Note: Added 4/11/10. This blog has moved! I'll be leaving the old blog up for a while, but updated posts will be on my new blog. For more info on this topic, as well as lots of book reviews, professional and personal resources for individuals of all ages with Asperger's, autism, ADHD and ASDs, please check my new blog, Thrive on the Autism Spectrum.
Just a reminder, the Temple Grandin movie is premiering on February 6, 2010 on HBO. Most of my readers are familiar with Temple Grandin, PhD, perhaps the most well known autistic person in America, as well as the designer of almost half the cattle handling equipment in North America. Dr. Grandin is inspiring because of her clear presentation and writing style, as well as the way she’s learned to adapt the strengths of her diagnosis to accomplish things she probably wouldn’t have been able to if she weren’t autistic. Dr. Grandin remains a free thinker, an individual who lives a life that is meaningful for her, and expands our own vision of what a successful life can be.
For every parent who worries if their own child will ever fit in, succeed, be a contributing, happy member of society, I think the story of this woman, recommended for institutionalization as a child, can provide another path. I love stories of children succeeding beyond anyone’s hopes, and Temple Grandin is certainly one of those stories.
