Temple Grandin wants more autistic people in your workplace. If they don't become part of the workforce, your company will lose out.

That was the key message from Grandin, an industrial designer and fellow "ASpie" (a term referring to the "autism spectrum") who designed Cargill's slaughterhouses across the U.S. and Canada.

The noted author, animal scientist and subject of an HBO movie about autism drew more than 1,600 corporate executives, officials and parents to the first Autism and Employment Forum at 3M earlier this month.

Only three per cent of people with autism are currently employed. It used to be that one in 250 people would be diagnosed with autism. Today that number is one in 91. It's more prevalent today than ever, executives said in explaining why they asked Grandin to talk to business leaders. "I'm convinced that this group is one of the most untapped pools of talent we have," said Best Buy's Webteam vice-president Cindy Holker.

Bill Buckner, senior vice president of Cargill's animal-nutrition division, said he first worked with Grandin more than 20 years ago when she designed enclosed, curving and narrowing pathways that helped calm cows heading into slaughterhouses. The design reduced animal stress and injury.

Grandin " helped us grow over the years, especially in the area of animal handling. Cargill owes a lot to this one person. ... She had a huge impact on our plants," he said. In response, "We are increasing the awareness and the employment opportunities for people with [mild autism] and other disabilities."

People with mild autism or Asperger's syndrome are basically "geeks," Grandin said, adding Silicon Valley, Hollywood, corporate labs and IT departments are "loaded" with well-paid individuals somewhere on the spectrum of autism.

Many just haven't been diagnosed yet, she said, and so don't carry the label of the illness -heightened intellect, awkward social skills, black-and-white, literal reasoning, an intolerance of noise and the inability to read facial cues or body language. But people with the brain disorder also frequently possess a commanding grasp of science, statistics, research and engineering. They make great innovators, engineers, scientists and graphic designers, said Grandin