What Is Your Earliest Recollection And How Old Were You
I was in a summer program when I was just a real little child about three. I can remember playing around in a wading pool. When I was 3 1/2 years old, I can also remember quite a few things. I can remember the frustration of not being able to talk. I knew what I wanted to say, but I could not get the words out, so I would just scream. I can remember this very clearly.
I can remember a time when I was in speech therapy in nursery school. The teacher was using a blackboard pointer to point to the students to do something, and I was just screaming every time she aimed the pointer at me. I screamed because I was taught at home that you should never point an object at a person because it could poke out your eye. I could not tell the teacher that I was taught at home not to point things at people.
I can also remember someone playing the piano and marching around the piano. And I remember, which I think is my earliest memory, when I was taken into a hospital for a hearing test. I do not remember anything about the hearing test, but I remember I stayed overnight in the hospital. They let me sleep in a small bed with all kinds of stuffed animals and dolls.
Some People Do Not Realize That You Have A Doctorate In Animal Science Briefly What Was The Focus Of Your Dissertation And What Were Your Results
I did my dissertation on the environmental effects on dendritic growth in the somato-sensory cortex of the pig. There has been much research on rats in which one group of rats lived in a plastic laboratory shoebox, and the other group of rats lived in a Disneyland playground with all kinds of toys to climb, and the toys are changed everyday. The results clearly showed that the rats in the Disneyland environment had more nerve endings in their visual cortex. So I thought, let’s try this experiment on the pig. I had some pigs live in a Disney-Pig-Land, with toys and straw bedding, and other pigs lived in a little commercial plastic pen. And guess what happened? We were very surprised–the results came out backward. The pigs in the little plastic pen had more nerve endings in their cortex.
We then asked why this happened? We looked at the videotapes which were filmed during the night, when nobody’s around and we found that these pigs were doing a lot of rooting. They were rooting the floor and rooting each other. They were just doing stereotypic behaviors when nobody was around them. These extra nerve endings were probably very abnormal. This is one of the reasons that I feel very strongly that you should not let little autistic children sit in a corner and tune-out 6 hours a day. They may be forming ‘Dendrite Highways’ in places where they are not suppose to have them.
First Let’s Say The Child Is Under 5 Years Of Age
I am a big believer in early intervention. You have got to keep autistic children engaged with the world. You cannot let them tune out. I can remember when I tuned out, I would just sit and rock and let sand go through my hands. I was able to shut the world out. If you let the child do that they are not going to develop. Many early intervention programs have different theoretical bases, but I have observed that good teachers do the same things regardless of the theoretical basis. And I think it is really important to keep them engaged. When I was a little child I was expected to sit at the table and have proper manners. Research is starting to show that a child should be engaged at least 20 hours a week. I do not think it matters which program you choose as long as it keeps the child actively engaged with the therapist, teacher, or parent for at least 20 hours a week.
Some children may need a behavioral approach, whereas other children may need a sensory approach. Autism is an extremely variable disorder. I really want to emphasize this point. A treatment method or an educational method that will work for one child may not work for another child. The one common denominator for all of the young children is that early intervention does work, and it seems to improve the prognosis.
Recommended Reading: Autism Psychology Today
Why Did You Choose The Name Temple Grandin School
We understand that some may have a limited association with the name Temple Grandin others may only think of her as autistic. We see her as a unique individual that breaks the mold and transcends that label. Her autism does not define or limit her potential. Mainstream American press includes her in a list of heroes. Her example reminds us that each person is unique, with talents waiting to be nurtured. She is iconic, colorful, fascinating and someone the world is interested in. It is this thriving spirit that we want our students to emulate. Her gracious agreement to let us name a school after her has opened doors we never expected.
What Are The Ramifications Of Standardized Education On The Autistic Mind
Lets look at something as simple as learning math in the early years.
Well, the problem is the algebra requirements are screening out a lot of these kids. I cannot do algebra. Ive never passed algebra.
The problem with standard, logical learning progressions are laid out clearly in Dr. Grandins famous TED talk.
Traditionally, a student who failed algebra may not be allowed to continue to the next level of maths. This, according to Temple Grandin, is a huge mistake. The student who failed algebra because of their unique processing capabilities may show an incredible talent in trigonometry, for example.
