In talks at MIT, noted behavioral expert suggests encouraging skills of people with autism.
When she was just two, doctors advised Temple Grandin’s mother that her child would probably need to be institutionalized for life due to her autism. But her mother would have none of that, and instead focused on teaching her daughter basic social and life skills, even though she didn’t begin to speak until age four.
That approach worked with dramatic success. Grandin went on to graduate from college, earn a PhD, design new systems for animal handling that revolutionized the meat processing industry, earn a faculty position at Colorado State University, and become a leading spokesperson and author on dealing with autism. In public talks on Monday and Tuesday, she shared her insights at MIT’s Media Laboratory.