Autism and the World of Work with Dr. Temple Grandin

Summary:In this episode of Amplifying Autism, Wendy speaks with Dr. Temple Grandin about autism and employment, from early job skills to navigating workplace challenges as a late-diagnosed autistic adult.Temple emphasizes the importance of structured work experience for autistic youth and encourages autistic adults who struggle with employment to look at why a job was lost to find practical solutions. Temple shares advice to help autistic individuals build sustainable careers. She also discusses the impact of AI on the job market and highlights career paths where autistic strengths are highly valued.Takeaways:Autistic children benefit from real structured work experience outside of the family, such as walking a neighbor’s dog or volunteering in the communityIf you struggle with employment. Temple says to look at why you lost the jobIf you are consistently late for work because of time blindness, switch from a digital to an analog clock to track time visuallyIf you are accused of rudeness, ask for specific feedback and consider working with a communication coachIf you have poor hygiene, it’s unlikely that anyone at work will come right out and tell you. You’ll need to take care of personal hygiene yourself.Having a new boss is difficult. Temple advises that you keep copies of evaluations and documented accomplishmentsWhile some entry-level programming jobs are being replaced by AI, nursing, teaching, and cybersecurity remain strong fields About Dr. Grandin:Dr. Temple Grandin is a Distinguished Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. Facilities she designed for livestock handling are used worldwide, and she helped implement animal welfare auditing programs for companies including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Whole Foods. A bestselling author and autism advocate, her books include Thinking in Pictures, The Autistic Brain, Animals in Translation, and Visual Thinking. She has appeared on programs such as 20/20 and Prime Time and has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame, and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Website & Autism Books: templegrandin.comLivestock Website & Books: grandin.comAbout Your Host:Wendela Whitcomb Marsh, MA, RSD, is an award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and host of Amplifying Autism. Though not autistic herself, Wendy has dedicated her career to supporting and advocating for the neurodivergent community. She is the founder of Adulting While Autistic and helps late-diagnosed autistic adults find clarity, self-understanding, and community.Website: wendelawhitcombmarsh.comBooks Available on AmazonInstagram: @wendela.w.marshNewsletter: https://forms.aweber.com/form/49/591191449.htmThank You for Listening:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it. Your support helps us reach more late-diagnosed autistic adults.YouTube: @AmplifyingAutism