Recommended Reading: Visual Schedule For Autism
Temple Grandin Is Wrong On Vaccines And Autism
Temple Grandin is undoubtedly one of the most famous women with autism of our time. Trained in animal science, Dr. Grandin is a widely read author and noted speaker on autism. April is National Autism Awareness Month, and Dr. Grandin has a new book out, “The Autistic Brain.” Together, this must have seemed like a good time for the New York Times to interview her. Unfortunately, the interview is superficial and not very illuminating, and what Dr. Grandin does say is disappointing. Her take on vaccines and autism, which apparently is elaborated upon in her new book:
This is the problem when scientists speak about areas where they’re not experts. I got a lot of flak for my post to my dad addressing vaccines, with people accusing me of being condescending and underestimating his intelligence, but this shows it’s not an intelligence thing at all. Grandin is obviously intelligent. She’s also highly educated. She has a PhD in another field. But she’s not an expert in vaccines, as her comments show, and that’s the problem with scientists who speak outside of their area of expertise. Even the very educated amongst us can’t know everything, and it becomes problematic when we use our reputation as scientists to promote something that we don’t have the background knowledge to really understand.
- Log into post comments
What Type Of Feedback Are You Receiving From Parents And Professionals About Your Hug Box
Many parents have told me that their sons or daughters seek pressure, especially some of the nonverbal adults. They get under the sofa cushions, wrap themselves up in blankets even when it is really hot, and lay between the mattress and the box spring. Pressure is calming to the nervous system. In little children, there are many inexpensive ways to provide deep pressure, such as gym mats and bean bag chairs. To help hyperactive children sit still in class, a weighted vest is often helpful. This is similar to a photographer’s vest, and it is pad and weighted. In fact, just a little bit of pressure helps calm them down. I think the squeeze machine or hug box would be most valuable with adults, but I was also pleased to hear the results from your research study on the squeeze box. The results from your experiment makes sense to me only a certain kind of child had big benefits. This is the kind of child with a hyper aroused sympathetic nervous.
The squeeze machine is not going to cure anybody, but it may help them relax and a relaxed person will usually have better behavior.
Recommended Reading: Ian Ritch Girlfriend
Temple Grandin: A Heroine To The Autism Community Brings Humanity To Animal Science
Temple Grandin is world-famous for being a high-functioning person with autism, but there is so much more to her than that. As she puts it, for her, being a scientist comes before being autistic.
Grandin, a 2017 AAAS Fellow, has been a professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, since 1990. She teaches, mentors students, has authored books on both autism and animal science , has published a dozen research papers in the past year alone, and maintains a prominent profile as a public speaker and consultant to the livestock industry. She was inducted into the National Womens Hall of Fame in 2017, and has been one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
The most important thing she’s done, Grandin said, is the simple scoring system she created for cattle handling in the meat-packing industry: five outcome-based measures that moved the focus away from equipment and Grandin has designed some of the most-used handling equipment in the industry to emphasize how the animals are actually treated.
Grandin has said she can understand animals reactions to sensory stimuli because she has had much the same reaction to loud noises and sudden movements herself. Animals are very aware of small, sensory details in the environment, and so are people on the autism spectrum, she said in a 2014 interview for the Stanford Medicine website.
Such a fantastic trip! she said.
Temple Has Been Honored With A Sculpture Housed Within The Jbs Global Food Innovation Center On The Colorado State University Campus
Temple comments:
I think whats really important is inspiring students to persevere, said Grandin at a recent celebration for the bronze sculpture.
Grandin, a CSU professor of animal sciences and renowned animal behaviorist and autism activist, recalled just how important that trait was during her early years in the industry.
The artist, David Anderson, said, We hope that this display will not only honor Dr. Grandin, but help expand the impact that she has had on the welfare of livestock and the understanding of autism
Don’t Miss: Autism Biting And Pinching
Several People Sent Questions For Me To Ask You A Mother Who Has A 5 1/2 Year Old Child With Pdd Wants Advise Her Son Attends A Pre
I do not have enough information to give full advice. Since PDD and Autism are strictly behavioral diagnoses, they are not absolute diagnoses such as Down Syndrome. There is a tremendous range of children with a PDD label. From talking to parents, there seems to be two types of children who end up receiving a PDD diagnosis. One is a very mild case where the child is verbal, and he has only a few mild autistic traits. The other type of PDD child is neurologically disordered. He is nonverbal and has autistic sensory problems. The PDD label is used because he is affectionate and interested in people. These are two very different types of PDD labels, and they are like apples and oranges.
Since the child is aggressive towards one particular child, we need to figure out why is this is happening. Is the other child teasing him? In any case, a behavior intervention is needed to stop this behavior.
How To Develop The Will Of Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin truly is a hero. She was born with a disorder that stopped thousands of other children from having a good life, and thousands more from even having the right to their own freedom.
