Ask HN: Tips for Dealing with an Autistic Developer?

The context is as following: We've hired an autistic developer. He was very open about it during his interviews and his technical knowledge seemed on par. He has been working for nearly a month with us.

First of all: He is trying very hard. There is no doubt in me that he is doing the best he can. Second of all: he is able to program.

But he seriously struggles with understanding the bigger picture. We've got quite a lot of systems that need to communicate with each other and he's having a hard time with understanding how they all work together.

I've underestimated the amount of coaching and guidance he needs but I'm willing to invest time in him over the next couple of months. Does anybody have tips on how to help him best?

What I've figured out on my own: - Be very patient. - Be very explicit. Normally I like to ask questions, so people can figure out the answers themselves, but this doesn't seem to work for him.