Danny Combs didn’t set out to be the head of a non-profit that makes a huge difference in the lives of neurodivergent individuals. In fact, he spent most of his high school years working in the trades in the summer before serving a stint in the Air Force. After that, he moved to Nashville to pursue a music career.
However, it was the birth of his son that radically changed Danny’s trajectory. After his son was diagnosed with autism, Danny found that most of the programs designed to help his son were deficit-based. Instead of telling his son what he was good at, the programs told him everything he needed to improve. Danny looked for programs that would focus more on his son’s abilities but couldn’t find any.
That fact led Danny to create TACT, a Colorado-based nonprofit that teaches vocational skills to neurodivergent individuals and helps them find jobs. He would also become the director of the Colorado Disability Opportunity Office, a state-led organization that maximizes support for new and innovative programs benefiting Colorado’s disability community. In this episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” Danny discusses with host Dan Kahn why he started TACT, its critical mission and how neurodivergent people can make a positive impact in today’s workplace.
Click on the icon above to listen to the entire episode, and here are our top five takeaways:
The trades offer great career paths for neurodivergent individuals.
Changing the traditional educational model to better fit the needs of TACT’s students required radically different thinking.
Creating TACT required a “just do it” mentality but also the right team.
The focus and loyalty of neurodivergent people can make them ideal employees.
It is time for business owners to question the narrative built around autism.
There is a lot of Opportunity in the Trades (Especially for Neurodivergent People)
The massive increase in college costs and the rise of AI have led many people to consider vocational opportunities instead. With the previous focus on jobs that require degrees, there are also many unfilled jobs in the trades. These facts align perfectly with TACT’s mission and are a huge benefit for its neurodivergent students who might not thrive in a traditional college setting.
“The trades offer so many opportunities. I think part of the reason TACT has such a high placement rate is that those businesses (in the trades) are seeing how talented our kids are. They are recognizing that, oh my gosh, this is an untapped talent pool,” said Danny.
“When TACT started, it was me driving around in a ’58 Chevy, pretty much begging them to hire our graduates and look at all the things they can do. Now they come to us.”
A Shift in Thinking
Founding TACT required some significant shifts in thinking. First, Danny wanted to create an organization that focused on the abilities of autistic individuals instead of their supposed deficits. He also wanted to abandon the traditional time-based educational model, where people spend a fixed amount of time in programs before advancing. Both shifts played key roles in the success of TACT and its students.
“At TACT, it is competency-based rather than timetable-based. So you and I went to high school for four years, and if we went to college, it was for four years. If you ask any educator why it is four years, nobody knows,” said Danny. “It seems to be this arbitrary number that we have come up with. But if you can do the job and you can develop the skills, why can't you just move along at that point?”
Just Do It
Creating TACT seemed like a giant undertaking, but Danny’s advice for anyone considering something similar is to just do it. While he threw himself at TACT with an almost reckless abandon out of sheer passion, he was smart enough to surround himself with the right people. Recognizing where he needed help was key to TACT’s survival and success.
“It (starting TACT) was very, I wouldn’t say foolish or reckless, but more like a dad throwing everything into it and just going for it,” said Danny. “My education and trade background helped, but I had never written a grant before and didn't understand how it worked. Or how it works with the state and federal governments. I surrounded myself with people who did know all of that, and thankfully, those people have always ensured everything we do is very much above board.”
Locked In and Loyal
Many neurodivergent individuals possess a unique skill sorely missing from much of today’s workforce: the ability to focus completely on a task until it is done. They are also highly appreciative of those who hire them and stay loyal to those employers. These facts can make them extremely talented and valuable employees.
“When you look at our graduates, they are on task. They do not want to talk about what they saw on Facebook, what they did at the bar last night or who won the Broncos’ game. They want to work. That is what they want to do, and they are there to work,” said Danny. “Likewise, they are incredibly loyal. Once they get placed, they are not looking to go to the
shop across the street for a quarter more because they are happy and feel valued and respected.”
Questioning the Narrative
For business owners thinking of employing neurodivergent individuals, Danny notes that it is important to question the traditional narrative built around autism. By doing that and keeping an open mind, they can wind up with an awesome employee. Hiring someone with autism also isn’t just for charity, as they can make as big an impact on your business as you do on their lives.
“I would encourage people to have an open mind and question the narrative that a lot of us have learned about autism. I would guess that when a lot of people hear the word 'autism,' they think it is a bad thing. That is what I thought when my son was first diagnosed with autism,” said Danny. “But as we are learning more, a lot of us are recognizing that this isn’t something we should shy away from or be afraid of. Maybe there is an opportunity for a demographic that we haven’t even recognized as there that we can bring into our businesses. I would encourage them to look for the programs that are supporting that talent in their area.”
