Temple Grandin to Autistic adults: get your butts out of the house and get a job

“Young adults with autism need to get their butts out of the house and get a job! Work experience can start small walking dogs in the neighborhood or mowing lawns,” Temple Grandin

By Ron Sandison

Temple Grandin was standing in the back corner next to the stage as I entered the ballroom of Detroit Marriott Troy at 7 AM for the continental breakfast and my first cup of Java. All the vendors and presenters were bustling to setup his or her tables for the Metro Parenting Living Autism Conference. The 3,840-square-foot auditorium was empty except for Temple and me.

Metero Parenting Conference

“Hi Temple. I am Ron Sandison. I have autism and I will be presenting on Building Social Skills & Confidence in Those with Autism,” I said reaching out my hand.

“Do you have a job?” Temple asked with a stern mechanical voice.

“Yes, I have been working full-time nine years at Havenwyck Hospital and fourteen years part-time as a professor of theology at Destiny School of Ministry. I am also married and have a one-year-old daughter, Makayla Marie.”

“Way too many young adults with autism and Asperger’s have never had a job or only make a living speaking on autism without real life work-experience. What type of work do you do at the hospital?”

“I am a psychiatric care specialist. I lead mental health groups—working one-on-one with psych patients.”

“Since you are autistic and have a career I will come and listen to your breakout session. The other day I met a mom and her sixteen-year-old son with autism. He is verbal and has never gone shopping on his own. I am glad your mom unlike her helped you to be independent not babying you.”

Temple Grandin and Ron Sandison

I introduced Temple to my mascot Prairie Pup and honey badger — a crowd had now encircled us. As the host of the event snapped Temple and my picture including my furry companions.

Later in the afternoon, I was thrilled to see Temple sitting in the backrow, listening intently to my breakout session. Her presence made me feel nervous.

Talent Attracts Mentors

It was amazing to hear her practical advice live. It reminded me of my own journey. I loved her quote, “Talent attracts mentors.”

This quote was true for my success. My gift of memorizing over 10,000 Scriptures lead to me mentoring and interning under internationally known TV evangelist Dr. Jack Van Impe—the walking Bible. Through this internship I learned the skills required for operating an international ministry and was able to develop my interpersonal skills. Dr. Jack Van Impe shared with me his struggles in his early days of ministry as a traveling evangelist and the miracle provision from God to establish an international ministry.

My internship for Dr. Jack Van Impe’s ministry was one of the defining moments of my life. Through this internship, I developed self-confidence and also learned the important skills of working with others.

Get Your Butts out of the House

I also loved her quote, “Young adults with autism—need to get their butts out of the house and get a job! Work experience can start small walking dogs in the neighborhood or mowing lawns.” When I was fifteen-years-old my dad helped me get a job as a dishwasher at Bell Knapps. I developed social skills and manors by working in the hospitality industry.

A couple of humorous quotes Temple shared were, “Being a woman in a man’s world was harder than autism,” and “Don’t try to de-geek the geek.”

Build Your Strengths

The final insight, I gained from Dr. Grandin was build areas of your strengths not weaknesses. In her message she continually stressed that individuals with autism, academic skills will be uneven. This was especially true for me. I was unable to learn anything phonetically. I received a D in Spanish (a phonetically taught language) and I did poorly in math. My reading comprehension and memory ability as a visual learner were off the chart. During my master of divinity, I took three years of Koine Greek and earned a 4.0 GPA. Koine Greek unlike Spanish is a dead language and therefore taught visually using flashcards.

I was greatly blessed by meeting Dr. Temple Grandin. I hope to hear her again soon. She provides hope for us on the spectrum as a role model by her accomplishments, integrity, and work ethics.

***
Ron Sandison works full time in the medical field and is a professor of theology at Destiny School of Ministry. He is an advisory board member of Autism Society Faith Initiative of Autism Society of America. Sandison has a Master of Divinity from Oral Roberts University and Charisma House is publishing his book on 4/5/16, A Parent’s Guide to Autism: Practical Advice. Biblical Wisdom. He has over 10,000 Scriptures memorized including 22 complete books of the New Testament and over 5,000 quotes.

Ron and his wife, Kristen, reside in Rochester Hills, MI, with their daughter, Makayla Marie, and pet rabbit, Babs, and cat, Frishma. Checkout his website Spectrum Inclusion at www.spectruminclusion.com. You can contact Ron on Facebook or email him at sandison456@hotmail.com

Other blogs the reader may like:

Lunch with Temple Grandin eleven recommendations for artists
Temple Grandin: The 30 Second Wow – How to Sell Your Art and Music
18 Great Quotes by Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin named to National Women’s Hall of Fame

56 replies on “Temple Grandin to Autistic adults: get your butts out of the house and get a job”
  1. says: Matthew Calliham

    Wow, she says that as if it’s so easy! Hey, you think I and people like me haven’t *tried* getting a job? It’s hard when nobody wants to hire autistic people, and it’s even harder when companies like Goodwill, who actually *do* have a policy of hiring disabled people, just use it as an excuse to keep wages down. I think most of us who live with autism would prefer actual solutions to these problems, instead of someone who’s supposed to be on our side deciding to talk down at us from their place of privilege. Shame on Temple.

    1. says: admin

      Matthew I can see your point as I have an adult son on the autism spectrum who is unemployed. He has a job coach and is in a program. He wants to work. He made a list of things he could do – dog walking is one of them. I told him the first thing you need to do is write a list. The second thing he did was tell his job coach. Now he is going to have to go to places and complete applications. He doesn’t drive and is dependent on others. I think what she is saying is do something. I believe you don’t always have to get paid at first. In the past I’ve gone unpaid on jobs to learn new skills and then employers have hired me.

  2. says: Michelle Skigen

    She is living a privileged life. She was blessed with a gifted-level intellect, a parent able to house and support her, who fought every step of the way for accessibility and who cherry-picked her support professionals, then she encountered businesses who aligned with her special interests, and now, she is basking in the light of authority. She can only speak from what she knows…. and has difficulty seeing that the foundations of privilege she stood upon are not available to most people. Most employers are intolerant of autism quirks even in gifted-level employees and no matter how well the actual job is done, will be quick to fire off complaints of coworkers and/or clients because whether or not people feel good matters infinitely more than whether or not the job was done to an exceptional level…. they’d rather have mediocre work done and people liking the person. Sometimes a 504 will protect against that, but only to the level of convenience of the employer.

    1. says: Grace

      No she wasn’t. Have you even read anything about her early life? Her mother was told to institutionalise her.

  3. says: Melanie

    Not everyone has the money, mobility or support system Temple has. And the economy doesn’t help either. I am autistic and was fired over and over, not because I was not qualified (A couple of the employers told me even as I was being fired that I was the best employee there), but because I didn’t fit into the “work culture” or co-workers thought I was weird.

    My boys have tried and tried to get ANY sort of work, and have accepted EVERYTHING offered, even volunteer work. Their bosses have nothing but GOOD to say about their work skills and ethic. But getting work, even short term temporary positions is almost impossible. (My non-autistic daughter has not had the same problems)

    Shame on Temple Grandin. She may be exceedingly privileged, but I would have thought she could understand one of the most basic struggles of being autistic. Apparently she does not.

  4. says: keri bowers

    It’s often not so simple as just getting out of the house to “get a job”. There are many tentacles of this process that depend on superior supports and community-corporate-business buy-in with a lot of nurture to the process of maintaining a job once achieved.

    My son, Taylor, is 28. It is not so easy to get a job, without all the right components (too numerous to even go into here) being in the right place at the right time. In this equation, we also cannot get self-determination, responsibility, and esteem.

  5. says: Emma

    Temple Grandin can fuck right off; if I’d been in Ron Sandison’s shoes, I would have given her short shrift as soon as she started pulling all that classist crap by snootily and and condescendingly interrogating me about my employment status… indeed, I can’t understand why Ron Sandison wasn’t offended, and why he considers it an honour to have met her. I mean, who the fuck does she think she is?! Puffed up princess!

  6. says: marytormey

    It seems the sensory overload look, just doesn’t go over well with today’s employers. I was lucky to get the prep. room job. I think I could have done much better and worked harder, if food manufactures were not so intent on cheating people out of a good meal with fake food. A part time job, a few hours a week, made me feel important, but I felt like, I was gasping for air, looking for just one dry inch of clothing to blow my nose on so I could breath again most of the time. When I took time off to grow my own food and heal, I was saddled, with the unreasonable burden of proving my innocents. Now Idaho State University is still refusing to recognize my rights as a more disabled student, even though I have a transferable degree in science from North Idaho College.

  7. says: david jackson

    She has lost many fans after that verbal outburst. But her excuse is her Autism, I wonder who diagnosed her and when?

    The most laughable aspect to her complaints about young Auties getting out of the house and getting a job is that she never actually looked for a job herself, her family was a wealthy one as well…..she is clueless about the world, so she should hold her tongue and stick to writing books.

    I like her even less now.

  8. says: Holli

    She trivialized one of the greatest problems autistics deal with. They face repeated rejection to the point ordinary people couldn’t emotionally handle. The strength of people who continue to try deserves respect and those who say “screw this I’m sick of this” need support that find solutions. Up to 87% of autustic adults don’t have jobs. Walking dogs and mowing lawns and other seemingly simple jobs create challenges for autistics that she needs to understand.

  9. says: Debra de la-Nougerede

    It is BECAUSE she is autistic, that she dosen’t realise how arrogant and out of touch she is with less able autistic people. Forgive her, because of her Autism. But dont take her seriously, or let her bother you.

    1. says: Leighanna Rose

      It’s not about her autism it’s about her vast privilege. She is white, wealthy, white, cisgender and has less issue with communication than most.

    2. says: Brandon Campbell

      Autism can certainly do that to some people, but I think what we’re angry about the most is not so much what she’s saying, as the fact that she’s saying it from this position of so much power and influence. She therefore runs the risk of more people who don’t know better the idea that we’re just lazy if we don’t have a job, just like so many people have been led to believe vaccines cause autism because of Jenny McCarthy’s position of power and influence. With great power comes great responsibility, and I have to see powerful influential people reinforcing the wrong information and attitudes, instead of fighting to correct them.

    3. says: M K

      @Debra that’s wrong. Plenty of autistic people manage to think, “maybe someone else is dealing with problems I don’t know about or fully understand, and has a valid reason for why they’re apparently struggling with this.”

      And many neurotypical people have the same classist reaction as Temple Grandin. Let’s not pathologize or medicalize being an asshole here.

  10. says: Ivanova Smith

    I am surprising she would not see my work as work. It take a lot of time and energy to give keynotes and speeches something she does too. Why she shaming Autistics that want to do something she does? That make no sense to me! I love my advocacy work and I do feel it work I do get paid for It! I had the dish washing job before and it was so awful I have ptsd syntoms from it. That type work there lots of sensory issues how can she not understand that. That makes me sad she discouraging Autistics from doing same work she does.

  11. says: Leighanna Rose

    Shameful capitalist propoganda that shows little awareness for the lives of most autistic people, or most people middle class or lower in this economy.

    Grand in has some of the most hideous ideology on autism, seeing our value purely based on how “productive” we are in a capitalistic context. She has no love for “low functioning” autists.

  12. says: T. Jozwick

    Haven’t she realize that one size fits all doesn’t work for autism? You got employers that are clueless about autism, you have to navigate your way through the work culture and deal with the work politics.

