An Evening with Temple Grandin

Dr. Temple Grandin recently spoke at an evening event in San Antonio. She is a leading voice for autism. She spoke about her journey from a non-verbal 3 ½-year-old to a Ph.D. and professor in the field of animal sciences. She shared the important keys to her success. She believes parents today can help their children lead more productive lives.

Dr. Grandin shared how her mother guided her toward success. In the early 1950s, her mom focused on getting the right doctors, therapies, and schools. She insisted that Temple learn how to live in the world. And that Temple learn how to act in everyday settings and in public.

Her mother pushed her out of her comfort zone. She helped her explore options. She never said “no” or “don’t.” She calmly taught Temple acceptable behaviors and guided and encouraged Temple toward her goals.

Dr. Grandin talked about the key (in her opinion) for young people with autism to be successful: Teens with autism need job skills. They all need jobs during their teen years.

Parents can be vital to helping their children develop job skills. Here are her key points.

• Start early and make chores a part of your child’s routine.
• Help your child explore different types of jobs.
• Focus on jobs that use the strengths of your child.
• Common traits that might hinder certain jobs include poor short-term working memory, poor multitasking, and difficulty in high-stress situations.
• Difficult jobs include fast food worker, short order cook, air traffic controller, and cashier.

Teens need to start their job search as early as possible. They will probably go through several jobs before they find one that is a good fit. Bosses need to know about their social limitations.

Temple Grandin has a wonderful way of sharing the experiences of someone on the spectrum. Listening to her can give parents a peek into what their child experiences. Her personal stories shine a light on autism and the autistic brain.

For more about Temple Grandin, you can check your public library or bookstore for her books. You can also check out her website. 

The careers section of this site has helpful and relevant information for finding the right employment