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Summary
Summary
A cutting-edge account of the latest science of autism, from the best-selling author and advocate
When Temple Grandin was born in 1947, autism had only just been named. Today it is more prevalent than ever, with one in 88 children diagnosed on the spectrum. And our thinking about it has undergone a transformation in her lifetime: Autism studies have moved from the realm of psychology to neurology and genetics, and there is far more hope today than ever before thanks to groundbreaking new research into causes and treatments. Now Temple Grandin reports from the forefront of autism science, bringing her singular perspective to a thrilling journey into the heart of the autism revolution.
Weaving her own experience with remarkable new discoveries, Grandin introduces the neuroimaging advances and genetic research that link brain science to behavior, even sharing her own brain scan to show us which anomalies might explain common symptoms. We meet the scientists and self-advocates who are exploring innovative theories of what causes autism and how we can diagnose and best treat it. Grandin also highlights long-ignored sensory problems and the transformative effects we can have by treating autism symptom by symptom, rather than with an umbrella diagnosis. Most exciting, she argues that raising and educating kids on the spectrum isn't just a matter of focusing on their weaknesses; in the science that reveals their long-overlooked strengths she shows us new ways to foster their unique contributions.
From the "aspies" in Silicon Valley to the five-year-old without language, Grandin understands the true meaning of the word spectrum . The Autistic Brain is essential reading from the most respected and beloved voices in the field.
Author Notes
Temple Grandin was born August 29, 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts. She is a bestselling author, doctor and professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, and leader of both the animal welfare and autism advocacy movements. Grandin was diagnosed with autism in 1950. She was immediately placed in a structured nursery, had speech therapy, and had a nanny spend hours playing turn-based games with her. At the age of four, she began talking and her progress continued.
In 1970, Grandin received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, New Hampshire. She received her master's degree in animal science from Arizona State University in 1975, and in 1989, she received a Ph.D. in animal science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Grandin, being a high-functioning autistic, is widely-known for her work in autism advocacy. She has been featured on major televisions programs such as the Today Show and ABC's Primetime Live. She has also been featured in Time magazine, People magazine, Forbes, and the New York Times. Grandin was the subject of the Horizon documentary "The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow" and was described by Oliver Sacks in the title of his narrative book: An Anthropologist on Mars.
Grandin's bestselling book: Thinking in Pictures is scheduled to be released as an HBO film in 2009. Grandin's Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human have also been bestsellers. Grandin lives in Colorado, but has speaking engagements on autism and cattle handling around the world.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Grandin and Panek explore neuroimaging, genetics, and brain science in this book that looks at what causes autism and how it can be treated and diagnosed. Though coauthored, the narrative is largely told from Grandin's point of view, with many first-person references. This filtering of the prose through Grandin allows narrator Andrea Gallo to read in a more personal manner that represents Grandin's singular voice. Gallo shifts to a more critical tone when she reads sections in which Grandin and Panek offer commentary on current practices related to the treatment of autism. A fascinating listen and a winning performance from Gallo. A Houghton Mifflin Harcourt hardcover. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Grandin is the face of autism. Because of her work, the general public is now aware of what was until fairly recently a strange, disturbing, and essentially unknowable condition. In her latest book, Grandin not only discusses her own experiences with autism but also explains the latest technological advances in the study of the disorder, including the genetics of autism. The symptoms that she displayed at a young age destructive behavior, inability to speak, sensitivity to physical contact, fixation on spinning objects are now considered classic indicators of the disorder, though she was diagnosed as having brain damage. Things have changed since then, of course. She discusses when autism was first diagnosed (in 1943), but she makes clear from the start that her priority here is to encourage an accurate diagnosis for the disorder and promote improved treatments for sensory problems associated with autism, since difficulty in the latter can often be debilitating. She discusses different ways of thinking and even includes lists of potential jobs for those people among us who think differently. An important and ultimately optimistic work.--Sawyers, June Copyright 2010 Booklist
Kirkus Review
Grandin (Animal Science/Colorado State Univ.; DifferentNot Less: Inspiring Stories of Achievement and Successful Employment from Adults with Autism, Asperger's, and ADHD, 2012, etc.), whose life has been an inspiration to millions, warns parents, teachers and therapists of the danger of getting locked into diagnostic labels. With the assistance of science writer Panek (The 4% Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality, 2011, etc.), Grandin applies her experience and interviews with others on the autistic spectrum to the latest neuroscientific research. Describing the labels given to autism and other developmental disorders as "a clumsy system of behavioral profiling" that shifts with every new edition, she is critical of the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and its revised diagnosis of "Autism Spectrum Disorder." She reviews how understanding of autism has developed since 1947, when she was born and so-called refrigerator moms were targeted for blame. Today, "observable neurological and genetic evidence" is beginning to reveal how a multiplicity of causes, including environmental factors, may be responsible for particular symptoms. Readers of Grandin's previous books and viewers of the award-winning 2010 biopic will be familiar with the details of her life and career as a high-functioning autistic. She has been a volunteer experimental subject since 1987, in the early days of MRIs, and scans of her brain reveal structural differences that appear to correlate with her disabilities and her extraordinary visual memory. Grandin is optimistic that future progress will improve diagnosis and education for non-neurotypicals who have many important gifts to contribute. An illuminating look at how neuroscience opens a window into the mind.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
The latest by Grandin (animal science, Colorado State Univ.; Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism) describes what she considers the "third phase" of research and understanding of autism. She explains how 21st-century brain-imaging technology allows researchers to see differences in the wiring and structures of the brains of people with autism. Brain imaging and mapping coupled with advanced technology in DNA sequencing can then be used to learn how each individual autistic person's traits look from a biological perspective. However, Grandin stresses how important it is for autism research to focus not only on negative traits but also on an autistic person's strengths; this can help develop that individual's skills and identify jobs and activities in which he or she can excel. VERDICT Grandin's subject matter is quite technical, but the writing is clear and understandable even for nonscientific readers. She effectively makes her case that people with autism have individual differences, and that those who work with them should focus on these differences rather than consider their charges as part of a group with like symptoms. This work is highly recommended for anyone who knows or works with people on the spectrum.-Terry Lamperski, Carnegie Lib. of Pittsburgh (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.