A Carwash In Florida Is Employing Autistic Workers And That Is Great

The Rising Tide car wash in Parkland, Florida is pretty much like every other car wash you ever go to. You drive your vehicle there, some nice people put it through a series of machines for you, more nice people finish it up, and off you go. Except 35 of its 43 total employees are on the autism spectrum.

And Rising Tide views that as an asset, rather than a detriment. Many of the symptoms of autism include an affinity for repetitive actions, routine, and obsessive attention to detail, and while that can make things difficult in many jobs, those symptoms actually work to an employee's advantage in the car washing business.

The car wash was founded by John D'Eri, whose son Andrew is autistic. The D'Eri family was worried about what would happen to Andrew once he aged out of school, and his support system fell away. With no more daily activities, no structured social interaction, and few job opportunities, Andrew's life would've become much more difficult. By starting Rising Tide, and employing not only Andrew but others like him, the D'Eri family has managed to alleviate many of the problems that adults with autism suffer from.

Which is pretty damn neat.

Contact the author at ballaban@jalopnik.com.