Friday, August 16, 2013, Temple Grandin graced attendants of the US Autism
and Asperger Association World Conference and Expo in Salt Lake City with her
unique outlooks on life with autism. Although Grandin continues to cope with
auditory processing disorder, she was extremely personable as she stood in a
crowded hallway with a massive line awaiting a chance to meet her and have
her sign copies of books she has written. As she signed books, she was
inquisitive as to the progress of loved ones with autism in a person's
family. She frequently broke eye contact, while listening intently to stories of individuals with autism.
Grandin's passionate sentiments and experiences in empowering young people
with autism were obvious as she spoke to attendants at the conference. She
spoke about how her mother taught her rules through chores, games and turn
taking. Her mother would give her a choice to go work on a farm for the summer
or to go for a couple of weeks. There was no option
not to work, so
Grandin learned to make a choice and accept responsibilities.
Emphatic that young people with autism need to be stretched, Grandin
suggested many types of work opportunities comparable to a paper route. She
said that getting a small, regular job early (about age thirteen) would teach a child to work, to be
on time, and to communicate. There are many local opportunities, Grandin noted,
such as walking a neighbor's dog, washing dishes in a restaurant kitchen, or
cleaning a few rooms in a building. "Don't hold them back,"
Grandin emphasized. She said that she is seeing too many autistic young adults
staying in their rooms, playing video games. Ways to prepare autistic young
adults for the workforce can be done one small project at a time and by
building a portfolio. She said to target the portfolio and get it into the
right hands to mitigate the interview process, which is exactly what she did in
her own career.
As one of Grandin's favorite examples of a young autistic entrepreneur, she
shared a new business venture her nephew launched in New York City. The
product...the poop briefcase. Grandin could hardly contain her laughter as she
explained the product. She said that with the high rises in New York, many
dog owners don't want to take their dogs all the way down to street level to
let them do their business, so her nephew marketed training the dogs to go in a
briefcase in the apartment, so that it could later be taken discretely down the
elevator and disposed of later. Grandin continued giggling as she questioned
why people didn't just use the Times and dump it down the shoot, while expressing how this creative
business helped her nephew excel.
Acknowledging that many autistic children have a difficult time with sensory
issues, Grandin cautioned parents and caregivers to be careful to not
overwhelm them. The point is to stretch them, not to push them past their
threshold, but to "stretch" them just beyond their comfort
levels. Grandin pointed out that many autistic children have mild to severe
sensory issues which must be addressed in order to acclimate
to life's situations. She said that with sensory neurological problems, accommodations
are essential and that sensory issues
are neurological. The brain is
processing something physiological, not just behavioral. The behavior
is a manifestation of the physiological issue. There may be hidden painful
medical problems for the nonverbal. In many individuals with autism, Grandin
explained that the amygdala (fear center) of the brain is three times larger.
Some of her suggestions included using pressure or weighted vests to help
the nervous system, slow swinging to stimulate speech, singing-rather than
talking, or trying one medication at a time to see what works best.
If a child has auditory detail or auditory processing disorder, there may be
a greater ability to hear hard consonants. Her suggestion is to slow down.
Emphasize and clearly dictate all of the hard consonants, so that the child can
process them more easily. She also said that if a child has attention shifting
slowness where they have a difficult time looking up and looking down between
facial cues and body movement, social interactions may need to be taught.
Grandin suggested that the best way to teach social "stuff" is to
give the instruction, rather than saying no. "Say what the kid
should
be doing," Grandin instructed. Children with attention shifting slowness
often experience visual images breaking up and fragmenting. Words on a page may
vibrate. In this situation, she said to experiment with different backgrounds
in the classroom or tinted glasses.
Along with sensory issues, Grandin said that learning styles need to be considered. She specified a few types of "thinkers" such as the photo realistic thinker, the pattern/music/math thinker, and the verbal thinker. She voiced concern that verbal thinkers are taking over the school system. Hands-on learning in the classroom teaches resourcefulness and problem solving, she said. Grandin said that the autistic mind sees the details and encouraged listeners to "fill up their minds with variety."
The audience had a chance to see first-hand how Grandin can be affected by
auditory processing disorder as she was interviewed following her speech. As
she answered questions about her childhood, her inventions, and gave additional
tips to parents, staff at the conference attempted to move the podium so that
it would not block the view of part of the attendants. Each time they shifted
the podium back, the microphone was jostled and Grandin would turn her head to
look over her shoulder. It must have happened six times, when finally, an
exasperated Grandin inquired, "
What are they doing?" After
the situation was explained, she responded, "Well, why don't we just move
our chairs forward instead?" The amused audience chuckled at her most
logical response, while identifying with her perspective. Grandin, most
definitely, shared her quick wit, her empowering ideas, and a reminder to look
at life through a different lens.
Resources recommended by Temple Grandin:
www.khanacademy.org
www.udacity.com
Article Written by Jeanette Pascoe
Family Partner, Northern Utah Pediatrics
Families of Super Kids
Mother of a child with autism, epilepsy, and multiple disabilities