  13. says: Michelle Bell

    We had the opportunity to see Dr. Grandin speak, two weeks after our (then) 10 year old daughter had officially been diagnosed with autism. These words spoke to me, and we have lived by them, to this day, “Do not let the diagnosis define your child. Find what they are passionate about, and encourage them to work for it.” Fast forward 6 years…our daughter’s GPA falls within the top 10% of her entire high school class (of over 1000 students), she has become a fine artist, and will be attending AP classes her junior and senior years, that will continue to develop her strengths in art. She ultimately wants to be an animator…she even studied Mandarin as her foreign language in high school, because many animation companies have Chinese employees…she wanted to be able to communicate with them (and she currently has a higher grade in Mandarin, than in English.)

    Was it easy? Oh gosh no. Quite the opposite. But, we refused to let the diagnosis define her…autism is something she may have, but having autism isn’t who she is.

    Find your child’s passion and strengths…and encourage them to let them soar…I won’t lie…the lows can be really low, but to have a highly functioning young adult, who happens to have autism, is GOLD.

    1. says: Dan

      That’s a nice sentiment but lots of autistic people do well at university. It’s the constant discrimation from the work force that lets them down. Temple fails to see this. Just like your daughter I did well. I got good marks. Come hiring process I’m 10 years down the track with nothing. I can’t even get work pushing trollies. I volunteer and have my own sole trader business but it has not help one bit.

      If your daughter goes on to get work consider her lucky
      Because a lot of autistic work hard but never get past that final hurdle and it’s not there fault, it is the prevalent subconscious bias of NTs.

      1. says: M K

        “Because a lot of autistic work hard but never get past that final hurdle and it’s not there fault, it is the prevalent subconscious bias of NTs.”

        @Dan: This. THANK YOU. I literally had to leave a job because 1. I tried to apply for a reasonable accommodation for the training program, and my supervisor hated that, and 2. I was trying hard to be nice to everyone I trained with, and I was nervous, so apparently my supervisor read that as “condescending.”
        It was the worst because you always kind of worry that NTs are taking everything you say wrong, and secretly hate you, but you tell yourself you’re just being paranoid… but in this case it was true. I’ve had temp jobs since then, and they’ve been better, but they have no benefits attached, and I have prescriptions to pay for, so I need a job with healthcare.

    2. says: Grace

      Your comment among so many just making excuses is refreshing.
      I am so happy for your successes and congratulate you on your hard work.
      You embody what Temple was saying. Everyone else just used it as a crutch to get out of what they know they should be doing but won’t.

  14. says: Nick V.

    In the spirit of trying to suggest solutions about how to get work and/or simply work experience, I would suggest checking out AutismHR.com. It likely won’t be a fit for everyone, but it may help some.

    AutismHR is an education site attempting to teach autistic adults how to use the Gig Economy for free.

    As a result, the idea is to provide an alternative to, and/or a springboard for, autistic adults with creative skills that can be digitally delivered online to find meaningful, paid, project work on their terms.

    Full disclosure, AutismHR.com is my site, but I certainly wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t think it was relevant to this post and many of the comments shared here.

  15. says: Han-Lin Yong

    I accepted temporary jobs, continued my education, and accepted other jobs. With autism, the employment challenges include passing interviews and being able to keep a job that’s why I’m still getting support. Now I’m getting employment services. At least there should be some progress. For autistic people, getting a job may be a lot harder than it sounds. Since we tend to take things literally, it can be a problem at work. When we hear do a very good job and take your time, how much time are we supposed to take? I’ve been wearing ear plugs and ear muffs at work to control sensory overload. Having an invisible disability can mean the autistic person has to speak up which can be hard for an autistic person. It might sound like we’re imagining.

  16. says: Cullen

    I took some time to process the article and Temple’s words. She means well. It seems like she wants full employment for all on the autism spectrum.

  17. says: Tyson Peter

    This article got my ire up. I have a low tolerance for classism and elitism. It’s the last “ism” that seems to be tolerated in this country.

    Unpaid work is not any less valuable than paid work. Autistics who do speaking gigs are educating the country, and many–if not most–are being paid to do so. The money may be hand to mouth, but they’re trying and doing the best they know how.

