Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions

by Temple Grandin

In a piece titled “Do Grades and Tests Predict Adult Accomplishment?” Leonard L. Baird, professor of educational policy and leadership at Ohio State, reviews the literature measuring the relationship between academic ability and high-level accomplishment. He looks at studies on a range of professionals, from scientists to middle managers, along with research on both high school and college students, including gifted students. It’s clear that academic ability will get you into good colleges and open doors to high-paying jobs. It’s also assumed that high-achieving students will be high achievers in life. But Laird concludes, “It should be noted that high academic ability is no guarantee of high-level attainment.”