Odd job requirement

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This is from an actual job listing I just saw:

Why would an employer list this as a requirement? I seriously cannot understand why an employer would post: "considers and responds appropriately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of others". Are they trying to say "Aspies need not apply"? This is a posting for a iOS development studio intern, so it's the kind of work that should be well suited to an Aspie, if only they would give them a chance. So, is this company really excluding Aspies from being considered, or am I reading too much into this?

If anything I'd say they're seeking someone who is tolerant of differences and diversity in people, so they'd probably feel someone with Asperger's would contribute to the richness of perspectives in the office.

IOW I think the "of different people" is key.

It is worded strangely. Still, I agree that it seems to be trying to promote diversity rather than cutting it. Hopefully, they just were oblivious to how that reads to Aspies when they wrote it and were going more for a "KKK members need not apply" motief.

I think your reading into it too much, the key here is: "In addition, the ideal candidate...". Really nothing on that list is actually a requirement for the job, just things that they think would be nice in an employee. Maybe another person applies for the job that is more sociable than you, but you could still end up with the job because you were clearly the better candidate overall.

The thing is the ideal--the perfect--candidate is a fantasy that employers create. The ideal candidate would be a genius with great social skills who can speak 34 different languages and has a fantastic haircut. Nobody applying for any job is really the ideal candidate.

The only thing I find "odd" about it is that they feel the need to say it. That's a requirement for every job I have ever held.

The reason it raises red flags for me isn't because of what it says, but because it causes me to ask why they think they need to say it.

The only reason I can come up with is because they've had problems in this area in the past. That causes a lot of managers to add things like that to job descriptions. I wouldn't be surprised, because I seen it happen, if they came up with this because of problems, and made all current employees sign it in order to keep their jobs.

See, then it becomes an official policy, and anyone found to be violating it can be fired, and they don't have to pay the unemployment penalty.

I would just decide to apply. That line can in my completely subjective and perfectly unfounded opinion mean anything between: "be a social butterfly OR ELSE" to "There are a lot of strange people here, don't be too surprised".

Honestly I think it sounds just the opposite, so people have to sensitive to special needs. Mind you any job that requires social interactions requires you to do most of what it says basically.

They may have an unusually diverse workforce and don't want to waste any time with anyone who can't handle that. Suppose the owner's son was openly transgender? Or had neuromuscular issues as bad as Stephen Hawking's?