The world needs all kinds of minds | Temple Grandin

www.ted.com Autism activist Temple Grandin talks about how her mind works -- sharing her ability to "think in pictures," which helps her solve problems that neurotypical brains might miss. She makes the case that the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of smart geeky kids.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at www.ted.com/tra.... Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at www.ted.com/ind...

[@nprpodcasts]

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[@turtleanton6539]

No.

[@jasongrady8590]

We need her to reinvent our public education system. This woman is an absolute gem.

[@MiyahSundermeyer]

+Jason Grady I absolutely agree with you on that. We also need to be training the parents and other adults to mold the child.

[@David-uc4hc]

We need her to reinvent our entire government. Then our entire society. Temple Grandin for president! And Susan Boyle as her vice president (not that Susan Boyle is relevant to this, I just think they would make an adorable team. Cummon... you know they would).

[@MiyahSundermeyer]

She would be a great president I agree.

[@chayashalom2065]

Why is Susan Boyle not relevant? She has been diagnosed with ASD.

[@David-uc4hc]

Chaya Shalom Because ASD is the only connection the two have (other than a similar age and gender), and it doesn't really connect to Grandin's presidency in the imaginary universe I proposed lol. Also ASD isn't the reason I admire both women. But regardless... Temple Grandin/Susan Boyle ticket for 2020!

[@claresearle9941]

With tears in my eyes, I sincerely thank you for all the amazing work u r doing in sharing your knowledge and insight with the world. As the mother of an autistic girl, you have given me more hope and information than any other. Thank you, and God bless you.

[@markrusso9235]

Same same same, father of an autistic girl, tears in my eyes, more hope and info than any other.

[@stefania5882]

I appreciate this so much. Using the different kinds of minds. I have ADHD and growing up, I was the "bad kid" in class. It wasn't until my grade 11 law class that my parents got an outstanding "review" of me. The teacher kept saying he wanted to clone me and make all his students like me and my parents were like "uuummm I think you're talking about the wrong student." What so many people don't understand is that although people with ADHD find it hard to focus on things they don't care about, we hyperfocus on things that interest us. Every part of our being goes into what we do like. But the education system doesn't care about that. Why was I failing math but getting 98 in law. The media and lack of education makes kids with ADHD seem like we just "don't pay attention." But that's not it at all. The neurons in our brains fire off differently, just like those of autistic people and how Temple showed.

[@JenniferDC]

I had a kid with adhd. I saw his brilliance & need for constant simulation aka movement to release excessive energy he was my fave student.

[@Therianlife100]

I'm also ADHD/ASD undiagnosed both my children have asd/adhd/ one is non-verbal and I was born in the 90s, if only I hadn't of had a bad childhood and had supporting parents who would help me but instead neglected and called me names..😢

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

She has exceptional social skills. So inspiring to see the progress she has made. A perfect example of neuroplasticity. Humans don't necessarily have to be total victims of genes and environment - we have the ability to think, self-reflect, and modify our behavior.

[@Yakarash]

I am autistic and have "excellent" social skills. When I was 14 I went to a college to get my teaching degree for nursery school and kindergarten. I just noticed that social situation was the only thing I sucked at, so I wanted to work on myself. I taught myself social skills like an anthropologist who studies another culture. I am a very good teacher. (According to my students) But social skills take so much more energy out of me than my colleagues. I can only work half time and have to carefully manage my social life. Otherwise I crash into depression and panic attacks.

[@tehrinny7031]

Same. It's an act that was carefully studied to the letter. It takes a lot of energy to maintain. When your energy is directed to multiple areas at once, it can be very, very exhausting and you have to compensate. I learned that dressing bright and cheerfully gave people the impression that I was friendly and welcoming because my expression doesn't always reflect that, and I may be in situations where the last thing on my mind is whether I am smiley enough without looking creepy. I had to learn to soften my words, so I put a lot of excessive work into softening my approach so it's more palatable. Likewise, a person can learn another language, and speak it very well. However, they may miss all of the cultural nuances that a native speaker may not even think of. A good example may be an American who learns Japanese. They can become fluent, but they are still very direct, demanding and loud in a culture that is not that way. The Japanese co-workers may only extend invitations to social interaction out of nicety, but not feel comfortable with them. It's the same between a Neurodiverse mind in a world made for and by Neurotypicals.

[@jonathand.terrell3419]

Well said sir!

[@theresn01here]

@@Yakarash Same here. I worked in ECE for years. The adults are who wiped me out; I never wanted to give the kids back. Now as a mother, working in a different field, I still find it's easier for me to connect with children in general than with adults.

[@amberharmsen2497]

@@Yakarash 14? That’s a bit young for college Even for savants

[@CaptainJZH]

Temple Grandin is awesome.

[@ryanferensic4122]

She really is

[@lordshardik]

One of those rare times when a movie gets made about someone and the person loves it without reservation.

[@Hadassah7000]

I love how she stands up for the weak, whether it's kids or animals. She is a real cowgirl!!

[@moepow]

I don’t really see her as standing up for the weak. I find that she is educating the weak who are unable to see the extraordinary powers and thinking of those who are on the autistic spectrum. Looking at autism as a deficit is where the problem lies with “average” or “normal” people.

