Nonfiction Navigators discussion

Perhaps the most respected and valued voice in the field of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Temple Grandin, Ph.D. attempts to redefine and transform the often degrading and misunderstood interpretation of ASD in her book The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum (2013). Now arguably the most accomplished and well-known adult with autism in the world, Grandin’s success is emphasized through her seventeen books, each either highlighting her vast knowledge of ASD through her career as an autism seminar speaker or her vast knowledge of animals as a result of her rare career as a livestock-handling equipment designer, one of few in the world.

In Grandin’s previous works, she has often focused her efforts on one or two specific traits of ASD. However, as Grandin’s research evolved, she realized that no one ASD individual is the same. This principle is the basis of The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum. Throughout the book, Grandin continues to stress that ASD is a spectrum of disorders and that even individuals with the same diagnosis will have different symptoms, treatment, and lifestyles. Grandin emphasizes this theory in her final line, “But I have confidence that whatever the thinking about autism is, it will incorporate a need to consider it brain by brain, DNA strand by DNA strand, trait by trait, strength by strength, and, maybe most important of all, individual by individual” (Grandin 204). Her emphasis on the uniqueness and individuality of every ASD case creates a personalized and detailed perspective throughout the book. Grandin accomplishes this through the use of personal experiences, portrayals of children who have attended her seminars, and examples of scientific studies that support her findings. However, Grandin upholds that no matter how manageable or extreme the ASD symptoms or treatment, all ASD individuals should strive for their own personal normal. Whether that involves going to public school, holding a job, or making a new friend, the worst thing a parent can do for their child with ASD is shelter them.

The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum by Temple Grandin provides not only parents with an autistic child, but anyone in the world, with an inside look into the symptoms, traits, treatment, and research progress of one of the world’s most prevalent mental illnesses. Studies show that one in eighty-eight children will be diagnosed with ASD (Grandin 19). Therefore, chances are that almost everyone will encounter an ASD individual at some point in their life. Grandin helps non-autistic individuals understand what it truly means to be autistic and how many different definitions and identifiers that term can take on. While I did find it hard at times to comprehend the medical language Grandin implemented in regards to ongoing and future research of ASD, Grandin often provided pictures of brain scans or tables of results in order for the visual-thinkers of the world, myself included, to be able to make sense of the information. I would highly recommend this book to parents with an autistic child, teachers, professionals who deal with autistic employees, physicians, or anyone looking to discover the true meaning of autism spectrum disorder.

Grandin, Temple, and Richard Panek. The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. Print.