While watching Temple Grandin on HBO, I also thought that, on some level, we are all autistic. Soothing Repetition Who hasn't been soothed by repetitive movement (like sitting on a rocking chair) or sound (such as listening to ...

Click here to find more about temple grandin

I stayed up last night, 02 September 2011, so that I could catch on HBO one of their highly-acclaimed original films, Temple Grandin, which brought back pleasant memories of my one-time summer stint working with special children and attempting to mainstream them in a theater production. Two of them were autistic, and one of them can also function on a high level like Temple Grandin and is considered a musical genius.

Soothing Repetition Who hasn’t been soothed by repetitive movement (like sitting on a rocking chair) or sound (such as listening to a favorite song numerous times)?

Thinking in Pictures Don’t we all have pictures in our mind that can cause amusement (I had that same Temple Grandin moment when I heard the term animal husbandry for the first time), or can be used in our work (in my case I can only memorize theater lines after I’ve been blocked by my director because I need images in my head).

Sensory Overload Who hasn’t been overwhelmed by too many sounds, colors, smells or people pressing in (can you tell I don’t like crowds)?

A Need for Solitude Sensory deprivation after being barraged with calls, meetings, work, running errands, etc. is always welcome (such as being alone in a room).

Special children, I think, serve an excellent means of learning about ourselves and our capability for humanity. I’m glad that the school, Community of Learners Foundation or COLF, gives that opportunity constantly by mainstreaming special with regular children.