[@fabiocaetanofigueiredo1353]

Sorry but I need to say that if she really wanted to protect animals she would be AGAINST slaughtering them

[@fabiocaetanofigueiredo1353]

I mean I get and respect the fact that not everyone is against slaughtering nonhuman animals - but they cannot be called animal defenders

[@surepal3985]

@@fabiocaetanofigueiredo1353 Agreed. It is important work to decrease stress in the animals we consume, but that is not saving them at all. It merely serves to make their lives less scary before they are killed, which is still great but not the same as protecting that animal from being slaughtered.

[@shro_okee]

@@fabiocaetanofigueiredo1353 i love it that your comment exists, i was baffled by the amount of people who call her an animal rights activists for... working with the meat industry? Call her whatever you want but saying that she's an animal activist is straight up insulting towards actual animal rights activists

[@10j5e22v26z]

Every time I watch this lecture I'm reminded of how much better I could've been raised and just how terribly I was raised. I'm glad this information is being brought to the public.

[@MiyahSundermeyer]

You know what? Now you can motivate yourself now even if you had a bad begging.

[@aqua5337]

[@turtleanton6539]

Yes😊

[@DynamicDesignz585]

I bet all the really "smart people" that made fun of her are REALLY kicking themselves in the ass now... just sayin. ;)

[@emmacat3202]

I am Autistic and proud! I don't need a cure, thank you very much. :)

[@suzannadannaTARDIS]

+Emma Falk That's what I tell people (I am an educator doing autism research). We just need to learn how to understand how those with ASD think.

[@RyanTheLion]

your absolutely right people just need to understand how we think

[@GeneHeim1]

Genetic traits exist because they helped their expressors to survive.

[@JackHY2K]

As an Aspergian, I agree. We just need to embrace being on the Autistic spectrum and raise awareness of it to others. No cure required (screw Autism Speaks).

[@elsakristina2689]

Emma Falk yeah!

[@aplacewithnoname5512]

This is such a comforting talk. I have 3 close to severe autistic siblings and I was finding it so hard to understand why they are the way they are because I felt no closeness to them and it was discouraging to me that I lived with them all my life but took so long to find some level of understanding. Thank you, Temple Grandin.

[@xChemicalCobrax]

She is so wildly intelligent. A real inspiration, I love her!

[@josephagar1005]

I just saw her movie so I decided to watch this. Both the movie and the person are amazing.

[@j.hindle9243]

I absolutely love her. My counsellor recommended that I look up Temple, and I'm so glad that she did. Honestly, she needs to help make very significant changes to the education system.

[@rain360]

"They're not ending up in Silicon Valley, where they belong." That statement is so true. My little brother has Aspergers syndrome and he wants to go into the technical field.

[@stopbunsen]

I'm not autistic either, though I do have bipolar. I always felt very different to other kids when I was young, and was treated that way too. I think visually as well, I see a lot of detail. I've tried doing a lot of things, but have settled on web design/development, which appeals to my creative visual side, and my computer geek side. I've been a fan of Temple for quite awhile. I agree that we need many different types of minds in this world, and many ways of seeing the world.

[@davidsharif2696]

I watched this TED TALK in my English Class, and saw the movie when I was young with my parents. I really have a lot of respect for Temple Grandin and Claire Danes who played Temple Grandin in the movie.

[@cheyennepetersen3417]

I'm autistic and was diagnosed as an adult. Something that I've seen a lot is that neurotypical people are SO fixated on the question of whether their autistic child really loves them or not and I cannot stress enough that this is not important to be focused on. Obviously we aren't going to show love in the way you expect us to- that might be in the form of physical affection like hugs and kisses or even verbalizing that we love you. I feel like for people to fixate on that sends a message that the only thing that matters is that we appear to love you, because you would know if you took the time to learn how the autistic person in your life shows their love. The concept of love languages is trendy right now and I wish people would make that connection to neurodivergent people, if "normal" people show their love in different ways such as gift-giving or affirmation, then you need to accept the ways we show it too. For example, I like doing tasks like cleaning or running errands when I know someone is stressed or behind on those things. I like to share food and be a helpful person. Saying "I love you" is extremely uncomfortable for me for most people in my life, even family that I do care about. The more I'm forced to say it, the less it feels genuine to me.

[@roqayyahkhursheed6479]

Thankyou for sharing this gives me alot of answers ❤

[@skystygian]

Totally agree! Diagnosed at 22 and I've never been a very outwardly affectionate person. The 2 partners I've had had to practically force me to get comfortable with physical touch, and when I finally did get comfortable I love always having at least some part of my body touching theirs. It doesn't need to be full on cuddles and kisses, I also feel at peace when we're sitting together and I can hook my leg over theirs and lay my head on their shoulder. I don't feel comfortable touching anyone but my partner, not even hugs. I'm also not very complimentary. If it's relevant in the moment I'll tell someone I'm super impressed by their talent or intellect, but complimenting someone's appearance always feels weird to me unless it's their outfit or hairstyle/cut (something they chose versus how genetics made them look). I think it reflects Temple Grandin's point on details being important to us. I don't do big grand gestures, but rather subtle displays of loyalty and endearment that you need to be tuned into to understand the depths of my affection.

[@lesmis16]

I'd love to meet Temple Grandin someday!

[@MiyahSundermeyer]

I have and she's a little rough on the edges at first but once she's comfortable, she's very nice

[@crystalthompson6934]

Brilliant. I so loved this talk and it has helped me understand my 12 year old son so much better. This has inspired so much hope. Thanks so much.

[@djdida4952]

Thank you for making the world a better place. Temple Grandin you have no idea how big you are in people's heart. Probably the most inspiring person I know.

[@angelwolfplays6456]

I completely slipped through the cracks as a child with obsessive interest in video games and computers. The school system considered this nonsense, and never encouraged my learning causing me to have severe PTSD about school all through my 20s. Got diagnosed with Aspergers a few years ago and now I'm designing an extremely complex online video game. I don't really know how much the school system has changed, but I pray that no other spectrum child has to go through that same torture that I did.

[@TheK3vin]

+AngelWolfPlays How long have you been working on the game? I'm looking for work in music production in games.

[@angelwolfplays6456]

+TheK3vin A little bit over 2 years now..

[@angelwolfplays6456]

outofthefog.website/toolbox-1/2015/11/17/complex-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-c-ptsd Simply put, my Aspergers brain does not like to be told what to learn. It learns naturally through experience with the things I enjoy, and zones out when presented with a subject I'm not interested in. Public school is set up so that you need to learn X amount of subject Y by age Z. So these subjects were forced upon me, and when I got bad grades in subjects I couldn't pay attention to, I was punished. My mom would take away all the things I cared about, leaving me to sit in my room bored out of my mind. Oh, and I also didn't get along too well with the other kids my age. They thought I was an odd nerd who loved sci-fi, fantasy, and comic books. The only friends I had were the other nerds. Over time, I began to resent going to school every day. Especially when the homework began to pile up. I began wishing the most horrifying death upon the teacher who came up with the idea of homework, because I thoroughly hated doing it with every fiber of my being. I hated being forced to give up my free time after enduring 7 hours at a desk, trying to memorize things that my brain simply had no interest in learning, and dealing with an endless barrage of teasing and bullying. If that was your job, you could quit, but as a child you have no choice in the matter. I did not feel safe and secure in school. I felt constantly under threat of punishment, due to something I couldn't control. Powerless in a world where everyone was bullying me, and I started hating all of society. I spent my 20's and most of my 30's in a rage, working jobs I hated and making a lot of bad decisions.

[@JohnJones1987]

How's the gaming coming along AngelWolfPlays? :)

[@angelwolfplays6456]

I'm actually on the verge of getting a customer support job at Nintendo. But again I find myself butting heads with rules and laws. In this case, it's the insistence of corporations to drug test people and not give any exceptions to the rules even if someone lives in a state where cannabis is legal. In my two years living here in WA, I've found that vaporized cannabis oil is the most effective way to deal with the more negative aspects of my disorders. It affects me differently, so in my mind, this ridiculous federal law against it needs to go, or at least be modified to make exceptions. But no. At some point in time, a group of people sat down in a room somewhere and unanimously decided to make cannabis a schedule 1 drug, and people like me have been fighting with them ever since. I know my own brain and how it responds to stress both with and without the cannabis. I greatly resent the fact that someone else, who I never met, made this decision for everyone else, years before any research was done into the effects on a normal brain vs an Aspie brain. It's an outdated law and it needs to be fixed NOW! The fact that there are people still fighting legalization infuriates me and I wish they would all just die off in a most gruesome ways.

[@Zoza15]

I'm not autistic, but i'm a very visual thinker.. YES!, my mind is literally a movie producer itself, i can relate!.

[@TheHOTchocolate911]

same here :)

[@stap0510]

Morph Verse "Movie producer" I like your analogy. I upvoted.

[@WiddoMouse]

I absolutely love this woman. I listen to as many of her talks as I can find. Her life is so valuable. Had she not been directed toward things that she found interesting, this world would have missed so much. Equally important, she was directed toward things that she didn't find interesting.....table manners, conversation, cooking for herself, etc. She has made a positive impact in today's world but also in tomorrow's world. She is teaching parents of autistic children to make them fit in. Once they fit in, there is no end to what they can do. God bless her.

[@XSultan_]

THE HUMAN MIND IS FULL OF CURIOSITY & ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES 🧠⚡⚡

[@nataliajagielska8871]

Wonderful talk, now I definitively feel like belonging on the spectrum- my inability to speak and interact socially, accompanied by sound over-sensitivity are only negative traits, as since childhood I too thought by making movies in my head, was only person in pre-school to understand dimensions within drawings, and won various national science and art competitions. Even when I cannot form a thought without movement, making for an unorthodox habit of running around the room when reading on relativity. I plan to study Earth Sciences and already claim space in a prestigious university. Unfortunately for me, is that my parents are against any oddity or geekery and scorn at my lack of sociability or traits of a "madmen", such as rocking or urgency to move. I am proud of what am I- of what my mind is, and happy with scientific career I have solely made my path to (and by far it was uninterrupted).

[@cgt2816]

Parents should support their children's success in life. Sounds like they only care what others think. I'm glad you're finding your own way and defining your own path to success.

[@bxchicc7799]

I LOVE Temple Grandin!!! I think she's awesome! I have 2 boys that's on the autism spectrum (low functioning/non-verbal) I wanna meet her one day!! She's an inspiration to me!

[@balwindersingh-zo8us]

" i only want to sell my work not myself " - temple grandin

[@williamduplooy]

I am so grateful for her clear presentation. Yes! Most of us Âûtistic-Asperger's folk have so much latent talent and abilities that are literally "flooding" our minds to "bursting" point - but with no directed or mentored "outlets" we sit frustrated and overwhelmed in ways that leave us like "stalling" Ram Jets (That is with Super Pontential that is on "Shut Down"). And that is truly killing us. What would we give to just have someone help us deliver on our true maximum potential; so that we may realise our self-worth and contribute in ways that most Neurotypical people simply can not, because they can not see the details, nor the larger picture we by nature do! I wish I realised that I was on the Spectrum when I was a young lad... My life would have been so much more useful.

[@raymondtawas2523]

We need someone like her to change the world to be a better place.Very inspiring speech

[@kadmow]

We have Elon- the spectrum is strong in these ppl.. for real.

[@aqua5337]

[@rosecomedygold]

This is EXACTLY what I have been trying to advocate among teachers. I feel that this is the ONLY right way to teach education because kids want to learn, but we tend to push that intrinsic motivation out of them. I saw the movie and I thought it was fabulous. Thank you for doing what you are doing, Temple. :)

[@RyanTheLion]

I can definitely see what Temple Grandin is saying because I'm a person on the autism spectrum and I won't even get interested in something if it does not look interesting to me but if it does I will get interested into it!

[@iantaakalla8180]

This is great! However, for those who are not high functioning autistics, the first thing to do is help them to communicate, and this should be done with a family as dedicated as these mentors Temple had mentioned. The worst part about autism is that people talk about autism as if there is only one side at times, despite the very good and sometimes successful attempts at nuance about autism. Those who can express themselves and are autistic only talk about high-functioning autistics because that is their experience. Likewise, families of low-functioning autistics can only talk about low-functioning autistics because that is their experience. I don't know why, but when people talk about autistic spectrum disorders the two sides of it are (seemingly) irreconcilable. Perhaps we should not care about these distinctions and help our kids, autistics or not, "low-functioning" or " high-functioning". On the other hand, is it possible to reconcile both sides of autism?

[@SuperNumber420]

+Ian Taakalla I appreciate your comment. Managing autism across the spectrum is most certainly going to require a multifaceted approach. For successful treatment at all points in the spectrum, at least for those who need it, we cannot fall into our black-and-white perception of the issue, or the world at large. I think we're improving, but a ways to go indeed.

[@MiyahSundermeyer]

They are now finding that one who is severely autistic is just as capable of communicating as a mild aut. They just use different parts of their brain. If you have ever read Grandin's book "The Autistic Brain," she talks about an interview with a non-verbal spectrumite named Tito. She said that he used a device to talk and learned a lot from that experience alone.

[@iantaakalla8180]

Really? That is interesting! I have also heard on the news that someone who was normal, but then regressed into a state like autism, was taught how to speak again using puppets of Disney cartoons. This has huge implications.

[@lizbz]

I guess I'm an exception then, I can see and understand the different ends of the spectrum because they all exist in my family. My youngest was diagnosed towards the severe end, especially for speech (he's 5, and says a few words, but none consistently yet), and for repetitive behavior (a lot of jumping and hand flapping). He loves "squeezy" hugs too, that deep pressure. When he was being diagnosed, I learned more about high-functioning autism / aspergers, and realized my 7 year old is on it. He's still waiting for his appointment to get assessed, but he's in grade 1 with a grade 3-4 level understanding of math, very literal thinker, and coded for social issues, he has meltdowns when he's overwhelmed, and he never wanted to be held as a baby. As soon as he could move, he wanted nothing to do with me, unless he was sick or sleeping. He's ok with hugs and kisses now, thank goodness. Researching high functioning ASD got me noticing symptoms can vary between men and women, and I soon realized I was on the spectrum too. Got assessed yesterday, and there's no doubt. The DSM-5 has 3 levels, my youngest is mostly 3. I thought I would be a 1, but apparently I'm actually a 2. My 7yo I think will be about the same, but I think his IQ is higher than mine. Mine is 122, I think he'll be at least in the 130's if not higher. What I do notice is that I have to use different approaches for both of them. Gets pretty overwhelming when things aren't going well, but at least now I understand why I always get so overwhelmed.

[@WritingGeekNL]

Call it low functional or effective in other parts. I cannot do anything with my hands etc, but I have seen some amazing woodwork from other people with Autism. Autistic people are just humans with extreme traits. We aren't a little of everything, but highly or very low skilled in stuff. And like Temple said, adults need to focus autistic people on their strengths and not their weaknesses.

[@zfilms4858]

You all need to know 2 things. 1. I'm autistic. and 2. this is me in a nutshell. I acutuly used this video in my English class which is one of my harder class.

[@RozanneIsrael]

Truly inspiring. What a gift she is, to help us understand the thinking of people with Autism.

[@XSultan_]

For me, honestIy I think she did more than that. She helped me understand how different we all see, hear or even feel the world.. It's amazing 👏

[@SpiritofSix]

Man is an idea: change that idea and we change the reality that we experience as well. It is literally as simple as that and as difficult as that (it will only be as hard as we make it for ourselves and eachother). I love to talk about these things, really, so please do feel free to check out my stuff and give it a chance. I promise not to let you down.

[@nihonbunka]

I have thought that is the analytic verbal mind that attends to details (in Navon figures) and the happier (Fredrickson & Branigan, 2005), holistic (Oyserman, Sorensen, Weber, & Chen, 2009), pictorial (Takemoto & Brinthaupt, 2017) mind that attends to the whole.

[@macaronifanatic7287]

I'm an aspie and I just love her. The movie about her is great and I can just relate so much. I also think very visually and learn best by visual representation. I struggle socially a lot of times and get sensory overload. I can also get very depressed or anxious more easily than others. I just look up to people like temple for raising awareness about autism and aspergers.

[@johnnyavila5261]

Thank you for supporting the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and Agriculture Science Teachers.

[@philiprowney]

Temple is an advocate to 'we of the spectrum'.

[@rasverixxyleighraq1509]

I'm Mildly Autistic like her, I'm an aspiring Astrophysicist and Linguist and I'm the same i think based in pictures and videos and I'm sensitive to various detail in my life and like her i had to put up with bullshit bullies at high school

[@rasverixxyleighraq1509]

+Rasverix Xyleighraq I'm also sensitive to sensory info but my biggest is with various Tactile sensations

[@MiyahSundermeyer]

I myself am very similar to Temple in that I am very straight forward in the whole "No non sense" type of honesty. Yes, I am on the spectrum myself.

[@salaharjeh3]

How in the world is there 65 dislikes .

[@djdida4952]

Those who are normal and lazy are usually threatened by someone who is less capable than them but doing so much better than them. Jealousy I suppose.

[@wilburdbrewer2409]

Most actually autistic people dislike her because she’s a tool of autism $peaks who has lost her way and some people who are in positions of power and money use her. I resent and abhor her involvement with those who wish to fix us.

[@elizabethcoen]

This is very interesting! Temple Grandin is my hero! Being autistic myself, I too see in pictures. That's the reason why I like reading comic books and graphic novels. It also comes in handy whenever I write my stories, I see the characters, the plot, the location, all of these in pictures in my head.

[@MiyahSundermeyer]

Me too

[@MinkyBoodle44]

This woman is absolutely incredible.

[@Yngvelli]

As an aspie, seeing the movie about her was truly inspiring. Temple is a true gem of a person.

[@bsee2a]

went here after watching kdrama Extraordinary Attorney Woo

[@BoostedSpeedDemon]

I have Asperger's syndrome, or what is now known as autism spectrum disorder. And I always tried to explain to people how I read books so fast and can recite the whole story, including details that you don't necessarily pick up from the text alone. And I had no idea that thinking in pictures was an autistic trait. Because I can literally only read about the first three pages of a book, and then it becomes a movie in my head. I'm living it. In the story. Like lucid dreaming almost. And then all of a sudden I'm flipping the last page of the book and I don't remember reading the 400 pages in between. But I can recite every detail. Kind of cool to realize why that happens now.

[@MacCentrisSimpleSencilla]

MY SON is a blessing and he is autistic. It appalls me that people still have a horrible view of autism (and I am not sharing this to bash anyone so please don't go that way) but for reference, please, check this message I wrote and the response I received. My name is Liliana and a grandmother responded to me, in that post. I read in disbelief that a loving family member (or parent) can even GO THAT WAY, about autism! God, I WISH I had been autistic! I wish I was a genius, my son is a genius, it is hard to get him involved in what I believe his strength is (because all he does is play computer games, same one, same things, over and over) I just don't know how to approach him in an interesting way, yet that game is just taking every moment of his wonderful life. Either way, maybe I am not intuitive enough, but my son is a blessing nevertheless, but how can you speak so badly about autism when your own child/grandchild is autistic!? My parents love my son! They even see the potential! But this post is so sad, please read IN THE COMMENTS SECTION: www.myfoxphilly.com/story/28103604/mom-writes?fb_comment_id=fbc_937173439635001_937288266290185_937288266290185#f128807398

[@MiyahSundermeyer]

+SimpleSencilla I have people in my family who are very well educated but when it comes to autism they are completely ignorant know it alls. Why it was so bad that I was shunned the entire time that I lived a few miles away from them.

[@RyanTheLion]

your right people view autism as a bad thing and often judge people with autism as well when there's actually a lot of pros with having autism too that more people should view!

[@MiyahSundermeyer]

***** I used to view it as a bad thing as well. However, it was only when I joined the right autism support group that a different picture was painted. That is where Temple was greatly praised.

[@OutOfTheBoxThinker]

I have Asperger's Syndrome myself. When I said that "something you have", I was merely correcting a linguistic error. I'm among those who do not consider Autism a disorder but rather a matter of being wired differently... with both strengths and weaknesses. It grants me some unique talents few others have and some unique weaknesses few others have. I'm proud of how it impacts me as a person and wouldn't have it any other way, even if that makes it incredibly difficult to relate to most.

[@MeatMutant]

I wonder how the horse would react to a grey cowboy hat.

[@DarkDruid7]

I'm on the spectrum and I've been working on developing the social part of my brain. As a teacher of young children, it was quite difficult getting used to the social atmosphere of being around kids, but I've been adapting. I seem to handle being in a room full of children better than being in a room full of adults. I wonder if there is a study linking autistic brains to being better able to connect with children. My work is very challenging, and I sometimes feel like quitting. Yet my work has been very fulfilling because I am allowed to be creative with my lesson planning. It sounds terrible but the fulfillment doesn't come from seeing students make progress, even though making progress is important for students. Also, being in a social occupation makes it harder for me to isolate and let my social skills atrophy. Years ago I wanted to compose music for a living, and to this day I'm very adept at it. It comes natural to me. But being inside all day and not socializing because I'm too focused on my music made me lose touch with my friends. I have social goals I want to achieve. I want to have a partner, and I want friends. So I have to continue to push myself and not be consumed by my "genius" (I hope that doesn't sound pretentious. I don't know what else to call it.) I don't want to be like Tesla and never marry. That being said, my autistic talents will always be with me and I have no obligation to anyone or myself to always be using these talents to some end. Living is hard enough. If I can make some use of my talents during my time here on Earth, then that is enough for me. I want to live simply.

