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Autisten und interessierte Zeitgenossen

There was endless late-night speculation in my undergraduate days as to who might get the “tap on the shoulder” from an anonymous representative of the security services in a bowler hat that would signal an invitation to embark on a career as a spy. The qualities we imagined were required were all drawn from John le Carré novels and James Bond films – a certain suave detachment, patriotism mixed with a dash of amorality, and, of course, a love of fast cars. But I don’t recall dyslexia or Asperger’s syndrome ever being mentioned.

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GCHQ even has its own Neurodiverse Support Group. Its chairman (who naturally wants to be identified only as “Matt”) explains the thinking: “What people don’t realise is that people with neurodiversity usually have a 'spiky skills’ profile, which means that certain skills areas will be below par and others may well be above.”

Matt’s reading, spelling and handwriting may be below average, he confesses, “but my 3D special-perception awareness and creativity are in the top 1 per cent of my peer group”. And that makes him particularly well-suited to the hi-tech world of modern espionage.

GCHQ is not the only employer to spot this opportunity. Three quarters of the workforce of the Danish software company Specialisterne is made up of those on the autism spectrum. It argues that a diagnosis of autism can often point to enhanced perceptual functions and a greater-than-average ability to pay attention to tiny, apparently insignificant details. And that is precisely what is in short supply in the industry.

But does that neat fit between “neurodiversity” and spying stretch much beyond a genius with software, the sort of work that is more Q’s department than 007’s globetrotting high jinks? What about solving mysteries and tracking down criminals? Surely that same attention to detail could pay dividends in a secret agent or high-profile detective.