Career Development

By Marco Santana

Like most people, Dan Graff’s journey from college into the workforce hasn’t 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’t his field. However, the experience introduced him to a global services firm, CAI, and their end-to-end neurodiversity employment program, CAI Neurodiverse Solutions, that has since helped him establish a newfound passion that he has started to pursue.

Graff now helps process claims in a dentist’s office — making friends and working hard to earn a full-time position with the company. The 27-year-old Beacon College graduate said the fact that the school helped place him with CAI through an informal partnership helped.

“I have worked with other businesses that didn’t really know about neurodiversity,” said Graff, who has an auditory processing disorder. “But with CAI, I feel like there’s 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.”

Graff’s 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, Beacon College signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CAI that details a partnership between CAI’s 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’s exploration that has led to his present position is something CAI says is part of the journey for the firm and the graduates that Beacon College 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.

“His camaraderie with everybody is really high,” said Myles, a claims processor team lead. “He’s just really good at relationships within the office and in the workforce. He’s definitely a team player.”

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

“There is a pride in that and it’s rewarding in its own way,” she said. “But once we found work he wanted to do, he started to kick butt and take names.”

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’s situation. But time has helped Graff learn more along with those who he interacts with.

“It was very different back then,” he said. “I didn’t even know much about what the disability was back then. But now that I’m older, it really makes me feel happy about how well I’m doing.”

“More people are learning about neurodiversity,” he said, praising schools like Beacon College for helping move that forward. “It’s really increased a lot.”

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

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

“Dan’s contribution, it’s huge,” Myles said. “He’s one of the shining stars of productivity and has definitely exceeded expectations. The client has been happy and he’s pulling more than his weight of work. He’s showing up every day.”

“That’s what keeps your team energized,” she said.

“I just love doing the same thing every day,” he said. “It keeps me motivated.”