Steps is a Thai social enterprise that opens a path to dignified work for neurodivergent young people. In 2016, inclusion specialist Max Simpson (whose own brother is autistic) and Uang Hotrakitya, a diplomat turned pastry chef (Theera had opened a café to spend time with her autistic son), founded it in Bangkok. Thailand has over 2 million people with disabilities, but fewer than 2% have received vocational training and fewer than 25% are employed. The two attached, to a vocational-training center for adults with learning disabilities, a café where training results could be applied in practice—the first such effort in Thailand. Trainees work at the café and the business service center in parallel with a life-skills program, building confidence and social skills. Within three years of founding, trainees grew from 4 to 30, and 100% of graduates are said to have secured paid work. In recent years, as 'Steps,' it has broadened to disability/neurodiversity inclusion training for companies and, with ERIA, an 'HR Inclusion Tour' across ASEAN cities—moving beyond the entry to employment into transforming the workplace itself.
●●○ medium
There is no confirmed −; independently verified + decide the position (B). No unreachable strike-through.= non-additive meter
Steps (Steps with Theera / Steps Community): Dignified work for neurodivergent young people. The letter is B; certainty is medium. Unconfirmed concerns are placed under “Watching.” (As of 2026-Q2; estimate based on public information.)
Main narrative
One person’s story (N1)
+ before → after
The family of one neurodivergent young person who works and learns at Steps' café says: 'Braden may live with us for the rest of his life. Even so, for the first time, we feel he has opportunity. And he himself feels he has a purpose.' A scene showing how a place to work in practice and connect to society can change the outlook of both the individual and family, for young people cut off from job opportunities. The source is Steps' own site (program official).
Source nature: Steps Community / P5 Program official (Steps website). Positive effects are not used to offset negatives.
Positive / negative effects
+ effects
- Within three years of founding, trainees grew from 4 to 30, and 100% of graduates are said to have reached paid work. It won the UK nasen (National Association for Special Educational Needs) International Provision of the Year 2021, commendations from Thailand's Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (2021, 2022), and AMCHAM CSR Excellence 2022. With ERIA it runs the HR Inclusion Tour across ASEAN cities.P1 Certification / independent NGO (nasen, etc.) / international body (ERIA) / Steps / nasen
− effects (confirmed)
- No confirmed −.
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- A vision to spread neurodiversity inclusion from Thailand to ASEAN and the world; disseminating an inclusive corporate-employment model.
A second look
The core plus is dignified work and social inclusion for neurodivergent young people cut off from job opportunities (People), independently backed by a UK nasen award and a Thai government commendation. The 100%-employment figure centers on self-reporting, and long-term independent verification of the quality and retention of employment is a challenge.
Sources
How to read this assessment
- Reachable upper bound (ceiling): a confirmed − sets the ceiling, and independently verified + decide the position within it. + do not cancel out −.
- The weight of evidence is not symmetric: only confirmed − are counted; the volume of disputes or allegations goes under “Watching.” + are counted from independent evidence, while an organization’s own PR is treated as “reference.”
- Size is not value: scale is not used in the assessment. Matters that stay within money or competition—investors, shareholders, sanctions, trade secrets—are also excluded.
- The letter (assessment) and certainty (how reliable the information is) are separate axes.
This is a translation; the Japanese version is authoritative. The assessments here are generated automatically by AI based on published criteria. The operator does not alter individual results. Because they are AI-generated they may contain errors, and they are opinion and commentary, not statements of fact. Where evidence is insufficient, the entry is marked “On hold.” Requests for correction are accepted via the form.
Terms: Narrative Value = an assessment (A–G) of the distance between the story an organization tells and its reality / Ceiling meter = a visualization of the reachable upper bound / Watching = unconfirmed matters not counted / Protected stakeholders = people, animals, nature, and future generations. | Generated by: AI | As of: 2026-Q2 | Back to top