clear instructions with a specific deadline are not a form of special consideration, but a prerequisite for work: “Take a look at this” yields no results for people with autism, whereas “have this done by 4 p.m. tomorrow” works.
- The dual training program at ETC places participants in internship companies even while they’re still in the course, resulting in a hiring rate of around 80 percent and no personnel costs for the companies.
- Creating an autism-friendly office environment doesn’t require a major restructuring—just specific, small adjustments: a quiet corner, headphones, and a designated point of contact for the first few months.
Why People Diagnosed with Autism Excel at Software Testing
People diagnosed with autism possess qualities that are exactly what software testing needs: attention to detail, perseverance with repetitive tasks, and an eye for discrepancies that others miss. Markus Kalbhenn describes the potential of these individuals as being like a Ferrari that, in the mainstream job market, is driving on a gravel road.
The surrounding conditions determine performance. If the environment isn’t right, that potential doesn’t shine through. When the right conditions are in place, these individuals work with focus and speed.
When I put the Ferrari on the racetrack, they really perform like a Ferrari on a racetrack and pass everyone else twice a day. — Markus Kalbhenn
Their talent is evident even before they start working. Candidates would come in for an interview and, without being asked, mention the number of spelling errors in the newspaper they’d read on their way there. Most people don’t notice such errors. A person with autism opens a document and spots the discrepancy immediately.
In regression testing, this effect works to their advantage. By the fifteenth manual run-through, most testers’ enthusiasm begins to wane. For people with this special talent, that’s when things really get going, because they know the environment and the task at hand and are almost impossible to tear away from the work.
Clear instructions aren’t nitpicking—they’re a prerequisite
People diagnosed with autism need unambiguous guidelines: what to do, by when, and in what format. What often sounds like nitpicking in everyday work life is, for these individuals, the condition necessary for a task to succeed.
Vague phrasing doesn’t work. A request like “take a look at this” is taken literally and will eventually be done, but without a sense of urgency. The typical boss’s feedback—“take another look at this”—means “something is wrong” to most employees, but to a person with autism, it simply means “look at it again, maybe tomorrow.”
The task therefore requires three pieces of information at once: the content, the deadline, and the method. “Please start now and finish by 4 p.m. tomorrow” is an instruction that these individuals can work with.
Caution is needed when it comes to the drive for perfection. An open-ended task without a clear endpoint can lead to the person getting bogged down in a single detail. Anyone assigning tasks should therefore clearly state the goal and the endpoint.
How Training for This Target Group Changes
The training requires a fixed structure and a quiet environment. Helmut Pichler works with a fixed time-boxing schedule of 50 minutes of instruction and a 10-minute break. Even a three-minute overrun triggers a clear reaction from the participants: “Time box, break.”
The dialogue unfolds differently than in a typical course. The open-ended question “Does anyone else have a question?” goes unanswered. Direct engagement works better: “How are you finding this topic? Do you have a question about it?” yields meaningful feedback.
The participants’ personalities vary greatly. Some are very reserved and, when addressed, get straight to the point. Others are so effusive that it’s hard to rein them in. An instructor must maintain a balance so that the quieter participants don’t tune out.
The course duration has also been adjusted. Instead of the usual three or four consecutive days, the ISTQB Foundation Level training runs over four weeks, divided into three-day sessions of five to six hours each. Between sessions, participants prepare on their own using sample exam questions.
What’s Easy and What’s Hard About the ISTQB Exam
The Foundation Level multiple-choice exam challenges this target group in one specific area: questions whose answer options are not unambiguously complete. The recurring reaction is that an answer is incomplete. Therefore, the approach must be practiced: don’t look for the perfect answer, but rather the most complete of the four options.
Test-design techniques come particularly naturally to this group. When there is a fixed formula from which something can be derived or calculated, the participants do well.
A side effect of this special aptitude: the training materials become error-free after each review. Calculation errors, decimal point errors, and reference errors are ruthlessly and persistently highlighted.
The dual training program combines training and hands-on experience from the very beginning
The current training program doesn’t just provide training and then try to teach; instead, it seeks out companies for internships right from the start. Ideally, participants are already working at a company offering practical experience before or during the course.
The program encompasses more than just the ISTQB certificate. The Foundation Level is one of nine modules, supplemented by topics such as high-level AI basics, working in an agile environment, testing REST services, test automation basics, accessible testing, and the fundamentals of requirements engineering.
A performance testing module was tested and subsequently discarded. The topic delved into detail too quickly, causing some participants to lose track. It was replaced by foundational topics with broader appeal.
In total, there are about 50 to 60 training sessions, spread out over the year in four- to five-hour blocks. Hands-on work at the company accounts for about 60 to 70 percent of the program; the rest is theory. Participants contribute approximately 25 to 30 hours of work per week.
Why the Training Program Is a Zero-Sum Game for Companies
The company incurs no costs during the internship. Participants remain insured and registered with the Public Employment Service (AMS) and are not on the company’s payroll. Nevertheless, they work 25 to 30 hours per week and, based on experience, become productive within two to three months.
There is no obligation to hire them. The company facilitates the practical training during the internship months and is free to make its own decision at the end. In practice, the hiring rate has been around 80 percent.
The following points outline the process for companies:
| Aspect | How it works |
|---|---|
| Costs for the company | None; employment and insurance are handled by the AMS |
| Working hours at the company | Approximately 25 to 30 hours per week |
| Practical component of training | About 60 to 70 percent; the rest is theory |
| Obligation to hire | None; the company decides freely |
| Productivity | Based on experience, within two to three months |
The current economic situation is making placement difficult. Hiring freezes and cost-cutting measures—even in companies with a public-sector focus—are making the search for positions more challenging than in previous years. It’s not impossible, though.
Many of the current candidates have already spent four or five years—or longer—in IT jobs. They lack not skills, but formal qualifications: no certificate, no college degree, no HTL diploma. They have learned much on their own or on the job and are now pursuing certification in software testing.
What Conditions a Workplace Needs
Making adjustments in the workplace isn’t rocket science—it involves simple behavioral patterns and measures. The most significant factors are the physical workspace and having a clear point of contact.
In an open-plan office, the person with autism should not sit near the entrance or in the middle, but rather in a corner—preferably screened off by a partition or plants—and with the option to work in peace using headphones. A small office with one or two other colleagues is ideal.
Having a designated point of contact is important for the first two to three months. A buddy or mentor answers everyday questions: Who can I ask? Who gives me instructions? Where do I get supplies? This person doesn’t have to be the same one throughout the entire process.
Onboarding also needs to be paced appropriately. One participant was taken directly to all meetings on day two—many of them in English—and didn’t understand a thing. The expectation during the first few days isn’t to provide expert input, but to get to know the environment.
Social interactions are part of the process. If everyone suddenly disappears into the conference room for a birthday party, the new person should be actively included rather than left behind. Support during coach-led learning sessions and brief awareness training sessions within the team round out the support.
