Temple Grandin: The Stories I Tell My Friends (ePub)

they have in common. Anita's successful career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist puts her in a fast-paced, high-stress environment with massive sensory input, which is not easy for someone on the autism spectrum to function in. Anita attributes her ability to work in this arena to her numerous childhood jobs-many of the same that Temple had. Anita came from a very poor family, and when she wanted something she had to work very hard to get it. All throughout high school, Anita worked every weekend and summer at a big stable where she mucked out endless stalls. Her duties evolved to caring for the school horses, the lesson program, and the numerous chores that went along with it. Of course, she was riding every opportunity she got, and rode in shows jumping horses over six-foot-high fences. Being a working student was extremely hard work, but she reached her riding goals with that opportunity.


Other jobs she did in her teen years and early adulthood included a variety of tasks, all which set the foundation for building interpersonal social skills and learning how to work. Each job brought new skills to learn, which ultimately enabled her to work as an anesthetist. Some of those early jobs included working as a skate guard and at the concession stand at a public ice skating arena. Each of those necessitated interacting with people, much like Temple tending to all the guests at her mother's dinner parties. During some of the shows, Anita operated the spotlights, which were located high above the arena floor on a platform; Temple had also operated spotlights like that when she was the same age! Anita learned to sew, cook, and bake from her mom, and Temple had a job sewing in her teens. Anita worked throughout undergraduate school as a graphic arts designer for the college, which contributed to her receiving the awards Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges & Universities in 1982 and 1983.


Temple was extremely impressed that Anita accumulated over $100,000 in student loans for her master's degree and paid it all back over a ten-year period. Temple feels that Anita is proof that a person with autism coming from a poor family can become successful through hard work and perseverance.


Anita continues working full time as an anesthetist while working tirelessly as an autism advocate. Her ultimate goal is to change the world's view of autism, enabling all on the autism spectrum to lead happier, more productive lives.