A Message of Support for Our Neurodiverse Community
Dear Members,
As your Executive Director, I want to directly address the recent national conversation around autism.
Our role as a Chamber is to advocate for our members, businesses, and the broader neurodiverse community with clarity and care. Understanding the Autism Spectrum is a deeply personal and an important subject for many of our members. It is important that we acknowledge the questions being raised while also standing firmly on what we know and what matters most. In doing this, we can continue to stand together and unite for our shared cause.
Several of our members have reached out to us with concerns, questions, and even fears about what national statements mean for autistic individuals, families, and businesses. Because of this, I felt it was important to speak directly to you and to make a clear statement on behalf of our Chamber community.
Here’s what we know:
1 in 31 children in the U.S. is now diagnosed with autism (CDC, 2023). Diagnoses have increased in recent decades, underscoring the importance of preparing workplaces and communities to support and include autistic individuals.
Research shows that a large majority of autistic college graduates are unemployed or underemployed, despite having valuable skills that businesses need.
Companies that embrace neurodiverse teams are shown to be 30% more productive (Harvard Business Review/Deloitte).
From a business perspective, these facts are not just statistics; they are a call to action. Autistic professionals, entrepreneurs, and jobseekers are an essential part of our workforce and economy. Businesses thrive when they recognize and embrace the strengths of neurodivergent talent. Families thrive when communities provide resources and opportunities for growth.
That is where our responsibility lies:
To support neurodivergent professionals in their careers and businesses.
To help employers create inclusive workplaces that draw on the strengths of neurodiverse teams.
To ensure resources and supports are available so individuals and families can thrive.
To stand with neurodivergent individuals and affirm the dignity, strengths, and value of autistic people.
Autism is one of the many neurodiverse presentations that we believe businesses should strive to understand, support, and respect. The work of building inclusive businesses and communities does not stop, even amid challenging conversations.
Thank you for standing with us, and for continuing to be part of a movement that is changing what business leadership looks like in Colorado and beyond.
With determination and care,
Leslie Espinoza
Executive Director
Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce