I remember marking a classmate's Asian geography exam in grade 7... he got 6% (3 of 50 countries or capitals). Not long after this, he explained to our science teacher how a four-stroke engine runs and what the different systems in a passenger car do (fan, coolant, air intake, fuel injectors, spark plugs, etc). That really opened my eyes and mind to the idea that intelligence doesn't always transfer across domains, and being intelligent =/= being informed.
Rote memorization of 50 word pairs is far far less of a cognitive achievement than a functional understanding of complex engineering. I sincerely hope you can develop this kid's talent. Conventional school unfortunately holds talent back so the lowest denominator can catch up and be 'fit' for society.
Yeah it is true, and I find it gives people a misconception about intelligence. A bit of a different topic, but most people see a person who is very well spoken and good at articulating what they're thinking very fluidly, and view this as what intelligence is. It's funny, it's almost like an animalistic superficial viewpoint of intelligence. If you're well spoken, people think you're smart. If you take time to articulate what you're thinking, they think you're less intelligent than the former. I've saw well spoken people have their ideas supported over far more intelligent people, just because the other person was a quick witted speaker who got far more respect socially. We're a weird species for sure.
I could name every ocean and sea on top of every country and every US state. Every name of Pokemon of which each different type explains how different systems work. I was able to understand electricity and chemistry while struggling with understanding biology. I can understand the spiritual world extremely well and the way the forest works with God and spirit but not the biology part of it as much. I can understand basic algebra and scientific math. I can't understand graphs as well, but I am able to understand fractions and decimals very well.
It is recognized by many that late talkers are often just analytical thinkers. The majority grow up to be engineers or accountants; a significant number go into music. So if you have a 3-year-old who doesn't speak in sentences yet, but understands what you say and communicates pretty well nonverbally, there is no cause to worry.
Of course things always depend, there can be no over generalization for well, anything really. But there can be general observations. Pretty much any therapeutic method is doing that@@Kevinmiller835
My father did not speak a word and only produced groans until he was at least 4 years old. His parents were discussing putting him in a special school as it was obvious that he was retarded. Turned out he had a “165 or higher” iq.
I've been diagnosed with ADD and social anxiety, and I COMPLETELY agree with the idea to change the standard procedure for job interviews. Let people try the job for just one week. It has pros for both parties. The boss sees if the person fits well enough with the job. And the worker gets a sniff of the work-place, see if he/she likes it. They may even learn new work-experience. Obviously this doesn't just work everywhere. Some jobs are to risky to let random people try them. But I think this'll be possible for many small jobs. Idk im tired and dont know what im typing anymore (sorry for bad englush😊
Nah - Your English is just fine! The only spelling mistake ironically is in your last sentence where you said "Englush"....but that kinda adds character into your comment - so keep it in! 👍
Don’t say you have autism. Autism, ADHD, OCD, its all in the brain. It’s all Trauma. Read Scattered Minds By Gabor Mate. Understand it and then use it as a weapon - you’ll then get a job.
I'm a psychiatrist who works with many neurodivergent patients. I can say that they are a very diverse group with only certain features in common. The current school systems do not equip neurodiverse children to cope with a neurotypical world, wherein lies most of their struggles. I wish they would increase awareness among parents and teachers to help these individuals thrive, but those who see me in my clinic are burnt out from the demands of being with neurotypicals.
I suffer from burn out often and only now in my forties do I understand what this means and how the cycle works. The school and work systems are not designed for thriving or innovation, just for compliance.
Given that being neurotypical would make a person a minority - why does the whole of society think that adaptations need to be made so that everybody can fit into a neurotypical world? What made that model the ideal standard? Did it win a lottery or something? I know when I imagine what I think I'm supposed to want to be - I get very uncomfortable. Down that road there used to be the specter of lobotomies. I rebel. And then I notice - most other people are rebelling too. There are more people that don't fit the mold than do.
I am a theoretical physicist and I also have autism (and ADHD as well). What made Einstein such a great physicist was exactly that he was a very visual thinker. We was able to just close his eyes and just visualize the problem as thought experients and then eventually reach a conclusion. His icredible intuition and ability to visualize made him able to understand space and time itself as a 4 dimensional manifold which can be manipulated like a fabric. This very intuitive and visual approach later became an issue for him when quantum mechanics started being the main focus. He was not able to visualize quantum physics in the same way, since there is this inherent undeterministic property. He wasn't fond of the idea that there existed true randomness in the universe because he couldn't visualize it the same way, he famously stated "God does not play dice with the universe". I myself am both a visual and pattern thinker. I see patterns everywhere that most people don't seem to notice, even when pointed out. I am also good at visualizing images. In high school when I was bored in class I would often just watch a movie in my head. My memories are also purely visual. I have a bit of synesthesia so I even remember songs and different conversations as intricate visual patterns or colours and emotions. This also makes me very good at detecting musical notes and scales and it's easier to compare two images than two sounds and I also play a lot of different instruments. It's weird how different our brains are. A lot of the differences also seem to be discrete, which makes me wonder if it has something to do just with random mutations in the genes controlling neurological structure, or it is evolutionary and genetic. I also wonder if you can learn to think in a visual way if you're more of a verbal thinker and vice versa since the brain is so plastic. I am not a neurobiologist so I haven't the faintest idea, but definitely interesting to think about.
Einstein was a scientific and intellectual fraud. He plagiarized many, if not most of his work of the backs of his contemporaries. The only reason he gets so much credit today is really because he was a Jew.
@@JabubMontoya I’ve done a lot of research in string theory, especially looking into how it fits with ER=EPR, equating quantum entanglement with Einstein-Rosen bridges. Right now I spend most of my time with cosmology, I’m especially interested in Sir Penrose’s cyclical model of cosmology.
I have ADHD too and I'm doing an integrated master's in physics, I'm on my second year right now and kind of struggling with revising any tips from one ADHD person to another?
Autism has stigma around it. Everyone has divided opinions on it. But by the end of the day, autistic people are still people. But they kinda just see the world in different lenses.
Temple Grandin, along with many other exceptional and exceptionally talented neurodiverse folks is why I studied neuroscience 20 years ago. What a legend of education and research. Thanks for this interview- marvelous.
I’m a very visual thinker and a mathematician. It gives me a unique approach to problems, but it was difficult for me to get through the exams. Some professors thought I had a fresh unique take, and some thought I was an idiot. My first PhD supervisor kept telling me I couldn’t be a researcher because I didn’t have the talent, so I changed supervisors to one who was very supportive of my unorthodox approaches to problems and we published like crazy.
Dr. Grandin, you are my hero. As a radiation oncologist I also think in pictures. I recall reading about you struggles and determination to learn going through an automatic door, a great metaphor. Your perseverance inspired me to keep taking the board exam, my "automatic door". Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
@@siedmy The left ventricle is typically the inferior most part of cardiac anatomy. The heart in most people is slightly to the left of the center of the chest between the lungs, anterior to the esophagus and above the diaphragm.♥
As an ABA therapist, I’ve realized I was autistic and my parents had no clue. I didn’t talk till 3 and hadn’t experienced “emotions” until now as. 25 year old.Luckily I picked up music and I taught myself how to play the guitar, drums and bass. I’ll be going into the IT field this year to finally give school another shot. I’ve realized as well how much I love learning!
do you mean you are IN ABA therapy? also stay away from IT work if you ARE already a therapist. getting change for a dollar makes absolute no sense what so ever...but hey if you can afford switching careers, why not.
@@bober1019 im an ABA therapist. As in I help the children with autism. And unfortunately ABA companies here in the states are awful to work with unless you’re a BCBA, which takes minimum 5 years to get to. Low hours and losing clients out of blue do a number to the change we barely get as it is. So something more consistent is needed for me, thus IT.
@Andygr_ I would have though that working in health care in the states,since its all private, that the money would be better. I'm in Canada. Unless you are some maga crazy, you are more than welcome to take a crack at it here.
Dr. Grandin, I'm a variant of the verbalizers: Born and raised in the USA, English is my second language; music is my first language! You see pictures; I hear music. Any object or thought or person I perceive has its own music, and I can improvise that music at the moment. I still have that silent spoken voice in my head, but I also have my music voice constantly speaking to me. When I attended an Aspie meeting, I asked if I should get a formal diagnosis. They asked me if I was gainfully employed, which I was at the time (a technical writer); they advised I avoid the formal diagnosis if I wished to keep my job. Consequently, my Asperger label is self-inflicted, but it complements my long history of behavioral traits. I wear it proudly.
Thinking in music is very familiar to me as well. I did it since age 4. I don't think she's right that there are just 3 types of thinkers with their combinations. However, it could be that the other types are tougher to understand (e.g. thinking in music).
Thinking in music, what a beautiful thing!!! I'm 48 late diag ASD and I've been learning a lot about myself over the last couple of years. My brain is a sht storm of constant thoughts streaming with about 9 to 11 or 12 feeds at a time. It's quite tiring if I'm honest. I only finished the 5th grade before my adolescence became focused on my homelessness at the time. Eating and finding decent places to sleep was most of concern. But, when life provided me the opportunity to do something I was able to get a few books at the time and taught myself electrical and computer engineering with some fluid dynamics. I honestly never thought anything of it, I always saw myself as stupid given I never even made it to middle school. I ended up designing some pretty high-end computers systems that won a bunch of awards from media publications such as CNET. I stopped working 7 years ago when I was 41 as I don't need more money. I've turned out pretty okay I guess given what I'm dealing with but work on improving daily. It's wild to think how different my brain is, I see people admiring some things but it can be a real struggle. I often can't stop talking once I start though I prefer no interactions. I can get spun out pretty easy if I'm in a loud place or somewhere chaotic and I don't sleep much, maybe 4 hours a night or 5 sometimes. I often wish it would stop as the idea of a minute or two of silence in my head seems pretty nice, Since reading your post all I can think about is having music in my head instead, it seems wonderful. But I have a question, if everyone carries a tune for you; is being around the same person a lot like having an annoying song stuck in your head?
I got my autistic and adhd diagnosis 2 years ago at the age of 35. Everything fell into place, it made sense. I've subsequently been 2 years sober and lost over 50 kg in weight! Best thing that ever happened to me, knowing who I was. I was called crazy as a child because I had visual thoughts and an internal monologue. So glad I know now 😊✌️
Almost everybody has an internal monologue, genius. I highly doubt that anybody made fun of you for experiencing something that almost everybody experiences.
@@Hollyucinogen when I was four I didn't know the term internal monologue existed so when I said to the teacher "the voices in my head" they didn't immediately talk to me about internal monologues or mental health, they just slapped crazy across my head. Growing up in the 80's in Wales people didn't have the mental health awareness we have now. Now I know I have an internal monologue but from the age of three I was dubbed crazy because I used the wrong language. I wonder how many other teenagers get slapped as crazy when they say "voice in my head" instead of "internal monologue". ✌️
@@charmelos1431 I know that now, but when I was four I didn't know the term internal monologue so when I told my teachers "voices in my head" they immediately stamped crazy on me. Probably why we should talk to younger kids about mental health so that they understand that internal monologues are completely normal, same as internal visuals ✌️
@LotusSparx kind off. I've always suffered with addictions, mainly alcohol and food. Knowing who I was helped me to overcome those addictions. My interoception isn't good either so I have to be aware of how much food I'm eating. Also learning I am an ADHDer helped me to understand those addictions came from dopamine seeking so I started going back to the gym for free dopamine. That's helped me to keep the weight off too ✌️
Most of us can’t relate to being an autistic woman trying to implement a major change in the male dominated world of processing cattle for consumption in the 70’s. Her idea made it much more humane for the cattle. She is inspiration for all!
I can relate to so many things described in this video. In particular, my struggle to overcome the hurdle of the traditional job interview. I fly through the psychometrics, and I have no issue with task based assessments. The isuue is when someone asks me to "explain a time when you had had to do X, Y and Z". I become a stuttering mess. It's so frustrating because I am intelligent, I have two degrees, and I perform unusually well in other aspects of my life. I just can't seem to crack the performative ritual that is the competency-based interview. It feels like I've been locked out of society. Thankfully, i managed to get some provisional offers on graduate schemes related to my field. This was after wasting a year working in a hotel.
I had the same challenge until I got trained on interviews. Now I have to prepare my answers ahead of time and rehearse them for hours. I’ve gotten good at interviews but it’s all an act and soon as I get an unanticipated question I fumble
I've watched Dr. Grandin's career for years. No nonsense! Authentic! Good stuff! We need to do better; as parents, teachers, and people. Let's raise each other!😅❤🙏
I want to hug her. She's putting into words my personal traits in ways that make so much more sense than I've ever been able to do. It also helps explain why I've been so good at certain things but not others.
WOW, thank you Dr. Grandin... hello from Colombia! I'm buying your book today... Every single word you said resonated so much with me, and l just want to say you are an absolutely smart and incredible human being. Your vision should be shared with everyone, and especially anyone struggling with mental health issues. 9 months ago I found myself without a job - yet again - and very confused about the way my mind worked. After some personal research I discovered I was neurodivergent too, and a few months later in therapy my diagnosis was confirmed as ADHD. THANKS TO YOU and your research I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders today; I can't expect myself to perform as a verbalizer because I am both an object and a spatial visualizer. This video is everything I needed and MORE... Thank you BIG THINK.
Labels are an EXPLANATION, not a DESTINATION. I was diagnosed with Asperger's in middle school, and I'm also critical of the DSM's oversimplification grouping Asperger's into Autism Spectrum Disorder. It muddies the water for the laymen distinguishing who needs lots of care and supervision from those like me who are independent, self sufficient, and live a happy life on their own. Most people don't guess my diagnosis unless I tell them! 😅
Everything is a disorder in DSM. It doesn't consider Porn as addiction though, it's laughable. Then they teach believers why they shouldn't be orthodox for a single Book.
Agreed. I also have Asperger's and I've always felt like the collapse of all the different diagnoses to "Autism Spectrum Disorder" is almost an insult to the people who really struggle and their families. My cousin was nonverbal and had severe issues and it felt like I was making light of what he and his family went through to say that I'm autistic. I've lived on my own, I moved to China and worked with orphans, I've been a supervisor and manager at various jobs, and I'm now about to graduate from a top law school. It's not fair to people like my cousin to just say I'm autistic and leave it at that.
@@AdeleiTeillanaThanks for sharing your story Adelei! Your example is a perfect illustration why I find the name change problematic, takes focus away from those who need the most help. 🙌
I work for a 5 star restaurant part time while earning my degree in computer science, minor probability and statistics. After I got hired, I naturally had difficulty dealing with customers, but everything from cooking to handling inventory, keeping track of losses etc. I did pretty well with. I had no choice but to tell my boss that I have an Asperger's diagnosis from grade school and that's why I get stifled around people. I thought this would most likely lead to a demotion of some sort considering the restaurant is 5 stars and they may not want a 'liability' there, but my boss is currently training me as a part time shift manager. I'm still not good with CSR, but it turns out managing people is a hidden talent that I didn't know I had, moreover, I'm discovering that management is not the same as CSR or casual conversation with a person. I'm good at telling people what to do and organizing a team effort.
Autism is highly heritable. But that doesn't mean that one or even both parents will have it. But if someone has a lot of the same characteristics of their autistic child it might be worth looking into.
WOW, I stumbled upon this and I'm so glad that I did. I'm autistic and I'm a visual but I'm learning how to be more verbal. Dr. Grandin is an inspiration and I strongly believe that several people need to see this video. People miss out on so much for they do not understand. When you refuse to talk to a person you are shutting yourself off from a library.
As an artist and animal lover on the spectrum, and Temple's books have helped me a great deal to better understand myself in relation to other people. I would say that all animals are autistic, except most humans. Greetings from Berlin, Germany
We find ourselves going through life having to brush off, even to defy expectations, ignore categories and labels others try to slap on us, sometimes in their rabid ignorance, sometimes to keep us grounded, instead of airborne so we won't reach our full potential. And sadly, a lot of times experiences like these take place in the learning environment, in schools
As someone who’s in the process of getting testing for aspergers, i’m starting to remember a lot of the signs from my childhood that makes me think i may be in the spectrum. Through “self improvement” and just putting myself out there, i’ve become pretty good at pretending to be like everyone else. But in times of stress my shortcomings start to show again and that’s what finally pushed me to get help
I'lve always been a really high functioning autistic person, but I've noticed recently with grad school that writting is one thing I super struggle with. I can think linearly, and like teaching, but for some reason the specific act of writting is super difficult for me to do well.
4th type of thinker: Metaphysical. These are able to construct images and scenarios in their mind in a lucid-dream-like state. Game theorists, musicians, CEO's, etc. Playing 10 hours of video games per day for the purpose of amusement and fun, does not help anyone. Some games are skills within themselves (mostly eSports) that allow people to grasp what a really difficult learning curve is. Then, upon the realization that they're capable of really doing what they set their mind to (learned while somewhat enjoying themselves because it's a video game, not "boring" advanced calculus) they can then learn to apply the same learning strategy that they already have experience in, to go on into other very difficult skills/fields. While I'm very appreciative of the insights Dr Temple Grandin has shared with society, the problem with old age is the reduction in neuroplasticity not allowing her to understand the connections of new frameworks. She's an absolute genius when it comes to animal psychology, but she doesn't fully understand the complexities of the mind and it's different self-or-externally-imposed frameworks. I don't know if anyone can say with certainty that they do yet, and in old age we become more certain of the framework that's been reinforced in our minds our entire lives. The core of the difference between her and most other people, is neurodiversity compounded with animal empathy. Even if she isn't a crying mess every time a cow is slaughtered, she has the part of empathy that allows her to set her mind in an animal's framework. It's a misconception that empathy = sympathy and the "perceived suffering then imposes suffering on oneself." Empathy is simply thinking from another consciousnesses' point of view, without interjecting your own point of view into it. "I'm going to think like this person, while imagining I'm walking in their shoes" is empathy. "I'm thinking in my mental framework, while imagining I'm walking in their shoes" is not empathy.
It doesn't have to be an eSport to have value in it. For some games, it's about the immersion or the creativity. There are games with strong simulation or sandbox aspects that you can learn skills that are applicable to real life, not just learning how to learn. The downside is that the effort you put in builds your character's wealth in-game, but doesn't build your own wealth in real life.
In psychology you are talking about cognitive empathy. But there is also affective/emotional empathy. They are both types of empathy. Autistic people actually tend to be better at the latter.
Once again, thank you @bigthink for posting another excellent episode. I only recently heard of Dr. Temple Grandin and have been fascinated by her perspectives since. What she promotes regarding how things should change from an acknowledgement and a recruiting perspective are bang on the money. For too long, job prospects have been kept out of reach of so many people that would be outstanding and dedicated employees. Time to change up how HR works so the world can benefit from these otherwise hidden gems.
This fantastic woman destroys "every kid gets a trophy" in 8 min. Anyone allowed to struggle and learn to turn their "weak points" (not thinking in words for traditional system) into their greatest strengths (ie thinking in pics allows to design the cattle chute differently) will blow everyone else away. Great video and thanks for Temple for her great commentary! Bring back shop class!
This was a great video. I struggle with abstract math but I'm fine with geometry and physics because I can "see" it in my mind. I'm also a very visual thinker. I also see and feel the texture of music and tastes, and I'm thankful for my autistic brain.
I recently read her book " Different Types/Kinds of Minds" and it's very eye opening. Assisted me in knowing my brain better and how it works the way it does.
I am a diagnose dyslexic and I felt it so much when she talked about having to use back doors all her life. That’s how I feel. Even today I don’t like handing in written applications for anything since even among adults it seems to be considered common sense to devaluate or even make fun of bad spelling. Seeing someone who values what I do get exited about what I do is so fulfilling, you have no earthly idea.
I am blown away. I despise most of these speeches as I see their generalizations and causal fallacies. However, she is so concise, and articulate and obviously one of us. I suspect that others that speak on autism are not the same as we are, but when this lady first appeared on screen, she stood out to me as though she was shining a light directly at me. I can’t process neurotypicals and their emotions, but I know my own kind when I see them. Brilliant speech and inspiring.
everything she said. We need our education system to bring out the best in each of us, not cookie cutter everyone, and "diagnose" those who do things differently.
Cookie cutting is the main purpose of modern schooling. The Prussian system of schooling, which most western countries use, was designed to churn out obedient soldiers and factory and mill workers.
Temple Grandin seems like the right person to give a voice too. They seem understanding and empathetic, but also realistic and honest about this issue. Incredible. We need to give people like this jobs in government.
As the owner of a company that’s currently hiring and as someone that can relate to the speaker, I’ve always been intuitive in my personal hiring and training process but have had problems replicating my success. This video is eye opening.
As a 28 y/o man on the higher functioning side of things: The problem with the care/treatment plans of people on the Spectrum becomes *Prescriptive* instead of *Descriptive* - by that, I mean that: Perhaps not immediately, but surely enough, the diagnosis leaves less and less space for identity because the limitations to of Allistic empathy, combined with the early communicative difficulties of Autistics. "Autism" is literally the combination of the Greek "Autos," meaning "Self," and the Latin suffix "-ism" meaning "condition of." Planely put, it is: "the condition of being one's Self." The treatment (at least when I was young) was so fixated on diminishing everything it meant to be me, rather than help me find a way to be myself in the world around me - a very big difference, in the long run.
That and the care system for people with all manner of intellectual and/or developmental disabilities is rigid and one-size-fits-all. For housing, it's semi-institutional group homes or residential treatment centers. For "work" and "recreation" the best that's offered is usually adult daycare. These settings offer little if any freedom, practically everything is chosen top-down by the administration.
Thank you for sharing your experience and expertise Dr. Grandin! I find the type of thinking thing (visual, patterns, language) so fascinating. The term aphantasia was only coined in 2015!! So no one, even scientists, realized that people's minds were so different. I suspect high masking autism for myself and I have aphantasia. Aphantasia is the inability to picture something in the mind's eye. The science is early, but they are linking it to neurodivergence. Meaning it seems to be more common in neurodivergent brains (adhd and autism). So it's interesting that Dr. Grandin seems to see in pictures. Seeing HD pictures/movies is also rare. Most people seem to be in between. Some visual mind's eye, but not detailed like a movie. Two years ago, when I learned that the mind's eye was real and not a figure of speech, I was blown away! It explained a lot of my issues with certain things over time. I think in words, but I am creative, do art and I see patterns and connections others don't (although not to the level of some, just better than average). But I have dyscalcula, so unfortunately I did not become the scientist that I dreamed of as a child. Still ever curious and learning. I would love to know the break down of famous, successful autistic people, do they tend to have visual HD mind's eyes like Einstein and Grandin? I am also interested to know if it can be trained/learned? If it's impacted by methylation issues? Because most with aphantasia dream, but no visuals in the mind while awake, so why is that? Dr. Joel Pearson in Australia is doing wonderful research on the topic. His newsletters/Substack articles are very interesting. Can't wait for more research to be done. But really shows the saying, "If you've met one autistic person you've met one autistic person."
When watching this and reading her article about the schoolar system, I am very happy and thankful to live in a country, where all those "hands-on" classes are standard for everyone, boys and girls. Arts and crafts, cooking, nutrition and household manageing, woodworking, Physical education, Physics experiments, nature-based classes where we would explore the woods around our school, being around farm animals. Might all have helped me tremendously with my only recently diagnosed autism and ADD, alsongside with growing up without today's technology on a farm high up in the mountains. Who knows if I had withstood all the challenges so relatively well without this upbringing. If I recapitulate it, it was as soon as I left this nature-close environment and had to specialise in knowledge, in order for finding an occupation, things started to spiral downwards... So I definitely think, that Temple-Grandin got a valid point there! Hands-on classes leave kids much more room to ask their own questions and figure them out. And it gives much more room to experience a culture of being allowed to make mistakes and learning from them and constructively fix them in your own creative way. It gives a sence to kids, that they are creative, intelligent, knowledgeable, an capable of doing a lot of things they'd never think they would be able to do. This is very much needed nowadays. And I think, it is beneficial to all kids, neurotypic and neurodivergent!
AMEN!!! She’s wonderful. My oldest son is on the spectrum and his struggles are his self confidence due to him being bullied in school. He wants to become a diesel mechanic.
I'm not at all for the yassification of things but wow, her belt is really cool. But I digress. Honestly, I don't like Big Think. I don't like their titles, I don't like their thumbnails. But what Dr. Grandin had to say is valuable. I understand the RUclips game, they have to farm clicks. It's good when the clicks lead to informative content like this... despite the off-putting pretense these channels exude. I was diagnosed as autistic at 29. I could have nurtured by knack for engineering and adapt better to modern life much better if I had known earlier. I adapted OK, but I've done much better since my diagnosis because thankfully I got the help I needed. I hope information like this reaches a lot of people and kids (as well as adults) on the spectrum, and helps them find the help they need, the support and the opportunities. I also hope it leads both true leaders and average employers to consider the great return on investment they could get by making simple accommodations for autistic people that have great skills. In an increasingly corporate world, cookie-cutter protocols and token diversity are the bane of human progress.
A teacher tried to convince my parents that I was autistic as a very young child because I was very shy, very quiet, yet very smart. I would get into trouble because I would finish class assignments so quickly and roam around the classroom looking for more to do. My parents almost bought into the teacher's wrong assessment of my intellectual capabilities until a school counselor tested my IQ. The counselor determined that I wasn't autistic. I was bored because I should've advanced into a higher level class with my high IQ. My experience is the reason I always want to encourage children to be themselves and explore the world around them without preconceived judgements. Children can be so easily miscategorized as having some sort of mental condition when they really only need a chance to experiment and develop their natural talents and skills. We should encourage children to dream big. Not put them into tiny boxes. Who knows what a child will become and do for the world if given the opportunity to be who they really are.
I was diagnosed at the age of 25. Living in Africa as an autistic guy is hell! I was bullied in school so much I hated it, I still do sometimes. I remember my math teacher calling me out for being slow and talking at a low tone she didn't get what I was saying. Guess what? I ended up hating math!I had zero friends and family members especially mum thought I was a very strange kid. The only thing that saved me from depression was programming. The computer become my dear friend and I would skip school to program. I was able to take myself to uni through the money I got in programming to study what I wanted; MATH! Apparently my love for math started after school! I have a dream to help autistic children coz Its such a new, "weird" thing in Africa.
I'm an object and spatial visualizer. My passions are art and programming. I want to combine the two in some way. Right now I'm learning game design so I can draw and animate assets, and also code the game mechanics. It's hard choosing a life path to follow cus I'm actually adhd and I'm interested in so many things, it's very overwhelming.
Einstein was a scientific and intellectual fraud. He plagiarized many, if not most of his work of the backs of his contemporaries. The only reason he gets so much credit today is really because he was a Jew.
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve already had an interest in science, and more specifically animals. I’ve watched documentaries about them, especially the big ones like elephants, tigers and whales, and there’s something majestic about them that makes me so intrigued. I then learnt in 6th grade that they are threatened with extinction, and so I decided then and there that I want to be an ecologist/conservationist as they all play a role in maintaining our planet. I’m pretty much a science person; learning about mathematical equations, looking at scientific models (I’m pretty much a visual thinker, as she said), and like looking at figures that help better understand the science behind it. What I have difficulties with are in civics, social studies and business (I remember I got the lowest grade in business studies back in high school😅). It wasn’t until I was at my final year of high school that my mother told me I had autism (Asperger’s syndrome, in particular) since I was 5/6 years old, and I was left speechless at that point. I then learnt that there are other great people who also had autism. Einstein, for example, had the visions to create general creativity, and I never expected he could have autism. It was great that you demonstrate how autism can give you an advantage, Ms. Grandin. Hope that you are doing well
Yes Ma'am, thanks for speaking. My thought has always been, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. There is a whole workforce of better than what's currently available just sitting idle.
When I was younger and terrible in school I was able to spend half day day in trade school. It was the best thing ever and now I'm a master craftsman 😎
@@EricGranatawhat is trade school? I’m from Europe, the Netherlands to be exact. Our schooling is different, haven’t looked trade school up yet thought maybe you could give me a small summary of why it worked for the autism?
Thank you, Prof. Grandin for your efforts to have a change of the perspective of neurotypicals in favor to hire neurodivergents. Same chances, same rights. Unfortunately the bullyism is strong in working places. There should be laws to stop the harrasment of neurodivers people. Its so easy to harrass us, its fun for those bullies. I am a dedicated visual type like you.
Leave! I’m being honest, I had to separate and it was hard because of certain responsibilities. The bullying won’t stop, and you won’t be rude for leaving.
@@sageofsixpaths98 the pain is worth it. It can be a very gradual process. Can take years but even the hope of knowing you will separate to a healthy level will already help you with your mental state.
Knowing that some people think in words is mind-blowing. I cant tell though if Im an object or spatial visualizer. I've always loved art. When I was young, I loved drawing. I didnt pursue a career in art but Im still able to apply my skills in UI design. Before I start designing, I always try to visualize it first before developing. But Im also a programmer, and although I wont consider myself the best, based on performance in university and in work, Im probably considered above average. But I actually suck at math, although there was one point in my life when I acrually loved math and was particularly good at it. Now I cant even solve a simple algebra problem. I think Im just a mix of both kinda of like a spectrum.
I work in IT and I feel like there is a great deal of undiagnosed autism in the older generation. Many people i have encountered in the IT field, myself included are a little autistic or on the spectrum.
You go grandma! I’ve always been an oddball going on 65 years now. The shame is we generalize education as a one piece fits all. So many autistic people have genius level thought in each their own strengths. We need to optimize those skills in individuals. But we want it easy and cost efficient. That results in a gross loss of opportunity to utilize the intellect of these very special individuals. Instead they are marginalized and put off to the sidelines. And that’s a shame for both them and us.
I think that there are probably more than just the three types of thinkers that were mentioned during this video. As an autistic individual with aphantasia I don't think in pictures. I certainly don't think in words because the majority of the time my thoughts do not have even have equivalents in the languages I know, and I almost always have a hard time verbalizing what I am thinking. I do however think very kinesthetically as well as in smells and tastes, so most memories I have are the muscle memory of how my body was moving during that event accompanied by the scents that were present for that memory. This makes me often remember things when I am doing the same physical action or when my olfactory system processes a smell in my day that reminds me of a memory strongly associated with that smell. I would argue that my brain working this way helps me in my professional life in kitchens, so I'm grateful regardless even if I have a difficult time relating to other's ways of processing stimuli.
This is so true we have so many children in our education system with these same reasons that need our help but not one administrator is helping implement programs
I have autism, too, and my thinking tends to be a blend of all three types. One thing I love to do is make flutes, and my brain blending all three types of thinking helps me with that.
Coming here from reading 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat' by Oliver Sacks - HIGHLY recommend it to anyone interested in how we can start moving beyond labels for neurodivergence
I am autistic. This is good. I have been obsessed with maps for a long time, presumably because it is visually-oriented. I plan on becoming a geographer after high school. Been diagnosed since the old age of 4. Also ADHD
Temple is so accurate in her interpretations. People do think differently, and people who aren't neurotypical, are way too often assumed slow, or mentally compromised. That misinterpretation nearly destroyed me. Now I do own my own business, and am reasonably independently successful, a high net worth person. Surmised as mentally deficient most of my life was horribly depressing. But the true losers in that misinterpretation are the business who rejected me. My financial success pretty much proves that.
She's probably the smartest, most genuine person they've had on. Everything she says is based off observation and logic, wonderful lady.
I love her. She is my idol
I remember marking a classmate's Asian geography exam in grade 7... he got 6% (3 of 50 countries or capitals). Not long after this, he explained to our science teacher how a four-stroke engine runs and what the different systems in a passenger car do (fan, coolant, air intake, fuel injectors, spark plugs, etc). That really opened my eyes and mind to the idea that intelligence doesn't always transfer across domains, and being intelligent =/= being informed.
Rote memorization of 50 word pairs is far far less of a cognitive achievement than a functional understanding of complex engineering. I sincerely hope you can develop this kid's talent. Conventional school unfortunately holds talent back so the lowest denominator can catch up and be 'fit' for society.
Yeah it is true, and I find it gives people a misconception about intelligence. A bit of a different topic, but most people see a person who is very well spoken and good at articulating what they're thinking very fluidly, and view this as what intelligence is. It's funny, it's almost like an animalistic superficial viewpoint of intelligence. If you're well spoken, people think you're smart. If you take time to articulate what you're thinking, they think you're less intelligent than the former. I've saw well spoken people have their ideas supported over far more intelligent people, just because the other person was a quick witted speaker who got far more respect socially. We're a weird species for sure.
In the words of Einstein:
"Do not judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree."
I could name every ocean and sea on top of every country and every US state. Every name of Pokemon of which each different type explains how different systems work. I was able to understand electricity and chemistry while struggling with understanding biology. I can understand the spiritual world extremely well and the way the forest works with God and spirit but not the biology part of it as much. I can understand basic algebra and scientific math. I can't understand graphs as well, but I am able to understand fractions and decimals very well.
Tell that to HR giving out stupid general IQ tests like candy.
It is recognized by many that late talkers are often just analytical thinkers. The majority grow up to be engineers or accountants; a significant number go into music. So if you have a 3-year-old who doesn't speak in sentences yet, but understands what you say and communicates pretty well nonverbally, there is no cause to worry.
Depends
Of course things always depend, there can be no over generalization for well, anything really. But there can be general observations. Pretty much any therapeutic method is doing that@@Kevinmiller835
My father did not speak a word and only produced groans until he was at least 4 years old. His parents were discussing putting him in a special school as it was obvious that he was retarded. Turned out he had a “165 or higher” iq.
I've been diagnosed with ADD and social anxiety, and I COMPLETELY agree with the idea to change the standard procedure for job interviews. Let people try the job for just one week. It has pros for both parties. The boss sees if the person fits well enough with the job. And the worker gets a sniff of the work-place, see if he/she likes it. They may even learn new work-experience.
Obviously this doesn't just work everywhere. Some jobs are to risky to let random people try them. But I think this'll be possible for many small jobs.
Idk im tired and dont know what im typing anymore (sorry for bad englush😊
Nah - Your English is just fine!
The only spelling mistake ironically is in your last sentence where you said "Englush"....but that kinda adds character into your comment - so keep it in! 👍
Well said!
Well said. I also propose Cooking and Farming Jobs to be easier to initiate, primarily to increase home-skills and be involved with the community.
That’s nice and all, but in technical jobs you often can’t do anything the first week (maybe month(s)) because you have no idea what you are doing.
I agree... If the week is paid.
I'm an autistic woman looking for a job and getting rejected constantly in HR interviews for more than a year. This video gave me some hope
Companies will feel the pain of their poor hiring decisions soon enough, just saying.
Don’t say you have autism. Autism, ADHD, OCD, its all in the brain. It’s all Trauma. Read Scattered Minds By Gabor Mate. Understand it and then use it as a weapon - you’ll then get a job.
Nicely said, like Microsoft did a couple of years ago with some failed products
@cryora the most obvious cope I've ever seen
@@Kage-jk4pj Was Theoden's speech just before the charge of the Rohirrim at the Pelennor Fields cope?
I'm a psychiatrist who works with many neurodivergent patients. I can say that they are a very diverse group with only certain features in common. The current school systems do not equip neurodiverse children to cope with a neurotypical world, wherein lies most of their struggles. I wish they would increase awareness among parents and teachers to help these individuals thrive, but those who see me in my clinic are burnt out from the demands of being with neurotypicals.
I suffer from burn out often and only now in my forties do I understand what this means and how the cycle works. The school and work systems are not designed for thriving or innovation, just for compliance.
neurotypical today is not exactly normal. if neurotypical was a good and sane balanced person, the world would not be this giant pile of shit.
Given that being neurotypical would make a person a minority - why does the whole of society think that adaptations need to be made so that everybody can fit into a neurotypical world? What made that model the ideal standard? Did it win a lottery or something? I know when I imagine what I think I'm supposed to want to be - I get very uncomfortable. Down that road there used to be the specter of lobotomies. I rebel. And then I notice - most other people are rebelling too. There are more people that don't fit the mold than do.
I am a theoretical physicist and I also have autism (and ADHD as well). What made Einstein such a great physicist was exactly that he was a very visual thinker. We was able to just close his eyes and just visualize the problem as thought experients and then eventually reach a conclusion. His icredible intuition and ability to visualize made him able to understand space and time itself as a 4 dimensional manifold which can be manipulated like a fabric. This very intuitive and visual approach later became an issue for him when quantum mechanics started being the main focus. He was not able to visualize quantum physics in the same way, since there is this inherent undeterministic property. He wasn't fond of the idea that there existed true randomness in the universe because he couldn't visualize it the same way, he famously stated "God does not play dice with the universe".
I myself am both a visual and pattern thinker. I see patterns everywhere that most people don't seem to notice, even when pointed out. I am also good at visualizing images. In high school when I was bored in class I would often just watch a movie in my head. My memories are also purely visual. I have a bit of synesthesia so I even remember songs and different conversations as intricate visual patterns or colours and emotions. This also makes me very good at detecting musical notes and scales and it's easier to compare two images than two sounds and I also play a lot of different instruments.
It's weird how different our brains are. A lot of the differences also seem to be discrete, which makes me wonder if it has something to do just with random mutations in the genes controlling neurological structure, or it is evolutionary and genetic. I also wonder if you can learn to think in a visual way if you're more of a verbal thinker and vice versa since the brain is so plastic. I am not a neurobiologist so I haven't the faintest idea, but definitely interesting to think about.
Einstein was a scientific and intellectual fraud. He plagiarized many, if not most of his work of the backs of his contemporaries. The only reason he gets so much credit today is really because he was a Jew.
That’s cool. What kind of theoretical physicist are you. What kind of stuff you do.
It could be possible considering the brain is plastic, maybe if you start training from a young age it could happen
@@JabubMontoya
I’ve done a lot of research in string theory, especially looking into how it fits with ER=EPR, equating quantum entanglement with Einstein-Rosen bridges.
Right now I spend most of my time with cosmology, I’m especially interested in Sir Penrose’s cyclical model of cosmology.
I have ADHD too and I'm doing an integrated master's in physics, I'm on my second year right now and kind of struggling with revising any tips from one ADHD person to another?
Autism has stigma around it. Everyone has divided opinions on it. But by the end of the day, autistic people are still people. But they kinda just see the world in different lenses.
@@wayneunited59hello bully 😡
@@wayneunited59wtf?
NOT all autistic people are still people. I'm an alien from another world! And I do move around a little.
@@alienfable 😳
But doctors give them meds to keep them asleep so we don't get another Einstein.
Temple Grandin, along with many other exceptional and exceptionally talented neurodiverse folks is why I studied neuroscience 20 years ago. What a legend of education and research. Thanks for this interview- marvelous.
I’m a very visual thinker and a mathematician. It gives me a unique approach to problems, but it was difficult for me to get through the exams. Some professors thought I had a fresh unique take, and some thought I was an idiot. My first PhD supervisor kept telling me I couldn’t be a researcher because I didn’t have the talent, so I changed supervisors to one who was very supportive of my unorthodox approaches to problems and we published like crazy.
Dr. Grandin, you are my hero. As a radiation oncologist I also think in pictures. I recall reading about you struggles and determination to learn going through an automatic door, a great metaphor. Your perseverance inspired me to keep taking the board exam, my "automatic door". Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I love your comment.
Where is the bottom of the heart?
@@siedmy The left ventricle is typically the inferior most part of cardiac anatomy. The heart in most people is slightly to the left of the center of the chest between the lungs, anterior to the esophagus and above the diaphragm.♥
As an ABA therapist, I’ve realized I was autistic and my parents had no clue. I didn’t talk till 3 and hadn’t experienced “emotions” until now as. 25 year old.Luckily I picked up music and I taught myself how to play the guitar, drums and bass. I’ll be going into the IT field this year to finally give school another shot. I’ve realized as well how much I love learning!
I believe everyone is autistic
do you mean you are IN ABA therapy?
also stay away from IT work if you ARE already a therapist.
getting change for a dollar makes absolute no sense what so ever...but hey if you can afford switching careers, why not.
@@bober1019 im an ABA therapist. As in I help the children with autism. And unfortunately ABA companies here in the states are awful to work with unless you’re a BCBA, which takes minimum 5 years to get to. Low hours and losing clients out of blue do a number to the change we barely get as it is. So something more consistent is needed for me, thus IT.
@Andygr_ I would have though that working in health care in the states,since its all private, that the money would be better. I'm in Canada. Unless you are some maga crazy, you are more than welcome to take a crack at it here.
@@Sus_blues Thats awesome you are going into IT! What exactly are you going for?
I love Temple. Every time she talks or writes I feel deeply connected to what she is saying. Such a beautiful and positive mind
First time I've come across Temple Grandin - wow, what a great communicator, and thinker.
Dr. Grandin, I'm a variant of the verbalizers: Born and raised in the USA, English is my second language; music is my first language! You see pictures; I hear music. Any object or thought or person I perceive has its own music, and I can improvise that music at the moment. I still have that silent spoken voice in my head, but I also have my music voice constantly speaking to me. When I attended an Aspie meeting, I asked if I should get a formal diagnosis. They asked me if I was gainfully employed, which I was at the time (a technical writer); they advised I avoid the formal diagnosis if I wished to keep my job. Consequently, my Asperger label is self-inflicted, but it complements my long history of behavioral traits. I wear it proudly.
Im a Visual thinker and a Verbaliser too, think aloud
I used to babysit a kid with Asperger's and he was a genius. 9 yrs old and he was definitely one of the smartest people I've ever met.
Thinking in music is very familiar to me as well. I did it since age 4. I don't think she's right that there are just 3 types of thinkers with their combinations. However, it could be that the other types are tougher to understand (e.g. thinking in music).
This comment reminded me of the late musical genius... Michael Jackson. And how much he was misunderstood.
Thinking in music, what a beautiful thing!!! I'm 48 late diag ASD and I've been learning a lot about myself over the last couple of years. My brain is a sht storm of constant thoughts streaming with about 9 to 11 or 12 feeds at a time. It's quite tiring if I'm honest. I only finished the 5th grade before my adolescence became focused on my homelessness at the time. Eating and finding decent places to sleep was most of concern. But, when life provided me the opportunity to do something I was able to get a few books at the time and taught myself electrical and computer engineering with some fluid dynamics. I honestly never thought anything of it, I always saw myself as stupid given I never even made it to middle school. I ended up designing some pretty high-end computers systems that won a bunch of awards from media publications such as CNET. I stopped working 7 years ago when I was 41 as I don't need more money. I've turned out pretty okay I guess given what I'm dealing with but work on improving daily. It's wild to think how different my brain is, I see people admiring some things but it can be a real struggle. I often can't stop talking once I start though I prefer no interactions. I can get spun out pretty easy if I'm in a loud place or somewhere chaotic and I don't sleep much, maybe 4 hours a night or 5 sometimes. I often wish it would stop as the idea of a minute or two of silence in my head seems pretty nice, Since reading your post all I can think about is having music in my head instead, it seems wonderful. But I have a question, if everyone carries a tune for you; is being around the same person a lot like having an annoying song stuck in your head?
