2018 Meeting of the Minds with Dr. Temple Grandin, Liane Holliday-Willey and Alix Generous

"Neurodiversity, Women and the Spirit of Courage"
The Temple Grandin School hosted the Third Annual Meeting of the Minds in Boulder, Colorado on April 30, 2018. Nationally recognized speakers Dr. Temple Grandin, Liane Holliday-Willey, Alix Generous and moderator Jane Miller discussed issues and ideas around neurodiversity. This all women panel's thoughtful and candid conversation was inspirational to all who attended at eTown Hall.

[@user-qv7vi2ls6j]

Im new to learning about Dr Temple Grandin, I find her to be inspiring and motivational. A gift to the planet from God.

[@teriyakikitten]

I was a late diagnosis. 36 years old. I'm sitting here in my shop working alone on a tire change listening to this on my Bluetooth speaker. It got to the cartoon part of the school advertisement and by the end of the cartoon I'm on my knees next to my tire stand crying. Even recognizing myself as part of a wider community since diagnosis, I have still felt like the same alien I've always been. I don't know why something so silly as an advertisement type cartoon audio would hit me so hard but I'm still sobbing.

[@teriyakikitten]

Wait... there are other people with forty chrome tabs of scientific literature open in the background of their PC/smartphone???!!!

[@Dianelee999]

You are not alone. 🌈💜

[@user-qv7vi2ls6j]

Young people are living at home with parents are gaming on the cell phone while unmotivated individuals into their 40s, there is help and good information online.there is hope and help. This video is very brave and informitive.

[@hrtdinasaurette3020]

Cannot thank you enough for this folks. Am female, 50+ n am now, after a “challenging” lifetime of mis-diagnosis, on the waiting list for an official diagnosis. There’s little info for humans in my group on the internet. So, these ladies are a delight to me - they make me feel welcome, far less isolated and, most importantly, give me hope for a better life - even if I only have 10 years left, they can be better! ❤

[@user-fs6ou3fk9p]

There is no "normal". This is so amazing.

[@dmcsunshine1]

This is an amazing discussion. I did not have words to express myself (still struggling) and my family did turn blind eyes to the abuse, refusing to acknowledge or validate my life experience(s).

[@1HorseOpenSlay]

This discussion was absolutely wonderful. I wish everyone on the spectrum, or who knows someone on the spectrum could see this.

[@manofTao]

I love Temple Grandin. She's a no bs human being and all us "normal" (sic) ppl can learn a few things about acceptance and focus on things that matter and benefit all beings.

[@victoryahlovett2774]

I was unofficially diagnosed 2.5 years ago. Last spring i finally began to come to terms with it. I went through a few months of omg wth am i doing? Im learning to take care of my environment so that i am not triggered so much.

[@Aiken47]

What a great talk, I see so many NTs lose their minds to face book or some “reality” show. I ask them what did you learn today, you should see the looks - as though I’m arrogant - ignorance is treated like a virtue.

[@carolscabinas]

That was so fun and so interesting. Great ladies!

[@xyzllii]

Video begins at 19 mins....and then it is great !

[@Lit123ful]

Boy do I wish this was around for my son.

[@user-qv7vi2ls6j]

If individuals are fortunate enough to not have to work, then volunteerism is a way to learn social skills, its a human experience as well.

[@MelissaThompson432]

My parents did a lot of the things Temple's parents did. I was never shamed, but I was required to do things. And if I couldn't do it one way, I had to think of a way that I could. I've been telling people I have Asperger's since I first heard it described, decades ago, and people insisted I couldn't be because "only boys get that." And, thanks to my parents, I "don't look autistic." I haven't been diagnosed because there isn't a psychiatrist in my area that specializes in autism, and at my age, there aren't many good reasons for me to have a diagnosis. I know who I am. Unfortunately, I can see that there are other people in my family (adults and children) who are on the spectrum, and the adults refuse to admit it, and their kids are suffering for it. Nothing I can say at this point will help. I did my best "tact" modeling, and they just get defensive. (*As far as touch goes, I thought all ASD people were like me: I don't like it unless it's somebody I'm extremely close to, and even then, maybe not. It turns out that sensory stimming is a thing, and some autistic people are very fond of sex....)

[@MelissaThompson432]

It might fall under the category of pop science, but there are a series of gene anomalies in the methylation pathway that involve synthesizing chemicals responsible for neural development in utero as well as neurological function during life, and there's really nothing you can do for prenatal effects, but you can fine tune your nutrition to help with certain things like anxiety, overstimulation, depression, and other things usually treated with problematic drugs, to the extent that the drugs can be reduced if not discontinued.

[@MelissaThompson432]

I relate to the "where were you going on Google?" thing....

[@hrtdinasaurette3020]

This wonderful conversation has brought up sooo much stuff. Brilliant. My father left my mother, brother n I when I was about 7. My mothers autism and the situation was simply over whelming for her (p.s. my father had some highly autistic behaviours - birds of a feather…). So, I had to learn to shop, clean house, look after my brother n make food as best I could - school did get somewhat sidelined. It wasn’t the best solution but it was an effective solution - the alternative would’ve been the “care” system and the separation of myself n my brother. So, shit happens n we all do our best. This was in the 70s, I hope and pray that there are now other, less damaging and more effective answers.

