Temple Grandin

Thank you so much for having me.

Well, I actually got into therapy by two and a half years old.

And I didn't get full speech until four.

Now I'm slow to respond and slow in my speech until about age five.

And I can remember the absolute frustration of not being able to communicate.

And I would pitch a big tantrum because I couldn't tell people if I wanted something.

And I remember over the day I didn't want to wear a hat.

And I just was screaming and throwing it out the car window.

We were driving to the speech therapy school.

And the first thing you've got to do is give these little kids a way to communicate.

You know, it's just a picture board, but something.

So they communicate some needs, like they need to use the toilet.

They're hungry.

They're cold.

You know, just basic things like that.

I transitioned into a small local school, into a normal first kindergarten class at age five.

And went for half a day.

It was very small, and that was important.

I would not have worked in a 30-kid classroom.

I would have had to have had an aide.