Ambigous Defects and Deloitte Social Innovation Pioneer Selection

While writing this blog entry, I am beginning to notice how much more I am beginning to think like a software tester, not only in using the 'blog stubs' method that I have developed, but also in gradually being able to make sense of the processes, as well as being able to apply some of these concepts beyond professional contexts.

Like the game of cricket, software testing is largely over-complicated by jargon. Just from the very title of this entry, you may already have noticed that 'testing speak' is starting to become more visible within my vocabulary, with the use of the term defect. In software testing, the term defect refers to a flaw in a component or system that can cause it to fail to perform its required function. More generally though, a defect refers to a fault that detracts from perfection. Going through the revision questions of the ISEB Foundation Certificate, I am beginning to find much 'defects' in its use of the English language, where another  concept familiar to readers of this blog is also visible - ambiguity!

I have often written here about ambiguity presenting a major challenge to people with Asperger's Syndrome, and also have a piece on this subject in the current edition of The Autism File. Where ambiguity causes 'defects' in the ISEB training material is within multi-choice questions. To start with, I am going to put myself in the unlikely position as a person with Asperger's Syndrome of defending the concept of ambiguity. Multi-choice exams are often dismissed as being 'too easy' or 'like filling in the National Lottery', but where they can be made challenging (which I am sure most would agree that exams should be) is through ambiguity, as long as it makes sense! For ambiguity to make sense in a multiple-choice exam though, you can't have possible answers that use a different word to mean the same thing such as in the following example:

Regulation Acceptance Testing is performed against any regulations that must be what?

A. Understood

B. Read

C. Adhered to

D. Followed

At first, it is apparent that all available answers apply to the question, but then on closer inspection, it becomes clearer that is little difference, if any, between choices C and D. The correct answer is C, but D virtually means the same thing. Ambiguity doesn't just apply to the recruitment process, but it is also present during the training stage and can cause confusion. 

Having been immersed in software testing, as well as blog stubs, something that it also helps me to be mindful of is that when writing a blog entry, issues that I describe often go beyond the blog stubs to add further dimensions to the other aspects of my role at Autism Works, in this case, the Operational Procedures, where I may look at reinforcing guidance on training employees with autism and Asperger's Syndrome. Chris Neville-Smith, one of our Test Analysts, has suggested that when we start training new trainee test analysts, it may help to have a 'jargon-buster' guide to help make sense of any ambiguity. 

Kilimanjaro (5895m), Tanzania

Elsewhere, we have had good reason to celebrate this week after being selected from over 300 applications to be a Deloitte Social Innovation Pioneer! Thirty social enterprises, including Autism Works, were selected by Deloitte to receive £1 million worth of support to help grow their business. Outside of work, my training for the Bupa Great North Run is progressing quite well, despite the strain it can put on me physically sometimes! I have now extended my challenge into a double challenge - the Great North Run this year and then in October 2013, hopefully climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak at 5895m (19,341ft). 


Sponsorship raised from my Kilimanjaro challenge will go to the Daisy Chain Project. To find out more about my double challenge, click here. Stay tuned to see how this progresses.


I would like to say a huge thank you to all who have so kindly donated to my challenge for Daisy Chain so far, and to feel free to pass this link through your networks.

Stubs, Pies and Lighthouses

This week at Autism Works has seen me take another turn with my software testing training. In last week's entry, I talked about how aspects of the ISEB Foundation in Software Testing Training Course reminded me of previously gained knowledge from university experiences as well as the principles of Buddhism. Having now completed the six lessons of the course, I have started to see aspects of software testing come into my work, including writing this blog and have also benefited from some creative use of training material, similar to what I advocate in my workshops on Asperger's Syndrome for Employers.