[@hanagabriellebidon9330]

I love Temple Grandin. She's so inspiring and she's an amazing role model.

[@ilydavidA]

I had to watch this for one of my classes (Multicultural Education) and its interesting because it also connected to what we were talking about in my History class.. we were talking about hermeneutics, which my teacher, Edward Blum described as acknowledging interpretive frameworks, and the ways we make sense of the world. Grandin is spreading the acknowledgement of visual thinkers as well as the pattern and verbal thinkers. OT

[@hockeyshotz14]

My god. She is very similar to me, the only difference we have is our interest. I am interested in technology. I as well have autism. I agree with what she said about the education system, there should be hands on experience in highschool. I used to be lazy at school and never really cared about my grades until I tried out web development. After figuring out that I was talented at it, I started to become really dedicated in learning other things with web development. Then eventually I decided to learn about taking apart computers. After taking apart my computer and putting a new graphics card in my computer, I discovered that I was not just talented with web development, but I was talented with many things with technology. Today I am in college because of web development, I have learned much more about computers and can do many things with computer now that no one could imagine me doing. I currently have a job at the helpdesk as well for tech and soon will be working for verizon wireless. If I never discovered web development, I would not be interested in technology and would be playing videogames all the time. I am very intellegent compaired to who I was back then. The other thing she mentions about in this video is when she talks about being good at one thing and sucking at another thing. This is very true, I am only good at learning about technology and I suck at learning something else. In all honesty, I hope that we meet one day since we have common things to share about autism.

[@briansmobile1]

Bravo!!

[@vtmomof2ASDchildren]

Thank you Temple Grandin for giving parents of children on the autism spectrum the pep talk we need to help our kids move into the future to become the successful members of society that they can become - you are truly an inspiration to me!!

[@matthewbergman6803]

Temple Grandin for President :D

[@breatulu]

Temple Grandin is my hero.

[@oliverstieber8993]

heroin :-)

[@evanphilippederothschild5382]

Oliver Stieber Heroin is a drug. You silly goose.

[@Pola150]

Oliver Stieber What Evan meant to say is that heroin is a drug and heroine is the word for female hero. You're not a silly goose. It's a simple mistake that anyone could make, all you forgot was the "e."

[@MiyahSundermeyer]

Oh me too

[@filippanovski5540]

Oh I wouldn't like to imagine Salvador Dali growing up today ...

[@djsqaired6644]

My boyfriend is a pattern thinker, he's an engineer and amazing at any instrument and math. My brother is a verbal mind, he's Asperger's and super knowledgeable about certain topics. I'm more visual. This is so cool to figure out

[@richiezombie531]

This is probably the single most motivational video on youtube. The things she says should be applied to everyone, our school systems are so flawed but they try their best, still we need to educate our educators.

[@micahwest3566]

Utopian school system... that would be awesome...

[@michelle_ca8549]

Dr. Grandin has an excellent points! A friend's 11 yr old son, could tell me anything about Anime, but had zero concept of time. I suggested he wear a watch or carry his phone to put timers so he could accurately know the VALUE of HIS /OTHERS TIME. Especially when helpful when asking his parents for timed sharing for his interests. He was relieved to know that he had a sense of control of himself and a positive way to evaluate others.

[@LadyTink]

@weightpro Fixing school systems requires recognition of all the common varieties of brain... I know from personal experience, that I learn almost nothing if it isn't spoken. Simply reading something is almost pointless, however if I have even a computer voice reading along with me, I remember almost word for word every detail from articles I read years ago. It's easy to blame the student, and it's hard for society to truly learn how to effectively teach.

[@toreswe]

I just saw the movie, she's just like that! An amazing woman, and Claire Danes plays her very well.

[@introxgrunt]

I feel really weird because I have autism but I’m pretty extroverted and I really really enjoy going to see movies and concerts. I really really really really love music and film. I can really relate to Temple when she says that she thinks in pictures but instead of that I think in audio. I remember EVERYTHING about that I hear.

[@gersing]

I just saw the movie, Temple Grandin, and it was brilliantly made. The story was inspirational. I used to tutor an autistic person, and that movie made me see the way an autistic person thinks.

[@ttaylorfaithh]

i just watched the movie and cried. she is so amazing and i feel so proud of her journey. so remarkable how this one woman could give insight to the world and now we are getting to learn more and more about the spectrum i am so happy:)

[@omegapirat8623]

I am an autist and a pattern thinker. I am really bad at languages and social stuff but I am doing extraordinarily well in mathematics, computer science, and physics. I studied physics and since English isn't my native language this language was my biggest challenge during my studies.The physics in my physics studies was a piece of cake in comparison to reading English papers.

[@rwanahmed1818]

I am not Autistic but sometimes, for anyone that are Autistic and they don’t like having and dealing with Autism, I hear people giving them advice by telling them to not think of Autism as a disability, and to just think of it as a DIFFERENT ABILITY!

[@grammaticopedanticus9727]

@Rwan Ahmed, sometimes, indeed perhaps mostly, as in software the only difference between a bug and a feature is the way we write the documentation.

[@soundmapper]

I am the father of 3yr old autistic twins, and this video gives me hope for what otherwise feels like a life long death sentence.

[@ElizabethBedsole]

Such an extraordinary person. This video really speaks to everyone that has or knows a child on the autism spectrum.

