• Be Kind Autism Speaks Autism-friendly workplace and environment

Charity | Autism Speaks

CIT is happy to announce that we are the first company in the State of Minnesota to receive the Autism-Friendly Designation from Autism Speaks. This is a huge accomplishment for our entire organization and demonstrates our 100% commitment to making CIT a welcoming workplace for all.

Autism Speaks Autism Friendly Designation
Be Kind Autism Speaks

The Autism Speaks Autism-Friendly Designation signals to the public that our organization is committed to creating an inclusive, accepting and understanding environment for all guests and customers. This program – developed by autistic people, clinicians and autism experts and guided by national level competencies in direct support for people with disabilities – helps foster organizational understanding and acceptance of autistic people, their family members and those who support them.

Learn more about CIT’s Corporate Charity here.

Employee's participating in the 2020 Autism Speaks walk at CIT Woodbury office autism speaks Employee's participating in the 2020 Autism Speaks walk at CIT Woodbury office Be Kind Autism Speaks Employee's participating in the 2020 Autism Speaks walk at CIT Woodbury office Designated Autism Friendly by Autism Speaks

Now more than ever it is important that CIT as an organization support our communities. To further align with CIT’s mission and values, we are excited to announce that we will be charitably supporting Autism Speaks in the Twin Cities. Although we are in the infancy stages of this partnership, we plan to communicate our engagement details as they become available. Autism Awareness is something very familiar to a few of our employees personally and some of the engagement ideas that we envision for CIT are as follows:

  • Workplace Giving – Implement educational programs and corporate matching programs in support of people with autism.
  • Workplace Education – Hosting an Autism-Friendly event to help educate our staff and increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism.
  • Company Volunteering – Employees to volunteer in support of the autism community.

What is Autism? Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 59 children in the United States today.

We know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, most influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Because autism is a spectrum disorder, each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges. The ways in which people with autism learn, think and problem-solve can range from highly skilled to severely challenged. Some people with ASD may require significant support in their daily lives, while others may need less support and, in some cases, live entirely independently. If you have any questions, please reach out to Tara Klocke at 651.255.5728 or tara.klocke@cit-net.com.

CIT is designated Autism-friendly by Autism Speaks