Autism Spectrum Disorder In Temple Grandin's Thinking In Pictures By Temple Grandin

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Recommended: Social interaction deficit of a child with autism

In her book Thinking in Pictures, Temple Grandin writes about her life with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Grandin gives the reader personal insight into how she views the disorder; how she interacts with others; and how she adapts, or in some cases, does not adapt to life with ASD. The fact that the book is written by someone with ASD, gives it a unique insight that it would not have if written by an author without the disorder. Thinking in Pictures is a fascinating book that gives readers a detailed picture of life with ASD. Grandin takes a cautious but optimistic view towards ASD in the book. She does not deceive the reader into believing that the disorder is easy to live with, but she does give hope that an individual and their family …show more content…

Being able to interact with other people is a topic covered in great detail in her book. While she has gotten better at doing so, there was a time when she had much more difficulty. “When I was a teenager,” Grandin says, “I was aware that I did not fit in socially” (2006, p. 74). Many people with ASD can relate to this sentiment. Grandin endured painful teasing from others (2006, p. 90) who did not understand her and thought she was weird. However, over time, things improved for Grandin as she learned how to successfully interact with other people. Others with ASD can overcome people’s narrow-minded viewpoints and learn to successfully interact with others, just as Grandin …show more content…

It is easy to be struck by her use of actual doors to symbolize moving through metaphorical doors and onto new stages of life, and although she no longer uses the door technique, others with ASD can learn from Grandin in terms of adapting to deal with inevitable change. Using symbolism to deal with changes in life is not the only time Grandin has used symbolism to adapt. She also uses it to learn how to tolerate contact with others. In yet another great passage from her book, Grandin says: FROM AS FAR BACK as I can remember, I always hated to be hugged. I wanted to experience the good feeling of being hugged, but it was just too overwhelming. … It is much easier for a person with autism to tolerate touch if he or she initiates it. When touched unexpectedly, we usually withdraw, because our nervous system does not have time to process the sensation. … I used to daydream for hours in elementary school about constructing a device that would apply pressure to my body. … After visiting my aunt’s ranch in Arizona, I got the idea of building such a device, patterned after the cattle squeeze chute I first saw there.

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