SL_Spotlight_0619_Spotlight 6 / 11 / 19 4 : 55 PM Page 1 spotlight Temple’s In Temple Grandin’s world , hope and perseverance make Take anything possible . BY DEBRA WALLACE EVER SAY NEVER ” MAY VERY WELL BE Grandin at th TEMPLE GRANDIN’S UNOFFICIAL MOTTO . e AMT 2017 D.R.E.A.M . Gala in California “ N Bornin1947 , she grew up at a time when doctors recommended having children with autism and neurological disorders “ banished to institutions . ” Grandin’s mother , Eustacia Cutler , knew better . With rules , consequences , and therapy , and lots of ups and downs , they persevered . are just not carrying out the basic skills that Since then , Grandin has beaten all of the odds . She is a Ph.D . , and a professor of they need to learn to go on and become pro - animal science at Colorado State University , as well as a prolific author , a motivational ductive adults , ” Grandin says . “ We’ve got to speaker , and an autism expert . The remarkable 71 - year - old has spoken to sold - out stretch these kids . ” crowds in Philadelphia and around the world , and has written more than a dozen Her message comes at a time when the books — and she clearly has no intention of slowing down . In April , she spoke at the needis great . One in 59 children has been di - Pennsylvania Convention Center , as part of an all - day educational conference sponsored agnosed with autism spectrum disorder , ac - by Future Horizons . cording to recent figures from the U.S . Centers Grandin was immortalized in Temple Grandin , an Emmy Award - winning HBO movie forDisease Control and Prevention . We spoke starring Claire Danes , which told the story of an autistic woman who overcome a male - with Grandin about what she means by dominated industry and became a leading authority on the humane handling of “ stretching ” kids with autism , the evolution livestock . Her story underscores the fact that every individual , including those with ofour understanding of the disorder , and why autism , can make a profound difference in the world . parents of autistic children should look to the “ Too many of these kids get a label of being overprotected and , unfortunately , they future with a sense of hope . Is it easier for And they are holed up in the basement or the We’ve got to get kids out and expose them to children with bedroom , and the parents can’t get them out a wide variety of stuff — music , theater , wood autism today of the house . You want to give them choices , shop , and more — so they can figure out what than it was 10 but sitting in the bedroom all day is not going they might be interested in for their future . Q.A or 15 years ago ? to be one of them . Even the kids who are more Yes , things have severely challenged can often do a lot more Is there hope for everybody grappling with an really improved for young children because than we think that they can . autism diagnosis ? there are a lot more services available for Definitely . You’ve got to start looking at what them . I recommend my book The Way I See It What do you consider a solution to this issue ? they can do . And even with some of the ones to help with the little ones . Let’s get them out and doing something active . who are more challenged , there’s a tendency to When I was a teenager , I used to like to fly kites . overprotect them and to help them too much . You say these kids need to be “ stretched . ” I even made kites . It’s just simple stuff , like What do you mean by that ? asking the neighbors if your son or daughter What is it like to talk to parents who get down You don’t throw the kids into the deep end of could walk their dogs every morning before about their children or their family because of the pool , but you’ve got to push them and and after school . Let’s get them outdoors and the naysayers ? help them stretch . So , you give your child two learning job skills outside the family . I’ve had parents tell me that doctors choices — and playing video games is not one predicted that their son or daughter would of them . You found what you loved with horses and “ never amount to anything . ” But they read my cattle . You recommend others do the same , books and looked at my videos , and What about the teens and adults ? suggesting it may help children and maybe discovered that I was right . They did the hard That’s where I am seeing the problems , with even turn it into a fulfilling career . work and they never gave up . They tell me , the middle school and high school kids . I’m Exactly . I was exposed to cattle when I was “ My kid has graduated from college , has a seeing the fully verbal kids who are not being 14 years old . If I was not exposed to cattle , I good job , owns a house , and has a family challenged . They are addicted to video games . would not have gotten interested in them . now . ” And it is very gratifying to hear this . ? SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM JUNE 2019 80 |