WATCH: Temple Grandin Speaks About Autism, Teen Years

Temple Grandin, best-selling author, animal scientist and autism advocate, spoke to a packed house at Skyline High School in Longmont Sept. 12.

But reporter Macie May from the non-profit Longmont Observer, scored a short interview with Grandin before the talk. An animal science professor at Colorado State University, Grandin spoke as part of the Longmont Public Library’s "Authors We Love Series."

Grandin gave advice for parents raising children on the autism spectrum: Keep them active and away from video games.

"Scouting, robotics, 4H, all kinds of things like that. Keep them active," she said. "Kids [on the spectrum] need to learn how to work. It needs to start around 11, we need to find paper route substitutes. Walk dogs for the neighbors, serve ice cream at age 14," she said. "The kids that are getting out and learning how to work, they’re getting jobs."

May, who said she has two young sons on the autism spectrum, asked about Grandin's experiences growing up.

"During puberty, hard exercise and fresh air calmed me down," she said. "My nervous system was constantly in a state of fear."

Grandin also said she was bullied during high school.

"High school. Worst part of my life. I think some people need to go right from being a child to being a grown up -- and skip high school."

Watch the video here:

Courtesy Longmont Observer

Image courtesy: Templegrandin.com