Message from Head of School Lisa Lalama 

As some of you might know, Temple Grandin is autistic. Most likely, though, she shatters your stereotypes of autism, whatever they may be. At the AMS conference, she spoke to attendees and shared her brain's inner workings. She explained that she "thinks in pictures" rather than words. She shared fMRIs that highlighted her brain's synapses that light up the visual-perceptual areas of the scan and a more typical language-based brain's differences. She spoke eloquently about how she was encouraged and honored for who she is, not who she is not. She left the audience with messages of hope and inspiration.

Yes, Temple Grandin has autism. However, she is not autism; she is a valued contributing member of our society. Her brain happens to work a bit differently than many of our brains; she has unusual cognitive abilities, such as a photographic memory and excellent spatial skills. Thank goodness for the opportunities she has had to pursue her passions, engage her brain and make contributions to the world in her own right.

As we work with children each day at WMS, our job is to honor them for who they are and to help them discover and pursue their passions. Each of our brains is unique, and thus, we learn in different ways. Through the Montessori Method, each child is treated as an individual and guided on the path to knowledge that best suits his or her learning style. It is this type of learning - not the type that tries to fit each child into the same mold through tests and textbooks - that fans the child's inner flame and ignites passion.

Isn't that something we all deserve?