Re: Temple Grandin. Has anybody had experience with her methods with an autistic child?

I haven’t read anything of hers directly related to autism, but I read Animals in Translation for my animal behavior class. The book was fascinating reading and I’m both amazed and impressed at how she has come to make what most people view as a curse into a blessing. Her work with and reformation of slaughterhouses has greatly improved the life quality of cattle at her facilities. She’s one of my heroes and I also can’t wait to watch the biography.

@MissAnthrope Temple Grandin is an autistic person herself, in case you didn’t know. She used the squeeze machine on her before developing it for the cows.

Personally, I have applied some of the doable techniques to calm my child down when agitated.

I know. That’s what makes her work so exceptional. :)

I’m both amazed and impressed at how she has come to make what most people view as a curse into a blessing. (she uses her autistic abilities in a constructive manner.. she says in her book she can see like a cow does)

I was amazed to learn that she developed her squeeze machine from watching cattle being held in a restraint to get inoculated and found that they were very calm while in the restraint so she thought she’d try it for herself. She still uses the squeezer 2 to 3 times per week.

You can read a great chapter about her in Oliver Sack’s book An Anthropologist on Mars. He is a neurologist and a wonderful writer. The book came out several years ago and is where I first heard about her.

I really hope I don’t forget to watch the biography tonight.

8PM ET on HBO. . . 30 min from now

I missed that one :( but saw it on again! Haha thanks.