EMPLOYMENT Dad opens car wash and only employs autistics.

Posted by Lenny Schafer on Saturday, June 13, 2015

Ever been to a business where 80% of the employees are on the autism spectrum?

Rising Tide Car Wash in Parkland, Florida, was started by the father-and-son team John and Tom D'Eri. Their son/brother, Andrew, was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3. At the time that the business opened, Andrew was approaching the age of 22, which is known in the autism community as "falling off the cliff." That's the age when all government support ends, and a lot of autistic adults lose their sense of purpose.

So John and Tom started CanDo Business Ventures, a nonprofit that focuses on employing people on the autism spectrum. They then decided to open the car wash, which is good for people on the spectrum because it focuses on detail and repetitive process.

As the mother of a child on the autism spectrum, I can't tell you how much this touches me. I always worry about our son, and the challenges he'll face as an adult.

More From Cars 108