February 20, 2012
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LIFE REPORTER
Meaningful work for people with autism and Asperger’s syndrome is possible when abilities are nurtured from a young age, says autism advocate Temple Grandin.
That’s a message Grandin will bring to Toronto on Tuesday, as part of a seminar on developing talents for young adults with autism, a complex neurobiological disorder that impairs a person’s ability to communicate and relate to others, and Asperger’s, a milder form of the disorder.
Grandin, 64, is best known for her revolutionary transformation of livestock-handling facilities and her best-selling books The Way I See It and Thinking in Pictures about how people with autism think. She earned a PhD in animal science from the University of Illinois and is now an associate professor at Colorado State University.
She was already in demand as a public speaker when her profile exploded in 2010 with HBO’s Emmy Award-winning movie Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes. That same year, she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people.
She doesn’t get home much these days, she says in a recent telephone interview from Sacramento, Calif., and enjoys sharing her messages with appreciative audiences. Here is an edited version of our conversation.
Q: What projects are you working on currently?
A: I’m still working with my students, doing projects on mother cow behaviour and doing a lot of talks. I still write.
Q: How did the movie of your life impact you?
A: It’s made my life a whole, whole lot busier. Lots more speaking engagements. One thing I do like is that a lot of students have been saying to me that it’s motivated them to study and that animal behaviour is something to study.
Q: There is more focus on Asperger’s and autism spectrum disorders than ever before. Is it from greater awareness or is something happening to cause higher numbers?
A: Some of it is greater awareness. Some of it is just increased diagnosis. Autism is a very big spectrum. On one end, you have (Albert) Einstein and Steve Jobs. At the other end of the spectrum, you have people who are going to remain non-verbal.
Q: Are there any breakthroughs about the treatment of Asperger’s and autism spectrum disorders?
A: It’s at a point where mild Asperger’s is just a personality variance. When does a geek or a nerd with mild Asperger’s become autistic? There’s no black and white dividing line; it’s a continuum. The thing about Asperger’s is good teachers. Kids are not socially adept and a lot are really super smart. Get them out and trained for a career with really good teaching. People are always looking for the magic thing. Treatment is just a lot of work, teaching the kids.
Q: You have become an icon in the autism community and have a huge profile and following in the world. Is there a difference in your audiences now?
A: It’s the same audience, there’s just more of it. I’ve been doing a lot of talks in a lot of colleges and I’m finding there are a lot of kids mildly on the autism spectrum. They manage to get jobs and muddle through. A lot of kids are having more problems because there are a whole lot of basic skills that kids aren’t being taught today, but they were being taught in the ’50s. Back in the ’50s, kids were taught manners, how to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ I think it hurts the Asperger’s kids.
Q: What’s your opinion on the controversy over vaccinations causing autism, which has been so soundly refuted?
A: More studies need to be done. Look at the group of kids who had normal language and then lost it — that’s what’s called regressive autism. That group needs to be studied separately. You cannot close the book on the vaccination issue until that study has been done. There are concerns of environmental contaminants too, things like pesticides and chemicals in the environment, medications people have taken in pregnancy. These are all things that are starting to be issues
Temple Grandin will speak at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s John Bassett Theatre on Tuesday at 9 a.m. Admission is $200 for the day-long seminar. Visit leadingedgeseminars.org
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Autism expert Temple Grandin to discuss building youngsters’ talents at Toronto seminar