Steven Glowacki is employed.

This isn't normally a monumental feat for a 35-year-old with a bachelor's and master's degree in mathematics and another master's in accountancy. Or a problem for a person with an IQ within genius range who passed the certified public accountant exam with 95 percent accuracy — well above the national average of 71.9 percent.

But for Glowacki, gainful employment has been a near decadelong struggle as he contends with social awkwardness due to his autism disorder and the feared perception of the disorder from employers.

Until now.

I interviewed Glowacki for an article on the economic and human toll of autism and how employers are, quite frankly, missing potential local talent. In the days and weeks following publication of "Putting Autism to Work" in the May 16 edition of Crain's, an outpouring of calls and emails came to me from local businesses, big and small, interested in employing Glowacki.

He received interest from 29 companies in total, ranging from multinational auto companies and advisory firms to regional grocers and family-owned accounting practices. Colleen Allen, president and CEO of Southfield-based Autism Alliance of Michigan, helped Glowacki organize several interviews.

Rochester-based Richard J. Boyse CPA PC earned the opportunity to hire Glowacki.

He'll start in August as a staff accountant, working for one year to reach his 2,000 hours of practical experience to obtain his CPA license, said Peter Boyse, president of the five-person firm, then assessing his options to remain with the firm or move on.

"We're a family firm, and my parents are trying to figure out (what) their transition from the practice is going to be," Boyse said. "Hiring somebody this summer had been on my mind, and I read your article and something clicked about the skills he had to offer that everyone was overlooking."

But this isn't a blog post about do-gooding. This is about self-interest.

Boyse did hire Glowacki because of his disorder, but not because it was the honorable thing to do.

"The PR aspect wasn't on my radar," he said. "My wife is a social worker, and I've often told her about how I thought individuals with (autism) would make great accountants because this job is about crunching numbers. She actually pushed me to hire Steven. We think it's going to be a good decision."

Mark Mullen, president of Troy-based Griggs Steel Co., read the article and saw Glowacki's disorder and ability as a potential tool.

Mullen said the high-value metal supplier for cutting tools needed a different approach to its inventory management system. Griggs contracted Glowacki this month in a part-time role until he begins his full-time job at Boyse.

"I wanted someone to analyze our system in a methodical way, to think outside the box," Mullen said. "When I saw the article, I thought, 'Here's the answer to our prayers, to something I've thought about for a long time.' We're in the middle of the process right now, and so far he's been very helpful."

Glowacki didn't open up about his disorder and depression for the kick in the gut. He did it because he thought it would help him get a job.

"All along, he did this because he wanted a job," Allen said. "He made it clear from the beginning. He just wants to work and to contribute significantly and grow an organization."

Me? Well, I'm smart enough to know that adding Glowacki's compelling tale to a story on the economics and employment discrepancies of adults with autism would push it from good to great. Call it opportunism. Call it being a good reporter.

We all acted in our own self-interest. That's the point. This wasn't about companies seeking and hiring people with disabilities. This was, and still is, about missed opportunities.

How many Steven Glowackis are out there? We simply don't know.

In the U.S., it's estimated that more than 3.5 million people, and one in 68 children (one in 42 for boys) born have autism spectrum disorder, according to a 2014 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. In Michigan, the state estimates there are 50,000 or more adults with autism, and growing.

Those are just estimates because scientists and doctors are only beginning to understand its prevalence. The disorder is pervasive.

What is known is that more than 50 percent of those diagnosed with autism have average to above-average intelligence, according to a 2014 study. People like Glowacki.

How many geniuses has your company interviewed and tossed aside because they were too direct or too awkward?

Let me give you another chance. About 150 adults with autism have contacted the Autism Alliance since the article ran in May. All looking for jobs.

Are you hiring?