temple grandin
Dr. Temple Grandin, 75, has a very direct message for parents of autistic children and teens. Take what they are good at and build on that. To understand what they are good at, you need to encourage them to try new things. ”
That’s exactly what her own parents did, and Grandin attributes much of her success as a renowned scientist, best-selling author, and autism activist to their early intervention and encouragement. increase.
“She is a heroine in the autism community and we are honored to host Dr. Temple Grandin on January 7 at our next Redefining Autism Speaker Series event,” said a family initiative in Southwest Florida. said David Brown, co-founder and president of A non-profit organization dedicated to helping children and families with autism. “In addition to the families in our mission, Dr. Grandin has her own personal journey as she navigates through school, higher education, and work, and has a very important message to share about people who think differently. We are opening our events to the entire community because she is a scientist, award-winning author, and autistic. It’s an honor to do it.” The event is free and open to the public.
Family Initiative co-founder and president David Brown said:courtesy photo
At the age of two, when she was still nonverbal and showing all the signs of autism, her mother ignored doctors’ advice and kept Grandin out of institutions. Instead, she spent hours in speech therapy and other early education interventions.
At the age of 4, she started speaking. During her kindergarten years, her mother helped her adjust to her classroom, using the same techniques used in mainstream programs today.
“When it was time for school, she and my teacher would talk to the kids and ask them to help me. I went to my teachers,” Grandin said. “But when she was eight and still didn’t know how to read, her mother taught her phonics at home. She started with books that interested her.
“High school was a mess, I was bullied and kicked out, so I went to boarding school, ran a stable for three years, and cleaned a stall. What I learned was hard work.”
Her high school science teacher, who recognized Grandin’s appreciation for her hard work, motivated her to study and become a scientist.
“He gave me interesting projects and motivated me to study and become a scientist,” Grandin said.
While visiting his aunt and uncle’s ranch one summer, Grandin was exposed to animal husbandry.
That’s where her love of animals blossomed, and she began to connect the similarities between her way of thinking and those of animals through visual associations.
She made it her life’s work to better understand her own autistic mind, taking readers of her books into the world of visual thinking. We want to redefine autism by showing how it is essential to our collective well-being.
In relation to autistic youth, Grandin’s message is clear. “You can’t push these kids into sensory overload. Instead, think about the differences in their mindsets and interests. Does this kid like Lego? Building stuff? Musical instruments? Extend exposure from hobbies to career possibilities.I want my kids to be exposed to many things that can lead to careers.Teach them what children with autism can do. I just want to show you.”|
