April 04, 2023

The Trouble with Temple (Episode 24)

1 hour 17 minutes

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast:

On this week’s virtual culture trip, hosts Angela Lauria and Matt Lowry discuss the first autistic celebrity: Temple Grandin. Although Grandin has indelibly changed the way Americans think about autism and what it means, her prominence on the world stage has brought to light several issues.

“We can't talk about Italian American culture without talking about Christopher Columbus, and Temple Grandin in Autistic Culture may be our Christopher Columbus. We're going to talk about colonialism, capitalism, ableism, and a lot of not good things.” –Angela

Temple was diagnosed with "brain damage" as a child in the 1950s. Her privileged upbringing provided resources and opportunities that help her "pass" as neurotypical. Temple went on to become an animal science PhD, prolific author, and sought-after speaker at autism conferences. She is considered the most famously Autistic person.

However, the hosts argue much of Temple's messaging is problematic. She advocates autistics must learn to act "normal" and mask to get jobs and function in society. Temple draws a line between "high functioning" autistics who are valuable to society, versus "low functioning" who should be cured or prevented from existing. Temple aligns with capitalist, ableist values, (similar to Autism Speaks and advocates for ABA for autism) and her fame gave her an outsized influence on autism narratives. She is embraced by the autism community, but is often seen as problematic by the Autistic community. Her story erases much of the diversity among Autistic people.

“But holy God! The advocation for not allowing non-speaking people or people with higher levels of care to not survive…So, if I was to use the phrase, ‘kiss my ass please,’ Would that make me high-functioning or low-functioning?” –Matt

Podcast hosts, Angela and Matt see Temple’s “success” as only possible due to privilege. Most autistics couldn't access the supports she did as a child and the resulting financial independence and respect she’s gained as an adult. Still, she made positive contributions like raising awareness of sensory issues and (along with her family) ending the institutionalization of many Autistic individuals. She broke through many ceilings and paved a path (after all, she was the first to say “different, not less”) but also furthered stigma and advocates for eugenics. Temple Grandin's legacy shows the complexity within Autistic culture.

*Trigger warning: This is a complex episode that discusses troubling viewpoints and ableism. Listen with care.

How do you view Temple Grandin’s role in Autistic Culture? Share with us in the comments!

Show notes and resources:

The Oliver Sacks Piece

Temple Grandin’s books

Temple Grandin Ted talk

Temple Grandin BioPic