The Huffington Post – Michael John Carley
“In the last 10-15 years, K-12 education has seen many government-sponsored programs aimed at assessing the performances of teachers and schools, and to provide equal access for all students–including those with special needs. While some programs have worked and others have not, they all have nobly attempted to demonstrate that when given the chance, students on the autism spectrum have been able to perform much higher than previously thought. But while nobody would wish for a return to the 1990s, the attempts to steer some spectrum kids into grade level academics may have led them down the road to failure. I was talking over the phone to Dr. Temple Grandin, the gold standard for relative spectrum potential, when the two of us realized we shared an unusual belief: that rather than participate in neurotypical, grade-level academics. some spectrum students would be better off learning trades, like plumbing or welding, The following is edited from that conversation.”(more)