    And who cares even if they’re not getting paid! They’re experts on the subject since they’ve lived with it all their lives (and probably most without all of the perks and advantages Grandin grew up enjoying). Grandin is blind to her privilege, as others have so eloquently said. She is out of touch with the average autistic person.

    And I’m not so sure she means well, either, with her harsh, pathetically bourgeois advice. Of course, Grandin is proof that autistics can be as insensitive as anyone else. I won’t throw out her books just yet, but she really tends to come off as galactically insensitive. Yeah, yeah, I know–she’s autistic. She could use some coaching on how to be more sensitive. She sure as hell has the resources and contacts to do that. The vast majority of us weren’t born into ideal circumstances and dumb luck. She ought to realize just how fortunate she is.

  18. says: Cullen

    She is harsh but she means well. “Young adults with autism need to get their butts out of the house and get a job!” is better advice than “Don’t do anything with your life.”

    1. says: James Trout

      She does not “mean well.” There is a colossal difference between saying that “more people on the Autism Spectrum should be employed” and “get your butt out of the house and get a job.” This is downright victim blaming from a woman who openly boasts that she’s never had an interview for ANY job she has ever had. This is going to the other extreme and saying that the only thing that matters is one’s willingness to work. Sad, but not true. The most generous thing I can say is that she’s from an old money Boston Brahmin family and thinks that her family situation was normal and everyone else’s was an aberration. She’s a very intelligent and deeply accomplished woman but she is deeply out of touch with the challenges that younger people on the Autism Spectrum face. Especially since we live in an era where there are fewer and fewer jobs for people who cannot charm their way into employment and where Adam Lanza is way too often seen as the face for Autism. Not to mention even among the most accomplished, they are stereotyped by society as computer programmers. Heaven forbid the person on the Spectrum have other interests such as politics or history.

  19. says: James Trout

    No she doesn’t “mean well.” There is a massive difference between saying that more people on the Autism Spectrum should be employed and “get your butt out of the house and get a job.” This is classic victim blaming, presuming that THE reason why more people with the Autism Spectrum aren’t employed is solely due to lack of effort and will power on their part. If she had said something along the lines of society needs to do a better job of helping people on the Autism Spectrum get employed, that would be “meaning well.” Instead, she demonstrates that she is insensitive at best, hostile at worst to the challenges that many people, particularly those who grew up in an era where Adam Lanza is to many the face of Autism face. She’s an accomplished and intelligent woman, but she’s out of touch with many younger people on the Spectrum.

    1. says: Han-Lin

      Even after getting a job, we tend to have a hard time keeping it. Autistic people often have executive dysfunction. I have a hard time multi-tasking. I have to concentrate hard on the worko and at the same time keep the work space with only what we need. Unneeded things build up in the work space. It’s hard for me to get the timing right, switch tasks, etc. There’s sensory overload too. I find that noisy environments also slow me down. At least that part’s correctable simply by using heavy duty hearing protection.

      1. says: Cullen

        Maybe you have it more severe but I’m a YouTube watcher. There’s a channel called undertakerfreak1127. The man who talks is mildly autistic. He complained about sensory overload but it didn’t stop him from working at McDonalds and Walmart. I work for Pizza Hut as a delivery driver and it’s conscious work for me to make eye contact with the people I give pizza to. It’s uncomfortable. I do it though. Having the low work experience I had, I didn’t expect the call back. Now I’m used to the loud beep my car makes when I lock it five feet away from me. For all I know I could get fired in a few weeks but at least I can say I tried. Have you tried?

        1. says: Han-Lin

          Even though I was in a special ed program in high school, I’m considered high functioning. I notice that my co-worker who’s probably autistic took regular classes in high school, seems to have no issue with sensory overload, and didn’t seem to have difficulties with employment. I could actually have it more severe. Is it possible that partial shutdowns make us think we’re used to the noises? Also, my driving instructor noticed that I drove better with the windows closed.