Yet, she not only had a good life, she made the world a better place for animals and autistic children everywhere.
So what can we learn from her?
Read Also: Autism Motivational Quotes
What Can The International Space Station Teach Us About Living With Covid
Throughout the course of the podcast, weve heard about the importance of routine and the effects of routine disruption.
I suggest that people might want to look at life on the International Space Station. Youve now got seven people up there right now, living in a very confined space. And one thing that NASA has learned is, they have to have a schedule and they have their scheduled work, exercise time, they have a midday meal, theyre all expected to get together for the mid day meal. They also have scheduled time off and Scott Kelly who spent a year on the Space Station said that the schedule was really, really essential.
How does this factor in to Dr. Temple Grandins impressive productivity?
Well, the most important thing is the getting up in the morning, not sleeping in.
Ive got to get up, make myself do it. And then were going to sit down and do the really difficult writing and the hard work in the morning. I do a walk in the afternoon. I try to schedule a lot of these conferences in the afternoon.
And Im finding if I dont do that, then I really dont feel very good. And youve got to find stuff to do.
You Were One Of The First People In The Field To Stress The Importance Of Sensory Problems In Autism What Are Your Current Thoughts About This Issue
I have been a big believer in making people aware of the sensory problems in Autism, and these sensory problems are variable. They are going to vary from a mild hearing sensitivity to a person who cannot see and hear at the same time. Their senses jumble together, and they are not able to locate their body boundary. This type of person needs a different approach than a highly verbal child who can do normal school work.
In fact, some of these nonverbal children need a very gentle approach. Donna Williams wrote about a mono-channel approach, where she either has to listen to something or see something but she cannot do both. I was the type of child where they could just jerk me out of Autism by saying ‘Now come on, pay attention!’ But you cannot do this with children with more severe sensory problems. In these cases, you have to question whether there is a biological reason for the bad behavior or a behavioral reason. If sound hurts a child’s ears, there is no way you can make him not be scared of the school bell.
Read Also: Asd And Adhd Comorbidity
What We Can Learn About Emotional Regulation From Temple Grandin
Did you know that individuals with autism have measurably divergent brain size and neurological responses? From enlarged temporal lobes to section-specific hyperactivity, those on the spectrum have minds that work just a little bit differently. These brain-based differences help to explain why people on the spectrum have unique abilities, and why they struggle with emotional regulation.
Emotional regulation is the skill of managing feelings so that they dont reach overwhelming levels and interfere with learning and development. Many people on the spectrum need support as they struggle to manage their emotions and mitigate their anxiety. This challenge is compounded by the fact that individuals with autism also deal with sensory processing issues.
But what does that mean, exactly?
Imagine trying to control your emotional response while dealing with overloaded senses. Are you having trouble envisioning it? If so, watch this video simulation. It provides a portal into the sensory overload experience.
The presence of sensory issues makes it all the more essential that children learn emotional coping tactics. Without these vital skills, children may engage in meltdowns, tantrum behavior, self-injury, and other compulsive, problematic behaviors.
With this in mind, we turn to the wise example of Dr. Temple Grandin, a self-advocate, world-renowned activist, author, professor, and speaker on the spectrum.
Questions: Temple Grandin Discusses Autism Animal Communication
Temple Grandin, an autism-rights activist and professor of animal science at Colorado State University, will discuss autism and animal behavior in a Nov. 19 talk at Stanford.
Temple Grandin will speak about animals and autism on Nov. 19 at Stanford.Rosalie Winard
Temple Grandin, PhD, is one of the most well-known and accomplished adults with autism. As a child, she did not speak until she was 3 1/2, communicating her frustration by screaming, peeping and humming. Born in 1947, she was diagnosed with autism in 1950, at which point her parents were told she should be institutionalized.
Grandin ultimately went on to earn a PhD in animal science from the University of Illinois in 1989. She is currently a designer of livestock-handling facilities, consulting for major U.S. companies, and a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. She has been widely featured in the media, including a 2010 TED talk titled, The World Needs All Kinds of Minds.
Grandin will speak at free public event at noon Nov. 19 in Stanfords Clark Center auditorium. Her talk is titled, Animals Make Us Human, and it is sponsored by the School of Medicines Department of Comparative Medicine. Recently, she answered some questions about the condition and her work with animals from writer Ruthann Richter and Sherril Green, DVM, PhD, professor of comparative medicine.
Q. How does autism help you connect in a unique way to animals?
You May Like: Is Symmetra Autistic