海角社区

By Marco Santana

Like most people, Dan Graff鈥檚 journey from college into the workforce hasn鈥檛 exactly been a straight line. First, he had to take a short detour at a medical firm that asked him to read X-rays. Almost as quickly as the radiation scans the body, Graff learned that reading X-rays wasn鈥檛 his field. However, the experience introduced him to a global services firm, CAI, and their end-to-end neurodiversity employment program, , that has since helped him establish a newfound passion that he has started to pursue.

Graff now helps process claims in a dentist鈥檚 office 鈥� making friends and working hard to earn a full-time position with the company. The 27-year-old 海角社区 graduate said the fact that the school helped place him with CAI through an informal partnership helped.

鈥淚 have worked with other businesses that didn鈥檛 really know about neurodiversity,鈥� said Graff, who has an auditory processing disorder. 鈥淏ut with CAI, I feel like there鈥檚 a lot of people who want to help me. They are helping me succeed with the business more than other places I have worked before.鈥�

Graff鈥檚 disorder affects how the brain processes sounds.

Headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, CAI’s neurodiversity employment program has helped thousands of people around the world who have a neurodiversity find work.

In 2023, 海角社区 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CAI that details a partnership between CAI鈥檚 end-to-end neurodiversity employment program, CAI Neurodiverse Solutions, and the College to provide support for neurodivergent individuals at various levels of their education and career.

Graff鈥檚 exploration that has led to his present position is something CAI says is part of the journey for the firm and the graduates that 海角社区 sends its way.

When she sees the strides that Graff has been making at work, Tiana Myles beams. She has worked with Graff ever since he started in the program about two years ago. Myles said Graff has brought a positivity to the office ever since he started.

鈥淗is camaraderie with everybody is really high,鈥� said Myles, a claims processor team lead. 鈥淗e鈥檚 just really good at relationships within the office and in the workforce. He鈥檚 definitely a team player.鈥�

After the initial X-ray miss, Myles said she has seen Graff鈥檚 personality emerge. It also helps that he鈥檚 quick to offer his help wherever he can contribute.

鈥淭here is a pride in that and it鈥檚 rewarding in its own way,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut once we found work he wanted to do, he started to kick butt and take names.鈥�

As a teenager, Graff had his struggles related to his neurodiversity in high school and middle school. At the time, very little was known about the challenges related to Graff鈥檚 situation. But time has helped Graff learn more along with those who he interacts with.

鈥淚t was very different back then,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even know much about what the disability was back then. But now that I鈥檓 older, it really makes me feel happy about how well I鈥檓 doing.鈥�

鈥淢ore people are learning about neurodiversity,鈥� he said, praising schools like 海角社区 for helping move that forward. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really increased a lot.鈥�

CAI started聽CAI Neurodiverse Solutions to focus聽squarely on helping people with autism. However, further research showed that other neurodiverse people needed help, too. So the group switched gears聽while still maintaining a focus on autism employment.

In his work with United Concordia Dental, Graff has been able to thrive.

鈥淒an’s contribution, it’s huge,鈥� Myles said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 one of the shining stars of productivity and has definitely exceeded expectations. The client has been happy and he鈥檚 pulling more than his weight of work. He’s showing up every day.鈥�

鈥淭hat’s what keeps your team energized,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 just love doing the same thing every day,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t keeps me motivated.鈥