When learning about software testing within a life-cycle of a software product, I have come across special-purpose implementation of software components in existing software products, or stubs. this has provided me with a different approach to writing my blog whereby I list 'blog stubs' to expand on, which, I am finding, is very conducive to the way I think in relation to Asperger's Syndrome in a visual and structural sense. The list of blog stubs provides me with a structure, giving me a visual image as to how paragraphs and content will be structured, as well as occasionally enabling me to come up with an image to explain what I am writing about. Autism Works' Test Manager Grayson Cobb did this very effectively in explaining the techniques of statement and branch testing coverage using an image of three pies, to explain the workings of the following code:   
                                               

 
    If A = 3 then
    Display_message A;
    If B = 2 then
    Display_message B;
    Else
    Display_message C;
    Else
    Display_message D;



Unless one has an IT background, the above code is unlikely to make sense initially, as much as it didn't to me, not to mention the relationship with the pies! The first two actions (A=3 and B=2) are both specific and have an equally specific outcome while the next two actions (else) are open. So to do a 'statement test' to ensure the specific actions work you would need to test two actions (A=3 and B=2), but to do a 'branch test', you would need to test all actions. How this works in relation to the pies is that of the three pies, one is mince and the other two are steak, but is unknown which is which, so one would have to taste all three pies to see which one was mince and which two were steak, performing three tests. It became much clearer to me after Grayson used his previous experience as a chef in explaining the process!


Many people with Asperger's Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism, including myself and, perhaps most famously, Temple Grandin are largely visual thinkers, often benefiting from use of images to understand different working processes, hence the title of one of Temple Grandin's best known works Thinking in Pictures. In relation to how I think visually, I find it especially helpful when learning a new theory or task, in this case a software testing technique, it helps to use an effective visual image or to act a task out enabling me to see the workings of it, and so that I am able to replicate the task effectively.   

Souter Lighthouse, Whitburn,
the world's first electrically-lit lighthouse

Away from work, I have continued with my training for this year's Bupa Great North Run, including doing my first extended outdoor run, running along the coast between Seaburn and Whitburn from lighthouse to lighthouse. My run started and finished at the Old Lighthouse in Seaburn running up to Whitburn's Souter Lighthouse, the world's first electrically-lit lighthouse, before coming back to seaburn, a round trip of six miles. Once I got going, I really began to enjoy it and couldn't stop! Hopefully it will be like this come September 16th 2012! For more information on my challenge, click here. 


Stay tuned to Adventures with Autism Works to see how both my Great North Run and ISEB training progress, as well as how Autism Works continues to develop. 

Moving Office and Learning a New Language

Welcome back to Adventures with Autism Works. This last fortnight has seen some interesting developments for me at Autism Works, not least with regards to what I am learning from the ISEB Foundation in Software Testing Training Course that I am currently doing, and today sees us move into some temporary offices before we move to Milburn House on Dean Street, a little further down the road from our current premises on Grey Street in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

I feel that I am making quite reasonable progress with the ISEB Foundation course. As well as learning some new terminology and gaining an understanding of software testing tools, I am also finding that there is a lot of similarities in the course to what I have previously studied or practised, from the Management module that I studied as part of my MA (Hons) in Information Management to Buddhist philosophies I have heard described in Dhamma talks delivered by Ajahn Munindo and Ajahn Sumedho.

Much of lessons one and two of the course have been about Quality Assurance, along the theme of preventing defective products from being made through testing rather that allowing defective products from coming off the production line through lack of testing. This reminded me very much of an interview with Tom Peters, the renowned Management Consultant, that I watched when a student at Northumbria University, in which he talks about achieving excellence through assessment techniques and continuously identifying areas for improvement. This was when the concept of management was totally new to me, but in applying such an approach to the present time, Tom Peters recognises that there is no one-size-fits all approach to management consultancy, which is why his service doesn't have a single approach. Rather like the Autism Works recruitment process cannot have a one-size-fits all approach due to the huge difference between individuals on the autistic spectrum, due to the different requirements of software developers, the company can't have a one-size-fits-all approach to testing.

However, an approach that we can employ with whichever testing tool that we approach testing a company's software with is one of our key assets, our independence from the constraints and systems that software developers work under, which as readers of this blog may remember is what we like to market ourselves on at Autism Works. As we are not familiar with the systems and working practices, it can enable to see their work from a different perspective, thus see details more clearly. This is very similar to the 16 knowledges (nanas), central to practising insight meditation, which focus on how we can be 'conditioned' by how we interpret our surroundings, in other words, how our mind can 'edit' how we see the world around us. Another aspect of software testing where Buddhist philosophy can be applied is in communication of truth between the development and testing teams, rather than applying blame, as the developers and testers are on the same side with a joint goal of getting effective and well-tested software to the market quickly. To enable this, it helps to use empathy where necessary.

As I write this piece, we have just moved into temporary accommodation until our preferred new premises are fitted with broadband, which should be in about a month's time. Taking apart desks and furniture for moving reminded me of various comedies involving DIY going wrong! Elsewhere, I have also had some very generous donations for my Bupa Great North Run Challenge over the last two weeks - a huge thank you to all those who have thus far donated. You can visit my Great North Run page at http://www.justgiving.com/Chris-MitchellGNR

Stay tuned to this blog for more adventures in the world of software testing!

Now it's time to do the ISEB, now it's time to keep active!

This week has seen me step into the unknown at Autism Works in starting working towards the ISEB Foundation Certificate. As an industry-recognised qualification for software testing, the ISEB Foundation Certificate could be of great help in my future if I can attain it. Elsewhere, I am continuing with my training for the Bupa Great North Run and have also been to the cinema this week to see The Muppets, which brought back so many magical moments and wonderful memories!

Both starting the ISEB Foundation Certificate and participating in a major half marathon, albeit the latter isn't until  September, represent to me stepping into the unknown, as they are both new territory for me. Stepping into unknown territory has become very much a feature of my time at Autism Works as I seem to have found myself doing it on a regular basis. The biggest change for me to adjust to when I was first appointed as Operational Manager at Autism Works was the working culture in that the working arrangements are so much more flexible than they were at my previous employers where the set-up was much more rigid. With the post being a new post, I understood that the duties and responsibilities were still subject to development. Being able to anticipate such changes in my role though has really helped.

Readers of this blog will be familiar with the concept of unlearning old or conventional methods and practices, which can also mean unlearning habits. Something that I find though with learning new skills, such as learning software testing techniques, is that it is as much about changing the way you think as it is about memorizing jargon as well as various processes. Though it is early days into my ISEB Foundation Certificate (I have only just started), something that I am slowly beginning to pick up is that there are many processes that are complicated by jargon, rather like how the game of cricket can appear to an outsider. Hopefully, the more I become used to the jargon, the more I will be able to familiarise myself with the processes and before long, I may be able to understand what my software-orientated colleagues are talking about!

I was able to take a break from my Great North Run training and my duties at Autism Works earlier in the week to see The Muppets perform their first show together for many years, made possible by Walter, their biggest fan, who got to perform with them. The literal humour and running gags that often featured in the show used to have me in hysterics that I struggled to get out of, as well as Fozzie Bear's jokes being so bad that they were hilarious! I was so delighted to see that they were all just as good and as hilarious this time around, not to mention that they have all aged well, especially Kermit!

I guess in relation to how I am in relation to Asperger's Syndrome, literal humour appeals to me. Comedy is often the world seen through different eyes, including Asperger eyes, but what makes the English language so advantageous to comedy is that there are so many words that sound the same but mean different things. There were one or two parts though in the film that if you have so many affectionate memories of growing up with the show are difficult to watch without shedding a tear, especially when they all joined in to sing 'The Rainbow Connection' together.

Haven't they aged well!

Regarding my half-marathon objective, if anyone is interested in making a donation towards Daisy Chain, the charity I will be running for, my donations page has now gone live on JustGiving. To visit this page, click on the following link- http://www.justgiving.com/Chris-MitchellGNR

Stay tuned to see how this progresses!

 

Warming Up and Overcoming Procrastination

This week has seen Autism Works submit its second round application to the Deloitte Social Innovation Pioneers Award and I have also submitted my entry form for this year's Bupa Great North Run. The latter represents a quite significant step in my life, not least because for much of my life the idea that I would take on such a challenge was unthinkable!

