Temple Grandin – An Autism Job Story and Movie
Temple Grandin, a designer of livestock handling facilities and a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, began breaking barriers early in her life – barriers in place for females working in a traditionally male industry as well as barriers for individuals with autism obtaining any kind of employment.
Over the years she has written numerous books about animals and autism. Christopher Monger and William Merritt Johnson based a screenplay on two of them, Thinking in Pictures and Emergence, (co-written with Margeret Sciariano) and now Temple Grandin, directed by Mick Jackson, will premier on HBO on Saturday, February 6. Actress Claire Danes will play Temple.
Writer and speaker Chantal Sicile-Kira recently had an opportunity to interview Temple about the movie. In Chantal’s article, published in the Huffington Post on Jan. 13, she quotes good advice Temple offers that applies to everyone seeking employment, not just those with autism:
“People are going to hire you because of your skill not your personality. You need to have a portfolio to show them what you can do. When I first went into the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, they thought I was weird, they didn’t even want to talk to me. Then I whipped out the cow dip vat drawing and that made them respect me.
Also, it’s important for people with Asperger’s to understand they need to make things that people want in order to make a living. Like the opening gate at my aunt’s farm – I would get upset at my aunt, but I ended up building the gate my aunt (Catherine O’Hara) wanted. I figured out how to open the gate without getting out of the car. This gate – it solved other’s people’s problems. That’s something you can make money from. The gate was an early project at age 16 before I made the squeeze machine.”
Read the complete article here. (Photo Credit: HBO/Van Redin)
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How can I buy a copy of this movie. I teach middle school and believe this is a fantastic movie. More people need to see it.
I agree!
I don’t believe it’s available for purchase yet, but I went to the HBO site and it looks like you can go ahead and order it. Here’s the link:
http://store.hbo.com/detail.php?p=257628&v=hbo_dvds_temple-grandin
I justed watched the movie, and It helped me understand my son with autism, he see’s the world in a different way also. The movie is a must see for all..
Watched the movie late last night on HBO. I was an excellent. It gave me a completely new outlook on autism and opened my eyes. Wonderful acting …….