          Complaining about sensory overload wasn’t the issue in terms of employment. Since it can slow me down, people may think I wasn’t fit for the job. Background noises can last throughout the whole 8 hours so that supervisors might not see your performance when there wasn’t excessive noise levels. They may never see a pattern between noise levels and performance levels. Let’s say you commute, the noise sources include traffic, engine noises, wind, crowds etc. Once you arrive to work, the fans, air conditioners, noisy appliances are on all day. If the background noises at work are quieter than those on your commute, you might think it was a pretty quiet work environment unless there’s a period when those noises were gone.

          So far, I had support from an employment service, and had a few jobs. I’ve at least tried also.

          1. says: Cullen

            This might be my last reply. I have a work story you might find interesting. I stopped at the stop line for a left turn lane with traffic lights and all. This angry woman who was behind me went around me and yelled at me. She cut in front of me and stopped in front of the stop line. Then I opened the driver seat window and shouted: “If you can hear this, THIS is the line where you’re supposed to stop. THAT is the crosswalk.” Most people aren’t perfect drivers but I thought this event was more interesting than someone going 26 mph in a residential area.

        2. says: Bobby

          congrats on the job Cullen. But the issue for autistics is getting a job that pays a livable wage. I am diagnosed with aspergers I have never made more than 30,000 a year in low level jobs. I am never considered for jobs that would allow me independence. Doesn’t help living in MA a state only in front of California and New York for cost of living. At 30 its definitely time to move out of my parents house. I don’t particularly get along with them. But I need something more than minimum wage to live independently.

        3. says: Grace

          I LOVE YOUR COMMENT!
          Good for you, Cullen! Good for you!
          You ask the right question – have you tried?
          Because it is very clear to me that these people have not and they are using Temple’s valid comments as an excuse to continue their laziness.

          1. says: M K

            Hi Grace, I’ve been where you are. I have always had very high standards for myself and others, and it bothered me for a long time when other autistic and/or disabled people seemed to be “not trying” while I was trying so hard; it would annoy me and freak me out a bit.

            But then I realized the problem wasn’t those people, it was the fact that I had internalized so many ableist ideas about achieving normalcy and masking successfully and being basically a “respectable” autistic & disabled person, regardless of whether those goals were healthy or right for me. I realized how unfair it was that we had been taught to aspire to basically be something we can never be: non-autistic/allistic.

            Because it’s more profitable under capitalism to present productivity as the source of people’s value, and to devalue people who aren’t productive enough. But it’s all B.S. If we used all the modern technology we currently have, we could have shorter work weeks and workdays, and a lot of people wouldn’t have to work at all if they didn’t need an income to survive (because their jobs could be automated). We’re overproducing more than we need (our stores and restaurants literally throw out uneaten food, while people in the same country have food insecurity). Nobody actually needs to live this way. You don’t actually have to be this rough on yourself, or on others. It’s our current social and economic structure we should be rough on.

          2. says: James Trout

            Yes “I have tried.” I’ve actually been gainfully employed for the last three years. Like it or not, in most cases, the high unemployment rate for people on the Autism Spectrum isn’t due to a lack of effort.

        4. says: M K

          @Cullen: McDonalds and Walmart, two employers notorious for treating their employees well and lifting their employees out of poverty. The disability employment crisis is hereby over! (sarcasm)

  20. says: Tatyanna

    wow I cannot believe how insensitive Temple Grandin is being. I am just disgusted and angry. She ought to be ashamed of herself.

  21. says: Nate Watkins

    I can understand some autistics being in situations where they are not able to get a job because of some functional issues, but as someone who’s autism and has been working in a fabric and crafts store for over 3 years, I can understand where she’s coming from. She’s not talking about autistics who have issues that keep them from having jobs, she’s talking about ones who are perfectly capable of getting a job and won’t. There are autistics out there who love to use their autism as an excuse to leech off society, and it’s an issue that has to be addressed, and I think that’s what she was trying to do there.

