UPSKILL JOURNEY

This unique skilling mission for neurodivergent individuals — people whose brains develop, or function, differently from a typical one — is getting them employed in the IT sector

- NIRMAL JOVIAL

He is at work, wearing a red shirt with a Chinese collar. Through his thick glasses, he peers at his screen to check whether his keystrokes are accurate. Pings from his teammates in Bengaluru occasionally flash on screen; every now and then, his guide Jincy helps him better understand the tasks. Commitment defines his work—there is no room for idle chatter, cigarette breaks or water-cooler chats. A lunch-break at precisely 1pm punctuates his workday; an hour later, the afternoon session starts and goes on till 4:30pm.

“My name is Don Thomas Punnoose,” he says. “I am 31 years old, and I work for Crayon, a company based in Bangalore.”

Don’s voice is soft, and he does not make eye contact. He has overcome Down syndrome to become an adept IT professional at Crayon, a multinational firm specialising in software, cloud, data and AI solutions.

Crayon hired him after a three-round selection process. “I was very happy when I got selected. Because they said, ‘You have a good command of English,” says Don.

A not-for-profit company, Inclusys Org Foundation has trained more than 150 neurodivergent individuals for IT companies.

His mother, Laila Punnoose, is happy and proud. “On January 31, Don completed one year at Crayon, and the company extended his contract for another year,” she says. “Last Christmas, he gifted some money to his elder sister and told her, ‘Buy whatever you want.’ In the past, his sisters used to offer him pocket money; but this time, he did.”