A busy last few days had seen me doing much last-minute research to add weight to Autism Works' application to Deloitte to give a strong case. On the subject of weights, this week I have had a fitness consultation at the gym where I have adapted my training programme to meet my needs for taking on a half-marathon. Obviously, it is not possible to train for such an event entirely in a gym, as one would have to spend quite some time running on a treadmill, not to mention it isn't possible to recreate outdoor conditions in a gym. So as part of my commitment, I am going to make it a goal over the next few weeks to do some more running outside with the weather starting to get a little warmer.

As well as the stamina required for distance running, I found out during my consultation that it will also help to keep the weight-lifting aspect of my training going, as well-tuned muscles provide for more flexibility, greater endurance as well as aiding mental health, thus providing a good foundation on which to run. To aid my mental health, continued mindfulness practice, including some basic yoga stretches should reinforce this. An Asperger quality that helps with such preparation is attention to details such as these, which can make quite a big difference.

The big challenge for me though is to put such details into practice, as at the moment, I still have a tendency to 'procrastinate' a little before starting a training session. I did used to experience this with my meditation and mindfulness practices exercises when I was relatively new to it. It took me quite some time to be able to open to it effectively and go straight in to it, but I am hopeful that I can overcome this over the next few weeks with a little effort.

As I have said, it is a significant step that I have taken in entering such an event. To complete it though will be a giant step for me. Reaching Everest Base Camp to raise funds for the National Autistic Society back in 2009 enabled me to realise that it was possible for me to take on physical challenges, as well as opening me up to a new vocation in life, undertaking physical challenges for charitable purposes. Preparing for the Great North Run to raise funds for Daisy Chain this time represents a continuation of this. I am not aiming to do it within a particular time, but just to complete it will be a major achievement for me. But to make that possible, the hard work starts now.

In the meantime, at Autism Works, work will continue as normal.

Research, Progressive Memory and Vivekarama

Welcome back to Adventures with Autism Works. Let's start with some good news. We are through to the second round of the Deloitte Social Innovation Pioneer Award! We now have another application form to fill in and submit to Deloitte next week. Elsewhere I have agreed to participate in some research at Durham University later this month on prospective memory and also this week, I have made my first visit to Sunderland's new Buddhist temple.

Since I received my Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis back in 1998, I have usually been quite forthcoming in participating in Asperger-related research, as long as it is ethically approved. Often, participation has been quite fun. This time last year, I took part in some research they did on 'autobiographical memory',  including being able to relate past experiences to hypothetical situations. This year, Durham University's Psychology Department are researching 'prospective memory' in both people with an ASC diagnosis (including Asperger's Syndrome) and people not on the autistic spectrum. Quite the opposite of autobiographical memory which relates to long-term recall, prospective memory refers to remembering to carry out a plan or task, such as taking a turkey out of the oven, or turn up to an appointment at the right time such as seeing a doctor, dentist etc.

In the world of psychology, it isn't fully understood how prospective memory works, let alone how it is affected by Asperger's Syndrome. From personal experience though, I have felt that sometimes excessive anxiety and worry associated with Asperger's Syndrome can interfere with immediate priorities in the present. Where I have found myself forgetting to carry out immediate tasks or even just making a start on tasks in hand as well as forgetting to attend appointments or collect important items, including prescriptions, is when I have been preoccupied with worry as to my long-term future.

Quite often, through the obsessive-compulsive tendencies that some people with Asperger's Syndrome appear to have they can become attached to worry and anxiety that it may affect their short-term memory. In previous jobs, something that I used to find was that, though I have a good recall for facts and figures (including those relating to special interests), at the same time when answering phone calls I was often unable to remember the name of the caller when putting calls through! I guess this is one of the more misunderstood aspects of Asperger's Syndrome.