I got my autistic and adhd diagnosis 2 years ago at the age of 35. Everything fell into place, it made sense. I've subsequently been 2 years sober and lost over 50 kg in weight! Best thing that ever happened to me, knowing who I was. I was called crazy as a child because I had visual thoughts and an internal monologue. So glad I know now 😊✌️
Most people have an internal monologue.
Almost everybody has an internal monologue, genius. I highly doubt that anybody made fun of you for experiencing something that almost everybody experiences.
@@Hollyucinogen when I was four I didn't know the term internal monologue existed so when I said to the teacher "the voices in my head" they didn't immediately talk to me about internal monologues or mental health, they just slapped crazy across my head.
Growing up in the 80's in Wales people didn't have the mental health awareness we have now. Now I know I have an internal monologue but from the age of three I was dubbed crazy because I used the wrong language. I wonder how many other teenagers get slapped as crazy when they say "voice in my head" instead of "internal monologue". ✌️
@@charmelos1431 I know that now, but when I was four I didn't know the term internal monologue so when I told my teachers "voices in my head" they immediately stamped crazy on me. Probably why we should talk to younger kids about mental health so that they understand that internal monologues are completely normal, same as internal visuals ✌️
@LotusSparx kind off. I've always suffered with addictions, mainly alcohol and food. Knowing who I was helped me to overcome those addictions. My interoception isn't good either so I have to be aware of how much food I'm eating.
Also learning I am an ADHDer helped me to understand those addictions came from dopamine seeking so I started going back to the gym for free dopamine. That's helped me to keep the weight off too ✌️
Most of us can’t relate to being an autistic woman trying to implement a major change in the male dominated world of processing cattle for consumption in the 70’s. Her idea made it much more humane for the cattle. She is inspiration for all!
I can relate to so many things described in this video. In particular, my struggle to overcome the hurdle of the traditional job interview. I fly through the psychometrics, and I have no issue with task based assessments.
The isuue is when someone asks me to "explain a time when you had had to do X, Y and Z". I become a stuttering mess. It's so frustrating because I am intelligent, I have two degrees, and I perform unusually well in other aspects of my life. I just can't seem to crack the performative ritual that is the competency-based interview. It feels like I've been locked out of society.
Thankfully, i managed to get some provisional offers on graduate schemes related to my field. This was after wasting a year working in a hotel.
Same here, those interviews feel very artificial and pointless. Same goes with therapy and counselling, you can't stop cringing.
I had the same challenge until I got trained on interviews. Now I have to prepare my answers ahead of time and rehearse them for hours. I’ve gotten good at interviews but it’s all an act and soon as I get an unanticipated question I fumble
@@sageofsixpaths98Therapy helped me. But you have to find the right therapist for you.
I've watched Dr. Grandin's career for years. No nonsense! Authentic! Good stuff! We need to do better; as parents, teachers, and people. Let's raise each other!😅❤🙏
I want to hug her. She's putting into words my personal traits in ways that make so much more sense than I've ever been able to do. It also helps explain why I've been so good at certain things but not others.
WOW, thank you Dr. Grandin... hello from Colombia! I'm buying your book today... Every single word you said resonated so much with me, and l just want to say you are an absolutely smart and incredible human being. Your vision should be shared with everyone, and especially anyone struggling with mental health issues.
9 months ago I found myself without a job - yet again - and very confused about the way my mind worked. After some personal research I discovered I was neurodivergent too, and a few months later in therapy my diagnosis was confirmed as ADHD.
THANKS TO YOU and your research I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders today; I can't expect myself to perform as a verbalizer because I am both an object and a spatial visualizer.
This video is everything I needed and MORE... Thank you BIG THINK.
Labels are an EXPLANATION, not a DESTINATION. I was diagnosed with Asperger's in middle school, and I'm also critical of the DSM's oversimplification grouping Asperger's into Autism Spectrum Disorder. It muddies the water for the laymen distinguishing who needs lots of care and supervision from those like me who are independent, self sufficient, and live a happy life on their own. Most people don't guess my diagnosis unless I tell them! 😅
Everything is a disorder in DSM.
It doesn't consider Porn as addiction though, it's laughable. Then they teach believers why they shouldn't be orthodox for a single Book.
Agreed. I also have Asperger's and I've always felt like the collapse of all the different diagnoses to "Autism Spectrum Disorder" is almost an insult to the people who really struggle and their families. My cousin was nonverbal and had severe issues and it felt like I was making light of what he and his family went through to say that I'm autistic. I've lived on my own, I moved to China and worked with orphans, I've been a supervisor and manager at various jobs, and I'm now about to graduate from a top law school. It's not fair to people like my cousin to just say I'm autistic and leave it at that.
There are ASD levels to differentiate.
@@AdeleiTeillanaThanks for sharing your story Adelei! Your example is a perfect illustration why I find the name change problematic, takes focus away from those who need the most help. 🙌
I work for a 5 star restaurant part time while earning my degree in computer science, minor probability and statistics. After I got hired, I naturally had difficulty dealing with customers, but everything from cooking to handling inventory, keeping track of losses etc. I did pretty well with. I had no choice but to tell my boss that I have an Asperger's diagnosis from grade school and that's why I get stifled around people. I thought this would most likely lead to a demotion of some sort considering the restaurant is 5 stars and they may not want a 'liability' there, but my boss is currently training me as a part time shift manager. I'm still not good with CSR, but it turns out managing people is a hidden talent that I didn't know I had, moreover, I'm discovering that management is not the same as CSR or casual conversation with a person. I'm good at telling people what to do and organizing a team effort.
My youngest son is autistic, he's one of the most upbeat happy kids I know. I'm lucky and he's just perfect.
Might wanna get checked out yourself, because I'm quite sure it's genetic. Just saying 🤷♀️
@@Clownk1llerI’m quite sure it’s due to genetic variation, so probably not.
@@Clownk1llerand recessive, so I’m quite sure she wouldn’t have it. Both parents need to have the recessive gene, which is often dormant… “🤷♂️🤷♂️”
Autism is highly heritable. But that doesn't mean that one or even both parents will have it. But if someone has a lot of the same characteristics of their autistic child it might be worth looking into.
WOW, I stumbled upon this and I'm so glad that I did. I'm autistic and I'm a visual but I'm learning how to be more verbal. Dr. Grandin is an inspiration and I strongly believe that several people need to see this video. People miss out on so much for they do not understand. When you refuse to talk to a person you are shutting yourself off from a library.
As an artist and animal lover on the spectrum, and Temple's books have helped me a great deal to better understand myself in relation to other people. I would say that all animals are autistic, except most humans. Greetings from Berlin, Germany
We find ourselves going through life having to brush off, even to defy expectations, ignore categories and labels others try to slap on us, sometimes in their rabid ignorance, sometimes to keep us grounded, instead of airborne so we won't reach our full potential. And sadly, a lot of times experiences like these take place in the learning environment, in schools
This is one of the best guests to ever come here, super smart but less technical jargon to leave your head spinning and she articulated it very well
0:23-0:28 Literally the best simple definition of it I've ever heard as an autistic person.
As someone who’s in the process of getting testing for aspergers, i’m starting to remember a lot of the signs from my childhood that makes me think i may be in the spectrum. Through “self improvement” and just putting myself out there, i’ve become pretty good at pretending to be like everyone else. But in times of stress my shortcomings start to show again and that’s what finally pushed me to get help
I'lve always been a really high functioning autistic person, but I've noticed recently with grad school that writting is one thing I super struggle with. I can think linearly, and like teaching, but for some reason the specific act of writting is super difficult for me to do well.
4th type of thinker: Metaphysical. These are able to construct images and scenarios in their mind in a lucid-dream-like state. Game theorists, musicians, CEO's, etc.
Playing 10 hours of video games per day for the purpose of amusement and fun, does not help anyone. Some games are skills within themselves (mostly eSports) that allow people to grasp what a really difficult learning curve is. Then, upon the realization that they're capable of really doing what they set their mind to (learned while somewhat enjoying themselves because it's a video game, not "boring" advanced calculus) they can then learn to apply the same learning strategy that they already have experience in, to go on into other very difficult skills/fields.
While I'm very appreciative of the insights Dr Temple Grandin has shared with society, the problem with old age is the reduction in neuroplasticity not allowing her to understand the connections of new frameworks. She's an absolute genius when it comes to animal psychology, but she doesn't fully understand the complexities of the mind and it's different self-or-externally-imposed frameworks. I don't know if anyone can say with certainty that they do yet, and in old age we become more certain of the framework that's been reinforced in our minds our entire lives.
The core of the difference between her and most other people, is neurodiversity compounded with animal empathy. Even if she isn't a crying mess every time a cow is slaughtered, she has the part of empathy that allows her to set her mind in an animal's framework.