[@catreadsabunch]

I love this so much! After watching Temple Grandin the movie, I just keep thinking what do I need to be thinking about more? Or what could I accomplish??

[@haleydoe644]

You are the only person who has actually explained conceptual and visual thinking and made it sound like I have been trying to for years. I think it pictures and concepts. So many people cannot grasp this idea. I also think in patterns and accell in math and and can play music by ear. Additionally, I Experience sensory information as emotions or scenarios that elicit emotions, such as an entire landscape or place that would make me feel certain emotions. I'm also dyslexic and ambidextrous. I explain my brain as a wikipedia robot. One thought jogs adjacent and similar thoughts and ideas like a search engine. I love the way my brain works. The downsides are the negative sensory reactions such as misophonia and misokinesia.

[@AtlanticGiantPumpkin]

THE GEOMETRY THING IS SO TRUE!!! I sucked at algebra growing up. I didn't get it (granted, sometimes I fell asleep in class and missed an important lesson) but in geometry, I fell asleep during one of the hour long lessons and when I woke up, all the other kids came to me for help cause they didn't get it. I told them give me about five minutes, and I was able to figure it out just by looking at it.

[@sarahhouse337]

What an inspiring woman - thank you so much Temple. I am also a female engineer who is autistic and so much of what you have shared makes so much sense to me. I will try and use some of your great explanations with friends and colleagues when trying to explain autism and how our minds works.

[@quencho]

because a lot of people have been shamed by it. leave us be. pride comes from the fact that we should not be ashamed for who we are wired to be, no matter how many people beat us down.

[@TheHolyRolle]

when i smoke weed, it really increases my picture thinking. Super detailed scenes. Also im extremely quiet with people i dont know or am not comfterble with its weird. i generally use all mind types she talks about. Im a musician at heart. but my brain is a word and visual thinker almost nonstop. hahaha its wild

[@drtompat]

I think of her as a Ghandi for animals. She has reduced sooo much suffering for animals which I, as a former (15 year) vegetarian think is incredibly great. Go Temple!!!

[@WaterMan-ss6eb]

I graduated 3 from the bottom of my class. Eventually i went to school and ended up in post graduate school. All because of a science teacher challenging me to understand the expansion of an explosive device. Wow what a moment in my life. I suddenly learned about the limit of expansion( the speed of light,the rate of expansion and my life tuned out great!

[@AugustVonpetersborg]

Those of us on the autism spectrum are indelibly tied to our condition, it is a huge part of how we think at the most basic level. An individual on the spectrum is certainly free to think of and refer to themselves as having X rather than being X, but they, and you, whether you're allistic(which simply means not autistic) or lie somewhere on the spectrum, do not have the authority to make those kinds of statements. I am happy, and fortunate, to be PDD-NOS, I would not be as capable otherwise.

[@Waranoa]

I'm a graduate student in neuroscience (fancy ey?), and because of that I think about and discuss the brain and the mind a lot, and the beauty of the complex and abstract system that is the mind/brain is hard to bring across to laypeople. This video is awesome because this woman is slightly different at a fundamental level, but we can still relate to her and see part's of our own mind that are not in plain sight, but which gives the mind such grandeur. She also tells on important social issues.

[@avmgeorge]

@MultiWingnut The person who painted the horses lost the verbal aspect of his expression because of Alzheimer's Disease, but could continue to express himself visually. The fact that this person used to install car stereos for a living was just an interesting fact that I don't think had anything to do with it. The point is that one can still express one's thoughts or feelings using another part of the brain. I hope this helps.

[@euanelliott3613]

Noone in school knew I am autistic, nor did I. In the '70's it wasn't a cause for concern, along with being bullied mercilessly for almost ten years of school. As a result my studies were a waste of time, I played truant as much as I could just to be left alone. The curriculum was ludicrous, teaching us things we just didn't need. The teachers had a so what attitude, if you complained about being victimized you were made to feel ashamed that you couldn't take it. College was much better, I loved it and my mind opened up. At the age of 18 I began to develop what became schizophrenia. Despite this I am not a victim, I am a survivor. I have no addictions, save for a dependancy on my anti psychotic medication which I will take for the rest of my life. It took me 53 years to find I am autistic, and I am very proud to be so.

[@igivup4815]

I wonder what she would be like on Ritalin. I understand what she is saying. I too am a go trigonometry, no algebra visual thinker. I too have ADHD. But damn if she aint all over the place.

[@MiyahSundermeyer]

I am really hyper like she is too.

[@barbaramoran8690]

I was given Ritalin,If she had been given Ritalin ,as a child ,Temple Grandin would not be what she is today.She would have not been able to function.she would have been in institution.I really suffered on Ritalin and even after meds were stopped I had to deal with worse sensory issues and anxiety.I didn’t go to college because Ritalin damaged my chemistry.Thankfully I was able to have a job for 22 years before I got social security.I had to go on disability due to my sensory issues

[@navada4789]

The amount of autistic joy I feel l watching this is immense. She’s just like me, she loves to learn- and I feel so much joy being able to find someone who seems like me.

[@breemullenger5247]

A great talk on autism! People with autism have many strengths, and it is important to capitalise on those strengths!

[@MeetTaylorMorris]

This is exceptional help for those of us with Asperger's Synrome. I was on the Autism spectrum at 2 years old, and today at 17 I no longer "qualify" for a diagnosis, but I still have a very Aspie mind. Which means I think in pictures, and I am very successful in learning so long as I can learn the way that works for me. Mentors are essential. Thank you Temple.

