Temple Grandin

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Anita Lesko, BSN, RN, MS, CRNA

  Anita is an internationally recognized autism advocate and member of Autism Society of America’s Panel of Autistic Advisors. She was recently diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of fifty. She graduated from Columbia University in New York City with a master of science degree in Nurse Anesthesia in 1988, and has been working full-time ever since as an anesthetist, specializing in anesthesia for neurosurgery. Anita is honored to have been a speaker at the United Nations Headquarters for World Autism Awareness Day 2017.

  Her husband, Abraham, also has autism. They opened their wedding to the public to show that individuals with autism have a need for love, relationships, and marriage just like everyone else. The event attracted international media attention, including People and Good Morning America.

  She is a contributing author for numerous publications including the Autism Asperger’s Digest and The Mighty. She is a blogger for the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. Anita’s first book, Asperger’s Syndrome: When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Lemonade, a memoir, was written immediately after she was diagnosed. She co-authored her second book, Been There. Done That. Try This! The Aspie’s Guide to Life on Earth, with Dr. Tony Attwood and Craig Evans.

  Anita is a Project Co-Lead on a $250,000 PCORI-funded grant for Adults with Autism and other Stakeholders Engaging Together. This project aims to improve health and health care for adults with autism. Anita is on a mission to enable everyone with autism around the world to receive the best healthcare. She combined her autism and thirty years’ experience as a medical professional to write the book The Complete Guide to Autism & Healthcare to reach this goal. She sees the need to educate all health care providers about autism and how to best communicate with individuals on the spectrum, enabling providers to provide quality care to this rapidly growing population.

  Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company (also known as an American captain of industry) had a quote, “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” Unbeknownst to her, Anita has been living by this rule throughout her entire life. Only recently did she hear this quote from Temple during their many conversations. Throughout those first fifty years when Anita didn’t know she was on the autism spectrum, she didn’t understand why she was so different and never fit in. Despite all the sensory and social challenges, she never took her eyes off her goal, whatever it was.

  During the many long conversations with Temple Grandin for the production of this book, Anita discovered how much they have in common. Anita’s successful career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist puts her in a fast-paced, high-stress environment with massive sensory input, which is not easy for someone on the autism spectrum to function in. Anita attributes her ability to work in this arena to her numerous childhood jobs—many of the same that Temple had. Anita came from a very poor family, and when she wanted something she had to work very hard to get it. All throughout high school, Anita worked every weekend and summer at a big stable where she mucked out endless stalls. Her duties evolved to caring for the school horses, the lesson program, and the numerous chores that went along with it. Of course, she was riding every opportunity she got, and rode in shows jumping horses over six-foot-high fences. Being a working student was extremely hard work, but she reached her riding goals with that opportunity.

  Other jobs she did in her teen years and early adulthood included a variety of tasks, all of which set the foundation for building interpersonal social skills and learning how to work. Each job brought new skills to learn, which ultimately enabled her to work as an anesthetist. Some of those early jobs included working as a skate guard and at the concession stand at a public ice skating arena. Each of those necessitated interacting with people, much like Temple tending to all the guests at her mother’s dinner parties. During some of the shows, Anita operated the spotlights, which were located high above the arena floor on a platform; Temple had also operated spotlights like that when she was the same age! Anita learned to sew, cook, and bake from her mom, and Temple had a job sewing in her teens. Anita worked throughout undergraduate school as a graphic arts designer for the college, which contributed to her receiving the awards Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges & Universities in 1982 and 1983.

  Temple was extremely impressed that Anita accumulated over one hundred thousand dollars in student loans for her master’s degree and paid it all back over a ten-year period. Temple feels that Anita is proof that a person with autism coming from a poor family can become successful through hard work and perseverance.

  Anita continues working full time as an anesthetist while working tirelessly as an autism advocate. Her ultimate goal is to change the world’s view of autism, enabling all on the autism spectrum to lead happier, more productive lives.

  Photo courtesy of Anita Lesko