  22. says: Cassandra Crosman

    Temple Grandin made numerous ableist and classist statements according to this article. The very first thing she says to this young man is, “Do you have a job?” What if he said, “No?” This conversation would have went a lot differently. It looks like Temple Grandin doesn’t care about autistic people unless they are employed. Temple Grandin is insensitive and it is not due to being autistic or the myth that autistic people “lack empathy,” it’s being classist and not acknowledging her own privilege, and shaming other autistic people who are not employed or independent.

    She seriously thinks autistic people are unemployed because they need to “get off their butts?” Many employers actively discriminate against autistic people who don’t meet social norms during the interview process, or do not accept autistic applicants if they disclose being autistic. She should blame our society that discriminates against autistic people, not the very people she claims to advocate for! And apparently, she also shames autistic people who are not independent, which is very ableist. Not everyone can be independent, or has the resources to become independent. It is okay if autistic people need help or extra support. And the most ironic part of this is that she doesn’t even consider autistic advocacy a “real job?” Many neurotypical people make their living off of public speaking as well, and it takes a lot of time, work, planning, energy, she of all people should know this!

    For these reasons and more, I am not a fan of Temple Grandin and really wish she was not the first person people thought of when they think of autistic advocates. She needs to get with the times and acknowledge that real discrimination against autistic people exists and be a voice that empowers other autistic people, not shames us for lacking resources and opportunities that she had. Shame on her.

  23. says: Brian

    Working harder to find a job isn’t enough. Our brains are so sensitive to subtle social cues that it takes only seconds to make a first impression, which hiring managers base their hiring decisions on. It may be made when they see your silhouette from inside while walking towards the suite. I think it’s a great idea for job coaches to cover that.

    Should one hold a slight smile before even entering the building?

  24. says: Sue

    That people even pay attention to this obnoxious privileged troll is beyond me. Besides being born with a face that could stop clocks worldwide, she was also graced with a caustic personality. Be grateful she didn’t breed.

    1. says: James Trout

      The only reason why I and others care about what she says is due to the fact that to this day, she is considered an authority figure on Autism. What she says on the subject is way too often taken as gospel. That’s the problem.

  25. says: Juniper

    If only we all had her privileged childhood. I have not been able to access gainful employment. I also have a PDA profile, which makes demands paralyzing for me. I believe that society needs to be educated about autism and autistic norms instead of autistic people being forced to be “normal” as we cannot change who we are, we can only pretend to be normal at the expense of our personal identity. We are not something to be erased.

    1. says: M K

      I’m no fan of Temple Grandin either, but why does it matter whether “[a] man would give her the time of day”? Women’s value isn’t determined by that. People’s value in general isn’t determined by whether or not someone wants to sleep with them or date them.

  26. says: M K

    Wasn’t Temple Grandin’s mother an heiress with a Harvard degree?

    (… Yes. Her mother was the granddaughter of one of the inventors of aviator autopilot, and her father was the heir to Grandin Farms, “heir to the largest corporate wheat farm business in the United States at the time” according to Wikipedia. His grandfather was also an oil baron apparently.)

    Anyway, I guess her sensory hypersensitivity doesn’t prevent her from licking capitalism’s boots (capitalism is notorious for being a great system for disabled workers, or workers who require reasonable accommodations that may cost employers more than hiring abled people would cost them /s).

    She’s also pro-ABA (which traumatizes a bunch of the autistic people who go through it, and is the type of “therapy” that anti-LGBT+ conversion therapy was developed from).

    Disabled people shouldn’t need to demonstrate our productivity as workers in order to be considered valuable or worth listening to.

    It sucks that Grandin has this level of internalized ableism, but her attitudes are also borne of unquestioned privileges she’s experienced along other axes besides disability/neurodivergence and gender (she obviously isn’t privileged in either of those areas).

    (Posting twice in the hopes that this one doesn’t come out as a block of text, format-wise.)

Comments are closed.