It's a misconception that empathy = sympathy and the "perceived suffering then imposes suffering on oneself." Empathy is simply thinking from another consciousnesses' point of view, without interjecting your own point of view into it. "I'm going to think like this person, while imagining I'm walking in their shoes" is empathy. "I'm thinking in my mental framework, while imagining I'm walking in their shoes" is not empathy.
It doesn't have to be an eSport to have value in it. For some games, it's about the immersion or the creativity. There are games with strong simulation or sandbox aspects that you can learn skills that are applicable to real life, not just learning how to learn. The downside is that the effort you put in builds your character's wealth in-game, but doesn't build your own wealth in real life.
You mean imagination? This is the norm. I don’t have this as I cant see in my mind.
@@cryora You're right. Factorio is also a big one.
@@TruthBounty "imagination" kind of covers all the above types of thinking, but it's a somewhat generalized term in this topic.
In psychology you are talking about cognitive empathy. But there is also affective/emotional empathy. They are both types of empathy. Autistic people actually tend to be better at the latter.
Once again, thank you @bigthink for posting another excellent episode. I only recently heard of Dr. Temple Grandin and have been fascinated by her perspectives since. What she promotes regarding how things should change from an acknowledgement and a recruiting perspective are bang on the money. For too long, job prospects have been kept out of reach of so many people that would be outstanding and dedicated employees. Time to change up how HR works so the world can benefit from these otherwise hidden gems.
This fantastic woman destroys "every kid gets a trophy" in 8 min. Anyone allowed to struggle and learn to turn their "weak points" (not thinking in words for traditional system) into their greatest strengths (ie thinking in pics allows to design the cattle chute differently) will blow everyone else away. Great video and thanks for Temple for her great commentary! Bring back shop class!
Definitely, we should quit bubble wrapping children. Then the house of cards that is the SJW movement would fall apart!
This was a great video. I struggle with abstract math but I'm fine with geometry and physics because I can "see" it in my mind. I'm also a very visual thinker. I also see and feel the texture of music and tastes, and I'm thankful for my autistic brain.
Honestly, I wish I could meet her IRL. one of my heros!❤
I recently read her book " Different Types/Kinds of Minds" and it's very eye opening. Assisted me in knowing my brain better and how it works the way it does.
I am a diagnose dyslexic and I felt it so much when she talked about having to use back doors all her life. That’s how I feel. Even today I don’t like handing in written applications for anything since even among adults it seems to be considered common sense to devaluate or even make fun of bad spelling. Seeing someone who values what I do get exited about what I do is so fulfilling, you have no earthly idea.
She is so great...what an incredible person Temple Grandin is, a true gift to the world, and she's so right!
I am blown away. I despise most of these speeches as I see their generalizations and causal fallacies. However, she is so concise, and articulate and obviously one of us. I suspect that others that speak on autism are not the same as we are, but when this lady first appeared on screen, she stood out to me as though she was shining a light directly at me. I can’t process neurotypicals and their emotions, but I know my own kind when I see them. Brilliant speech and inspiring.
everything she said. We need our education system to bring out the best in each of us, not cookie cutter everyone, and "diagnose" those who do things differently.
The problem isn't with the diagnosis. The problem is punishing differences.
Cookie cutting is the main purpose of modern schooling. The Prussian system of schooling, which most western countries use, was designed to churn out obedient soldiers and factory and mill workers.
I had the pleasure of meeting her in person a few years ago. Absolutely love everything about her
The first 10 seconds brought a tear! So profound!
I love how this video teaches about how people think differently. It's good to value our differences.
Temple Grandin seems like the right person to give a voice too. They seem understanding and empathetic, but also realistic and honest about this issue. Incredible. We need to give people like this jobs in government.
I’ve never felt so understood. I’m literally in tears.
This video made me cry in the most positive way. Thank you for helping me understand and label how i think.
Dr. Grandin's insights are incredibly valuable for understanding neurodiversity.
As the owner of a company that’s currently hiring and as someone that can relate to the speaker, I’ve always been intuitive in my personal hiring and training process but have had problems replicating my success. This video is eye opening.
As a 28 y/o man on the higher functioning side of things:
The problem with the care/treatment plans of people on the Spectrum becomes *Prescriptive* instead of *Descriptive* - by that, I mean that: Perhaps not immediately, but surely enough, the diagnosis leaves less and less space for identity because the limitations to of Allistic empathy, combined with the early communicative difficulties of Autistics.
"Autism" is literally the combination of the Greek "Autos," meaning "Self," and the Latin suffix "-ism" meaning "condition of."
Planely put, it is: "the condition of being one's Self." The treatment (at least when I was young) was so fixated on diminishing everything it meant to be me, rather than help me find a way to be myself in the world around me - a very big difference, in the long run.
That and the care system for people with all manner of intellectual and/or developmental disabilities is rigid and one-size-fits-all. For housing, it's semi-institutional group homes or residential treatment centers. For "work" and "recreation" the best that's offered is usually adult daycare. These settings offer little if any freedom, practically everything is chosen top-down by the administration.
Thank you for sharing your experience and expertise Dr. Grandin!
I find the type of thinking thing (visual, patterns, language) so fascinating. The term aphantasia was only coined in 2015!! So no one, even scientists, realized that people's minds were so different. I suspect high masking autism for myself and I have aphantasia. Aphantasia is the inability to picture something in the mind's eye. The science is early, but they are linking it to neurodivergence. Meaning it seems to be more common in neurodivergent brains (adhd and autism). So it's interesting that Dr. Grandin seems to see in pictures. Seeing HD pictures/movies is also rare. Most people seem to be in between. Some visual mind's eye, but not detailed like a movie. Two years ago, when I learned that the mind's eye was real and not a figure of speech, I was blown away! It explained a lot of my issues with certain things over time.
I think in words, but I am creative, do art and I see patterns and connections others don't (although not to the level of some, just better than average). But I have dyscalcula, so unfortunately I did not become the scientist that I dreamed of as a child. Still ever curious and learning.
I would love to know the break down of famous, successful autistic people, do they tend to have visual HD mind's eyes like Einstein and Grandin? I am also interested to know if it can be trained/learned? If it's impacted by methylation issues? Because most with aphantasia dream, but no visuals in the mind while awake, so why is that? Dr. Joel Pearson in Australia is doing wonderful research on the topic. His newsletters/Substack articles are very interesting. Can't wait for more research to be done. But really shows the saying, "If you've met one autistic person you've met one autistic person."
good video about how different we are and how valuable we are once we all understand how someone expresses themselves and not placed into boxes
yes
When watching this and reading her article about the schoolar system, I am very happy and thankful to live in a country, where all those "hands-on" classes are standard for everyone, boys and girls. Arts and crafts, cooking, nutrition and household manageing, woodworking, Physical education, Physics experiments, nature-based classes where we would explore the woods around our school, being around farm animals.
Might all have helped me tremendously with my only recently diagnosed autism and ADD, alsongside with growing up without today's technology on a farm high up in the mountains.
Who knows if I had withstood all the challenges so relatively well without this upbringing. If I recapitulate it, it was as soon as I left this nature-close environment and had to specialise in knowledge, in order for finding an occupation, things started to spiral downwards...
So I definitely think, that Temple-Grandin got a valid point there!
Hands-on classes leave kids much more room to ask their own questions and figure them out.
And it gives much more room to experience a culture of being allowed to make mistakes and learning from them and constructively fix them in your own creative way.
It gives a sence to kids, that they are creative, intelligent, knowledgeable, an capable of doing a lot of things they'd never think they would be able to do. This is very much needed nowadays.
And I think, it is beneficial to all kids, neurotypic and neurodivergent!
I’m very lucky. My son’s school understands that he is autistic, and help him with things he lacks and encourages his strengths and balances that.
i love this woman with my whole heart please protect her at all costs
Somebody give this woman a podcast
AMEN!!! She’s wonderful. My oldest son is on the spectrum and his struggles are his self confidence due to him being bullied in school. He wants to become a diesel mechanic.
I'm not at all for the yassification of things but wow, her belt is really cool. But I digress. Honestly, I don't like Big Think. I don't like their titles, I don't like their thumbnails. But what Dr. Grandin had to say is valuable. I understand the RUclips game, they have to farm clicks. It's good when the clicks lead to informative content like this... despite the off-putting pretense these channels exude. I was diagnosed as autistic at 29. I could have nurtured by knack for engineering and adapt better to modern life much better if I had known earlier. I adapted OK, but I've done much better since my diagnosis because thankfully I got the help I needed. I hope information like this reaches a lot of people and kids (as well as adults) on the spectrum, and helps them find the help they need, the support and the opportunities. I also hope it leads both true leaders and average employers to consider the great return on investment they could get by making simple accommodations for autistic people that have great skills. In an increasingly corporate world, cookie-cutter protocols and token diversity are the bane of human progress.
