Thinking Differently and Working Together: Temple Grandin Speaks to the DeSales DEI Healthcare Community
Temple Grandin knows the importance of collaborating with people who think in different and unique ways.
The internationally prominent author and speaker on autism and animal behavior shared advice and lessons learned from her storied career during a virtual conversation with the DeSales community on March 19. The Healthcare Professionals Interprofessional Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hosted the event.
In the opening prayer, Father Kevin Nadolski, OSFS, vice president for mission, defined humility鈥攐ne of the five Salesian core values鈥攁s 鈥渞ecognizing differences, understanding each other鈥檚 wonders, and knowing that we are all made in the image of God.鈥
As a person with autism, Grandin promotes the understanding, acceptance, and appreciation of people who are neurodiverse. Throughout her lecture, she made it clear that even though everyone has different approaches to solving problems, these differences are crucial in achieving true success.
鈥淲e need the skills of people who think differently,鈥 she said.
While everyone knows what risk is, Grandin emphasized that not everyone understands it in the same way: 鈥渙bject visualizers see risk, spatial thinkers calculate risk, and verbal thinkers discuss risk.鈥
Grandin finished her lecture by providing advice to future healthcare providers, as well as those that encounter and care for people on the autism spectrum. Regarding working with neurodiverse individuals, she advised providing a checklist for tasks with multiple steps, avoiding long strips of verbal instructions, and not overloading their working memory with rapid multitasking. She encouraged providers to offer respect and avoid surprises as much as possible.
For neurodiverse individuals, she recommended finding friends through shared interests, getting regular exercise, finding job training opportunities, seeking mentors and teachers, and controlling fear and anxiety, through medical intervention if needed.
鈥淭his lecture was so crucial,鈥 said Joyce Hanna 鈥25, a health science major in the 3+3 Doctor of Physical Therapy program. 鈥淚t is essential for us as future professionals to understand everyone鈥檚 strengths and weaknesses in order to ensure that their needs are met in the best way possible.鈥
Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. She鈥檚 written many books on both autism and animal behavior and welfare. She also has a successful career consulting on livestock handling equipment design. Today, half the cattle in the United States are handled in facilities that she designed.
Ultimately, Grandin鈥檚 story has served as an inspiration for many, including Karen Kent, Ph.D., director of the MBA program and chair of the healthcare administration major. For Kent, this impact is personal. When her son was diagnosed on the autism spectrum, Kent turned to one of Grandin鈥檚 books鈥斺淎nimals in Translation鈥濃 for help.
鈥淭his book was an important source of realization for me and my husband, and we are grateful for the influence she has had on our family and countless others,鈥 Kent said. 鈥淭emple Grandin's story is a testament to the power of perseverance, ingenuity, and the human spirit.鈥
