Working as an Autistic adult

This week we discuss strategies autistic adults can use as employees.  

Temple Grandin PhD is our distinguished guest this week.  Her website gives a great explanation of her theory on how best to prepare autistic children for a more independent life and active social integration through employment.  She emphasizes that in earlier generations, (Temple grew up in the 1950s) activities such as newspaper delivery provided young people with formative work experiences. She suggests that, in the absence of such opportunities today, parents can help children build similar skills through neighborhood jobs like dog walking or by encouraging volunteer roles in community centers and places of worship. According to Temple, these experiences cultivate discipline and responsibility, while also enhancing self-esteem through recognition of a job well done.

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​Temple also stresses the importance of nurturing the distinctive abilities of individuals on the autism spectrum. She argues that traits such as logical reasoning, strong attention to detail, and systematic problem-solving are not only beneficial to the individual but also valuable to society as a whole. Dr. Grandin contends that efforts should focus less on seeking a "cure" for autism and more on recognizing and cultivating these cognitive strengths. In her view, neurodiverse ways of thinking play a critical role in fields such as technology and engineering, making them indispensable to future innovation.