As readers of this blog will most likely recall, I have previously written about how mindfulness practice has helped me tune into the present moment. Relating to this theme, I made my first visit to Vivekarama, Sunderland's new Buddhist temple and meditation centre, which has been opened by Venerable Ashin Nandapala, who was awarded a PhD in Buddhist Studies by Sunderland University in 2011 and has been a monk in the Burmese tradition of Buddhism for over 30 years.

Venerable Ashin Nandapala opens Vivekarama, Sunderland's new Buddhist temple

As well as the Deloitte application, another form I have to fill in is my entry form for the 2012 Bupa Great North Run, a job over the weekend. In the meantime, stay tuned to Adventures with Autism Works.      

Challenges, Training, Aurora-Chasing and A Curious Incident

This week, I have found myself doing a lot of planning, including setting some challenges as well as preparing to manage some changes in my role at Autism Works that are coming over the next fortnight. Also, I am putting together some slides for a presentation I have coming up next month for Diversity Works - The Untapped Workforce at Sunderland's Nissan Sports and Conference Centre.

This event is organised by the Sunderland  Local Autism Working Group, with whom I have been working, in association with the Percy Hedley Foundation and is aimed at employers large through to small to medium, who may be interested in understanding and hopefully benefiting from the skills and abilities that people with a range of differences*, including Autism and Asperger's Syndrome may have to offer. If interested, you can find out more at the Sunderland4Autism website which went live earlier this week. The site has a link to this event, as well as a directory of local services in Sunderland for adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome, thus supporting the Local Autism Plan.

Next week, I am due to learn some new skills in software testing, when we are expecting the next set of work to arrive. This will be an interesting challenge for me, as most of the time, learning a new skills involves coming out of your comfort zone, and can be as much about unlearning old methods and habits as much as learning new processes, and in the case of software testing, a new language. What I am looking forward to though with the software training is working much more closely with our two Software Test Analysts Dan and Chris and Grayson, our Test Manager, who will be going through much of it with me. This experience could also reinforce the ongoing development of the Autism Works operational procedures, including in developing policy around working with client organisations, through understanding more about how they work.

On the subject of challenges, I am continuing to work with Daisy Chain on raising funds for the charity by entering this year's Great North Run and in 2013, trekking to Kilimanjaro. I have had the enjoyment of giving talks and training to Daisy Chain and I have been so impressed with the work they do. What they have done so well in particular as an autism charity is that they have encouraged interest and support from outside the 'autism bubble' (people on the spectrum and their parents), including from businesses. To enable the charity to continue their good work, their Chief Executive Matt Simpson has taken on the challenge of trekking to the summit of Kilimanjaro this year to raise much needed funds. For more about Matt's challenge, click here. I hope to continue this in raising over £3,000 from both the Great North Run and Kilimanjaro, as well as charting how the physical exercise continues to help with my self-esteem, a different form of training to software testing training! Watch this space for more on this as it develops!

Elsewhere, like much of the North of England, I have caught the 'aurora bug', with the Sun going through the Solar Maximum, giving off numerous Coronal Mass Ejections (CME), making it possible to see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, to be seen further south than usual. I got a glimpse of them from Sunderland back in the late-1980s, but unfortunately, I haven't been quite as lucky this time around. I walked along the beach at Whitburn, near where I live Sunderland, during the dark on two different nights. One night it was clear, but the CME wasn't powerful enough. The following night, the CME was much stronger but it was cloudy. However, it was nice to have a whole beach to myself despite the chilly temperatures!

Meanwhile, in the autism world, I have heard that Mark Haddon's best-selling novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has been adapted as a stage play. It is currently on show at London's Cottesloe Theatre (part of the National Theatre) and may go nationwide if successful. It will be interesting to see how the stage version is done, as much of the novel describes the experiences from inside the mind of Christopher, the boy with Asperger's Syndrome and central character of the story.

Stay tuned to Adventures with Autism Works to see how these challenges unfold!

*Notice I have used the term 'differences' to describe autism and Asperger's Syndrome rather than 'disabilities' or 'conditions'