[@LauraTeAhoWhite]

I have aspergers myself, I love Dr Temple. Shes so funny, blunt and to the point. =D

[@ImehSmith]

Temple is SOOO ON POINT 300%!!! Not only did my therapist say 2 me just yesterday how l'm a VERBAL THINKER.... I got a BA in Communications & minored in Theater from Howard Univ.!!! l guess l'm such a verbal thinker, l LOVE documentaries, music, lang, & science was my fav. subject thruout school!! In fact, l connect sounds in insane ways!! I'd connect the sound a copier makes or driving over some grate or rumble strip 2 the base line or 1st note from a some 80's hit!!

[@sunnyr2917]

this woman is AMAZING

[@rescuepetsrule6842]

Thank God her mother didn't have her thrown into a 'special home'. She fought for her child, and now we can all learn from her. My poor Algebra teacher was criticized for "failing to educate our brightest student". Mr. Sahn, wherever you are, It wasn't your fault. I rescue Animals of all sorts, and Visual thinking makes it easy to know what they need and want. Thank you, Dr. Grandin- until I heard you, I, too, thought everyone thought in pictures (I made videos of memories after years of practice). How many geniuses are being 'wasted' by our current education system? Every student teacher should see Dr. Grandin's talks before they waste even more.

[@amuruderanto4442]

I have an autistic son with high functional thinker. He can read 2 syllables at the age of 2 years old. He learned to read 3 to 4 syllables when he was 3, fluently. And can read a sentence like a 7 to 8 years old at the age of 5. But he is kind of non verbal. He is fixated with electronic devices and samsung logo and LG logos. He is fixated with phone repairs and always draw the samsung logo and LG logo. Also he is very fixated about calendars..Thank you for opening up your experience

[@PageNumber687x]

i love her and i love that she thought so highly of the movie made about her. i use to be a dog groomer and we had the sweetest female rottweiler you could ever imagine come in but the owners asked us to not wear black sneakers around her. the sweet girl's previous owners method of "training" was to kick her into beaten submission and it took the new owners a bit to figure out that black sneakers were a trigger for the sweet girl. we would all try to avoid wearing black sneakers whenever she was in the salon or we would just take them off and hide them. such a small act to do to make another living creature feel more comfortable.

[@Groth1175]

@rapsarG Depends on the definition of "normal functioning" some parents may presume there is something wrong with their child if he or she chooses to become an artist instead of taking on a "normal" job like banker or accountant.

[@shro_okee]

I really can't read these comments, how is she praised to be an 'animal lover' for single-handedly working with the meat industry and saving these awful suits time and money on the animal transportation because the animals don't hear 'scary' sounds or see things that might stop them from moving towards their death? so the meat industry can save more time and use that to furthermore increase their financial gain in animal exploitation? This is a sick joke and I feel sick to the stomach that no one is even pointing that out, if that were to happen to cats and dogs people would be enraged that there's a person who speeds up the killing process and gets praised an 'animal rights activist' and other lies. I have absolutely no words for this

[@maldub88]

There’s a line in the movie where she says “cattle are raised for us so we owe them some respect”. Basically cattle slaughter is going to happen regardless, so why not treat the cattle as best as possible until they meet their fate.

[@Mastikator]

I wouldn't be surprised if autists and aspergers were overrepresented in silicone valley. But autists don't make it happen, just make it better.

[@camjellison7849]

She gives our family hope. Thank you Temple

[@cyberburnzy]

I totally relate to having that teacher or mentor lighting the spark! I couldn't stand courses in high school that just had you memorize facts and then regurgitate them on a test. I would end up drawing diagrams and pictures in my chemistry lab notebook for each lab project. No one else in class was doing that. My chemistry teacher allowed and encouraged that. Also if someone described something mechanical to me verbally I completely lost interest or couldn't comprehend. If they showed the equipment to me and let me touch and interact with it I quickly mastered how to work with it and fix problems with the equipment.

[@dougelick8397]

Temple is great, but let's be clear. Plenty of people can think visually, recognize patterns etc. without being Austistic.

[@craigpeters5034]

what she's SAYING...is... just because you have a problem doesn't mean you don't have a brain. duhhh, do you? :)

[@10j5e22v26z]

I believe the point is to state that having high functioning autism and being socially awkward (in western culture, the extroverted, kid with a lot of friends who does good in school is usually associated with intelligence and the introvert doesn't have the intelligence to interact with peers) doesn't make one stupid. I believe another point is that having high functioning autism (Asperger's) gives one a level of focus that is exceptionally high (commonly intelligent people tend to be more 'well rounded, as some people would say) in the particular obsession making them great at it to quite a high extend unlike how common intellectuals may spend their free time with friends and maybe indulging in alcohol, the high functioning autistic will still be working on his or her obsession.

[@ElizabethBedsole]

I believe she is saying just because you have a disability, that could hinder you from success, you can channel your way of seeing things to be able to accomplish what once may have not been thought possible. It is true that people with autism are very intelligent and they do see things differently than people without this “gift”. I know first-hand how autism affects someone and I can see the strengths in my child’s intelligence as he grows and discovers new ways of doing things every day.

[@mswhunter118]

I think what needs to be clear is that she never argued that point.

[@cgt2816]

@@craigpeters5034 No need to be rude. It was a valid point to make. I'm sure there are people who did indeed miss the point rehashed by the original poster.