[@gauntlettolife833]

It was reading Liane"s book "Pretending to be normal" that I recognised like a mirror image, myself. I'm sure that had I not read this book I would still be confused & bewildered ( if not probably suicided because of feeling like such a defective human being ) I am inspired constantly by these women who are all so different yet are threaded to the same Tapestry that is Autism. Thank You to each of you for speaking out & telling your story with such blunt honesty ( It is sooo good to hear this because it is of such value "frank honesty" to a world which is inceasily becoming so superficial ) THANK GOD FOR ASD !!!

[@NasserArifCAPE]

Awesome truth about Autism... It's a brave move sharing

[@TheVintageBumbleBee]

May I suggest EMDR for the PTSD. It had amazing results for our daughter.

[@veronald5]

this is just a beautiful talk! What a great variety of personality and perspective from wonderful autistic women :)

[@kindlee3468]

AWSOME news!!!! Is there temple Granden college??? I HOPE SO!! Please list

[@irenefinnigan2725]

A fortunate discovery!

[@carliebeau5329]

I'm obsessed with her. Love 💓

[@mbtvalli]

Fascinating. I love it when Temple restates how she thinks.

[@hrtdinasaurette3020]

“I’ll proof read anything you have” - I had to laugh, I often make pencil corrections of misprints in books. Other aspects of this conversation that I recognised made me sob - but, our lives are bittersweet. It would be good to help autistic women have a better balance of the two.

[@nurselisafoy]

Absolutely fascinating!!!

[@themillennialtwinmom]

This is an amazing group of women!!

[@NasserArifCAPE]

Consequences Rhythm and Pattern... Great education

[@joycecz]

Thanks to you all.

[@NasserArifCAPE]

Adapted physical education as therapeutic interventions. Great way for anxiety issues and sleep habits

[@skinnyway]

dig and weed a garden - very therapeutic! go smack a ball around. clean house, paint a fence or a wall, slam cabinet doors, break glass bottles in the recycling bin... punching bags...

[@davidspencer1558]

3 Beautiful people

[@DreamseedVR]

As someone who has not been diagnosed, That still shares a lot of affinities with that Population... I think it needs to be said Tools and Direct experiences with trade skills benefit everybody. It wouod benefit ADHD kids too... Who are often brilliant; fast thinking, and just downright bored with the educational system as it has become so abstract and dissociated from reality

[@skinnyway]

I read the camouflaging article by Samantha Craft (I think it was her article... Marci) plus my son was used as a tool against me when he was tested behind my back - so I begin to look into what autism is & what causes it because my son used to be a carbon copy of me. I found the article 2 yrs ago & its been an interesting ride ever since. Some people who think geometrically like Temple tend to get too wordy and technical in her books, but I was able to relate to her when she gives lectures. I related to Liane Holiday - Willey and Barb Cook and Samantha Craft immediately whereas I cannot relate to autie or aspie men who are too literal and take too much time to answer simple questions. I looked up the tuition at TGS - sigh.

[@samosiris5542]

40:34 I love them

[@queenofallcats7138]

Why do you always have it so dark?

[@wiktorpiechota2327]

I have this problem. If people do not say matter of fact things I think they ale stupid. And I have constant misuderstadings because I mąkę and takę everything matter of fact.

[@quiettornado1970]

I want to graphic design school end it was a student that can’t even use a ruler.

[@user-fs6ou3fk9p]

I loved "boy" stuff.

[@nitefox4411]

Every speech therapist knows, when the brain suffers a cerebral vascular accident/infarct/stroke, a male more often experiences difficulty recovering speech IF they recover it at all. That isn't to say females don't have speech problems too, but it is more marked in the male brain. This is neurology and biological male brains are a bit different than a biological female brain.

[@sharongillesp]

Most African-American students cannot find their way in the typical school system, which is why so many do as poorly as they do. Yet, they are brilliant children! Unfortunately, there's a lot of focus on autism when white children displayed more of these behavioral is then it became important to study them as serious. Not so for African-Americans, they were/are written off as disruptive, lazy and not intelligent enough to comprehend. I would imagine just like kids who first displayed autism and wanting to place them in institutions. Love Temple's work (though I am vegan). Most schools, across the board, could do with some common sense practices in teaching all students.

[@makessense7095]

I find validity in this observation relatively speaking, insofar as we remember that it doesn't rigidly apply across the populous. perhaps it's more a homogeneously multiethnic phenomenon below a certain socioeconomic level. Something to think about. I'm African American (my difficulty was from ADHD depression anxiety and some autistic traits). That is to say, learning difficulties are complicated and given the current political climate, certain folks might be offended by how your well intentioned comment seems an overgeneralization. Cheers and stay safe.

[@alexmikhael5061]

too bad too many people heard ''fundrasier'' and bailed.... sigh.... if I win the lotto (or powerball) this week, us, and our 9 year old superautisticgranddaughter will be chattin with ya all.... she is cool doing the 1st MAGNET COMPUTER SCIENCE (in CA spoosedly) school with homeschool attention... it is working supersinely well....

[@NasserArifCAPE]

Yes by en large genetic matters

[@NasserArifCAPE]

I would say it's 60%

[@sbsman4998]

May I recommend a goat/sheep enclosure similar to a zoo I work at with around 25 males/females, one breeding male maybe, have kids bond with them. Autistics and goats have common "communication" mechanisms (telepathies) plus these intelligent social beings will teach each other normal behaviors like submission/dominance/natural body functions/instinctive social norms ~~