She seems like such an amazing person. Loved this video.
I think she is great! And it makes me want to learn more about her and read her books.
A teacher tried to convince my parents that I was autistic as a very young child because I was very shy, very quiet, yet very smart. I would get into trouble because I would finish class assignments so quickly and roam around the classroom looking for more to do. My parents almost bought into the teacher's wrong assessment of my intellectual capabilities until a school counselor tested my IQ. The counselor determined that I wasn't autistic. I was bored because I should've advanced into a higher level class with my high IQ. My experience is the reason I always want to encourage children to be themselves and explore the world around them without preconceived judgements.
Children can be so easily miscategorized as having some sort of mental condition when they really only need a chance to experiment and develop their natural talents and skills. We should encourage children to dream big. Not put them into tiny boxes. Who knows what a child will become and do for the world if given the opportunity to be who they really are.
Good for you to find out who you are, but autistic people can also have high IQ too ^^ it’s not a condition that makes you have low IQ
I am diagnosed with autism and I had a genius level IQ as a child.
I can relate so much. And one of my fascinations is finding odd people in their crucial years and trying to inspire them. So far, that was terrific.
I was diagnosed at the age of 25. Living in Africa as an autistic guy is hell! I was bullied in school so much I hated it, I still do sometimes. I remember my math teacher calling me out for being slow and talking at a low tone she didn't get what I was saying. Guess what? I ended up hating math!I had zero friends and family members especially mum thought I was a very strange kid. The only thing that saved me from depression was programming. The computer become my dear friend and I would skip school to program. I was able to take myself to uni through the money I got in programming to study what I wanted; MATH! Apparently my love for math started after school!
I have a dream to help autistic children coz Its such a new, "weird" thing in Africa.
All veterinarians know about Temple Grandin and her contributions to improve animal welfare and veterinary medicine overall ❤ 🙏!
I'm an object and spatial visualizer. My passions are art and programming. I want to combine the two in some way. Right now I'm learning game design so I can draw and animate assets, and also code the game mechanics. It's hard choosing a life path to follow cus I'm actually adhd and I'm interested in so many things, it's very overwhelming.
I remembered Temple Grandin this morning and then found her here
What a coincidence
That's not a coincidence; it's a synchronicity. We are all deeply connected✨
@@deborahking8770
Imma look up that word later
True - Humanity needs all the different kinds of thinkers !!!!
Einstein was a scientific and intellectual fraud. He plagiarized many, if not most of his work of the backs of his contemporaries. The only reason he gets so much credit today is really because he was a Jew.
Really enjoyed Temple Grandin ❤
Oh! I didn't know Temple Grandin was still around, this is great
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve already had an interest in science, and more specifically animals. I’ve watched documentaries about them, especially the big ones like elephants, tigers and whales, and there’s something majestic about them that makes me so intrigued. I then learnt in 6th grade that they are threatened with extinction, and so I decided then and there that I want to be an ecologist/conservationist as they all play a role in maintaining our planet.
I’m pretty much a science person; learning about mathematical equations, looking at scientific models (I’m pretty much a visual thinker, as she said), and like looking at figures that help better understand the science behind it. What I have difficulties with are in civics, social studies and business (I remember I got the lowest grade in business studies back in high school😅). It wasn’t until I was at my final year of high school that my mother told me I had autism (Asperger’s syndrome, in particular) since I was 5/6 years old, and I was left speechless at that point.
I then learnt that there are other great people who also had autism. Einstein, for example, had the visions to create general creativity, and I never expected he could have autism. It was great that you demonstrate how autism can give you an advantage, Ms. Grandin. Hope that you are doing well
Brillaintly direct and inspiring.
Thank you ❤
Good talk Thanks for sharing
Dr. Grandin is a hero of mine
This was extremely enlightening.
I can't believe we get a person like Temple. She has changed my life.
Yes Ma'am, thanks for speaking. My thought has always been, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. There is a whole workforce of better than what's currently available just sitting idle.
When I was younger and terrible in school I was able to spend half day day in trade school. It was the best thing ever and now I'm a master craftsman 😎
I have a kid with autism who has struggled in school but flourished in trade school. Love to see it. 💪
@@EricGranatawhat is trade school? I’m from Europe, the Netherlands to be exact. Our schooling is different, haven’t looked trade school up yet thought maybe you could give me a small summary of why it worked for the autism?
Thank you, Prof. Grandin for your efforts to have a change of the perspective of neurotypicals in favor to hire neurodivergents. Same chances, same rights. Unfortunately the bullyism is strong in working places. There should be laws to stop the harrasment of neurodivers people. Its so easy to harrass us, its fun for those bullies. I am a dedicated visual type like you.
And unfortunately, the settings neurodivergents usually find themselves in (like group homes and adult daycare) don't allow much freedom.
Sadly things didn’t get better for me after high school. I’d go on to experience bullying at work and continue to deal with the bullies in my family.
This might mean something or nothing to you but know that I for one am sorry to hear this.❤
Leave! I’m being honest, I had to separate and it was hard because of certain responsibilities. The bullying won’t stop, and you won’t be rude for leaving.
@@matviyk3066easier said than done
@@sageofsixpaths98 the pain is worth it. It can be a very gradual process. Can take years but even the hope of knowing you will separate to a healthy level will already help you with your mental state.
@@grahampalmer Thank you
Knowing that some people think in words is mind-blowing. I cant tell though if Im an object or spatial visualizer. I've always loved art. When I was young, I loved drawing. I didnt pursue a career in art but Im still able to apply my skills in UI design. Before I start designing, I always try to visualize it first before developing. But Im also a programmer, and although I wont consider myself the best, based on performance in university and in work, Im probably considered above average. But I actually suck at math, although there was one point in my life when I acrually loved math and was particularly good at it. Now I cant even solve a simple algebra problem. I think Im just a mix of both kinda of like a spectrum.
I work in IT and I feel like there is a great deal of undiagnosed autism in the older generation. Many people i have encountered in the IT field, myself included are a little autistic or on the spectrum.
You go grandma! I’ve always been an oddball going on 65 years now. The shame is we generalize education as a one piece fits all. So many autistic people have genius level thought in each their own strengths. We need to optimize those skills in individuals. But we want it easy and cost efficient. That results in a gross loss of opportunity to utilize the intellect of these very special individuals. Instead they are marginalized and put off to the sidelines. And that’s a shame for both them and us.
I think that there are probably more than just the three types of thinkers that were mentioned during this video. As an autistic individual with aphantasia I don't think in pictures. I certainly don't think in words because the majority of the time my thoughts do not have even have equivalents in the languages I know, and I almost always have a hard time verbalizing what I am thinking. I do however think very kinesthetically as well as in smells and tastes, so most memories I have are the muscle memory of how my body was moving during that event accompanied by the scents that were present for that memory. This makes me often remember things when I am doing the same physical action or when my olfactory system processes a smell in my day that reminds me of a memory strongly associated with that smell. I would argue that my brain working this way helps me in my professional life in kitchens, so I'm grateful regardless even if I have a difficult time relating to other's ways of processing stimuli.
I love this woman
Simply awesome!
Thanks for sharing
This is so true we have so many children in our education system with these same reasons that need our help but not one administrator is helping implement programs
I have autism, too, and my thinking tends to be a blend of all three types. One thing I love to do is make flutes, and my brain blending all three types of thinking helps me with that.
We all have those three types of thinking (unless aphantasia or something but I digress.) stop being silly.
Very well spoken!!
Temple is an amazing writer . Buy her books!
Thank you for this Big Think and Temple.
❤️
Thank you for this video. Everyone should see it and listen.
This was awesome thank you Temple Grandin.
Wow. This was so good. Thank you so much for this.
Coming here from reading 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat' by Oliver Sacks - HIGHLY recommend it to anyone interested in how we can start moving beyond labels for neurodivergence
Labels can be used for good or for evil like anything else. The problem isn't the label it is seeing ONLY the label.
I am autistic. This is good. I have been obsessed with maps for a long time, presumably because it is visually-oriented. I plan on becoming a geographer after high school. Been diagnosed since the old age of 4. Also ADHD
Her speech pattern and emphasis is so great
What a great video filled with so much wisdom. Thank you Dr. Grandin!
Thank you! This should be heard and understood by all politicians snd business leaders.
Temple is so accurate in her interpretations. People do think differently, and people who aren't neurotypical, are way too often assumed slow, or mentally compromised. That misinterpretation nearly destroyed me. Now I do own my own business, and am reasonably independently successful, a high net worth person. Surmised as mentally deficient most of my life was horribly depressing. But the true losers in that misinterpretation are the business who rejected me. My financial success pretty much proves that.