A nationally renowned expert in Autism has made her way to Syracuse to speak with parents tonight. Dr. Temple Grandin has been heard on NPR’s Fresh Air and has been sharing her life through books and appearances. Grandin says she received very early childhood intervention when she was a child. One of the problems Grandin sees with kids on the higher end of the Autism spectrum is they’re not learning work skills. She says that instruction needs happen well before High School Graduation.
“I’m really going to emphasize building up the area of strengths. Another problem we have with Autism now and they’ve changed the diagnosis is it’s such a big spectrum. You can go all the way from Einstein who had no language (inaudible) free to Silicon Valley, down to somebody who’s non-verbal that has to live in a supervised living situation and they’re all called autism.”
Grandin also plans to discuss sensory problems with parents of Autistic Children tonight. She herself has a painful time processing loud sounds. The Executive Director of the Kelberman Center in Utica says Grandin essentially broke down barriers for so many young people behind her. Rob Myers says people in the Autism Community view Grandin as another colleague.
“We’re all part of, not to sound cliché, all part of the big global community and Temple just represents one part of that… and is somebody who is exceptional and not necessarily because of her disability but, just because that she’s worked really hard and made some really important work happen.”
Myers says parents frequently bring their kids to the Kelberman Centerin Utica because they know it exists. In the past year, they also opened another office in Syracuse at 600 East Genesee Street. There are no tickets left for Temple Grandin’s appearance in Liverpool tonight.
