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Introduction on autistic spectrum disorder
Introductory awareness of Autistic Spectrum Conditions
Introductory awareness of Autistic Spectrum Conditions
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People living with autism spectrum disorders have different ways of interpreting and navigating the world around them. Temple Grandin gives insight on what life is like living with an autism spectrum disorder within her novel, Thinking in Pictures. Within her book, Grandin discusses how she herself lives with autism as well as others she has met. She reflects on her experiences of growing up, gaining an education and working within the cattle industry. Temple Grandin partially attributes her successes to her visual thinking process, though it’s not perfect, and her mother’s influence on her environment, an often unchecked stimulus. Her visual thinking style, as a result of her autism, has served as both a strength and weakness. In her …show more content…
line of work, Grandin has found her visual thinking gives her insight on the animals (Grandin, 2006, p. 4). As most of her life revolves around animals, being able to understand them is pertinent to her achievements; Grandin is not the only benefactor. Taking in the livestock’s point of view allows Grandin to build machines that safely handle the cattle. Companies also gain an advantage from her capability as her machine systems offer little hesitation from animals, improving production rates. Although she has made great accomplishments, Grandin does know her visual perception is not flawless. A drawback of her visual thinking, Grandin states “each video memory triggers another in this associative fashion, and my day dreams may wander far from the design problem” (Grandin, 2006, p. 9). Having drifting thoughts while trying to solve a problem can be very time consuming. The task of redirection could also be difficult as a person with autism has some deficits in information processing. [NEED A SENTENCE] Though Grandin has managed to successfully navigate the world, her mother has been a constant help along the way. Grandin often discusses the role her mother played in handling behavioral situations.
Her mother recognized that environmental factors like “getting angry once a tantrum started…[and] noisy places” (Grandin, 2006, p. 34) were things to avoid and something to keep Grandin’s teachers aware of. Grandin’s teachers needed to know as to what might provoke a distracting and upsetting environment. Decreasing stimuli in the classroom atmosphere allows more conducive learning for both Grandin and her peers. Laura Barnes similarly discussed in her applied behavioral analysis lecture the idea of being aware of “people, places and things” (Barnes, September 18, 2015) as possible environment instigators. Though people with autism often have more difficulty with processing external stimuli, maintaining a proper environment is helpful to everyone. In a hospital, a nurse may come across a once pleasant patient who has become more irritable and having trouble with recovery after treatment. An inspection of the patient’s environment may show that things like beeping machines, led to a restless night resulting in the mood change. Within the healthcare field, possible environmental irritants should be reduced to help patient recovery. Distractions have the ability to affect everyone, obtaining the skills to spot and avoid them are
beneficial. Temple Grandin’s visual thinking capability along with her mother’s efforts to avoid excess environmental distractions, has given her the opportunities to succeed. Persevering despite several setbacks brought on by her autism, Grandin was able to find her niche in the livestock industry. Sharing her story in Thinking in Pictures provides extensive knowledge about living life with autism.
Those with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) see the world in a diverse way; teachers and adults need to recognize this. Robison gives examples of his childhood where he misinterpreted information from others including social cues, as well as instructions. He was in these situations punished either socially or academically.
What is Autism? It’s a developmental disorder that impairs one’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Christopher Boone from the novel A Curious Incident in the Nighttime and Temple Grandin, who has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry both fall on the high-functioning spectrum of autism. Even so, they do not display the exact same traits and behaviors. Whereas Grandin thinks in pictures and employs this unique gift for practical use, Christopher thinks in patterns and fails communicate his talents with others. However, they both speak their mind and have trouble understanding facial expressions and emotions.
The Case of Temple Grandin paints a picture of a young woman’s determination and hard work while struggling with autism during a time when the disorder was unknown. This case discusses Grandin’s challenges, early diagnosis, growth and development in school, and support from her mother. Temple Grandin could not speak like the other children at the age of two, so because doctors could not find any physical issues she had been subsequently labeled as brain-damaged. To communicate with others, she would throw tantrums and scream. She could speak by three and a half years old with the help of speech therapy. A few years later at the age of five, Grandin was diagnosed with autism so her mother worked with her 30 minutes every day to keep her from being placed in an institution. At her aunt’s ranch, Grandin develops the “squeeze machine” a device used to apply pressure without being stimulating. Grandin excelles in school and receives her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Franklin Pierce College in 1970. After her graduation from college in 1970, Grandin attends Arizona State University where she earns a master’s degree in cattle in 1975. In 1989, Grandin earns her doctoral degree from the University of Urbana-Champaign in animal science. Grandin has never married, but she is proof that individuals with autism can lead productive and notable lives (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009).
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.
In Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism By Temple Grandin, the center of novel surrounds Grandin’s life and how autism impacted her career at a very young age. The book includes references to extensive reviews of research pertaining to effects of autism and possible treatment options. Grandin (2006) articulates how the word “autism” still conveys a fixed and dreadful meaning to most people (p.1). Therefore, she was able to embrace her visual ways of thinking, ultimately being an inspiration to others. With insight from her personal experience, readers have a better understanding of what is like working with individuals who have physical impairments. However, this paper will focus on how Grandin’s autistic ability affected her relationships
This scene may sound weird to neurologically-typical (NT), or “normal”, people, but it does demonstrate the coping strategies of people with autism, as exhibited through this scene from Rain Man. Charlie Babbitt, a neurologically typical adult, does not understand how his brother, Raymond Babbitt, who is a high-functioning autistic, functions in his little world that he has created. Manifestations of autism such as this indicate to people how an autistic was seen as “like a wolf” (Pollak 258) in older definitions. Recently, though, people are beginning to understand that the problem is organic, or biologically based, as opposed to the psychogenic, or psychologically based, hypothesis of the past. With the release of Rain Man came the increased understanding of autistics and a willingness to find out what autistics are thinking, thus i...
Bhargava, Hansa. "Slideshow: A Visual Guide to Autism." Web MD, 04 Jan 2012. Web. 20 Mar 2014. .
Admittedly, when I first chose to explore autism, I figured it would be an easier psychological issue to discuss than bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia. Only after researching autism for an hour or so, I quickly realized this was not the case. Autism may very well be one of the most complex and examined disorders, for it’s a disorder that stirs up tons of questions yet yields very few answers. So what exactly is it? What are the causes and symptoms? Is there a cure? How many people are affected by autism? Is it being properly portrayed in mainstream media? In this paper, I’ll do my very best to touch on these questions and hopefully leave the ones reading with a better understanding of this disorder.
Every single day is a struggle for an autistic child and his or her family. Autism affects all aspects of a child’s life, from their ability to show affection to their family to being able to do simple tasks such as communicating and thinking in ways that we take for granted. Autism is defined as a developmental disability in which children experience abnormalities in social functioning, language, often act in puzzling ways, and usually appear before the age of three (Mash &Wolfe, 2010). Although the exact causes of autism are unknown, there does seem to be a strong genetic component. Having a child or family member with autism is a constant battle of emotion and frustration.
Temple Grandin is an extremely influential person not only in the animal welfare world but the autistic awareness world as well. She has influenced beef producers and the autistic population throughout the world. She has not only influenced the animal agriculture industry, but has also influenced my life personally. She is an extremely important role model in my life and most of the people in the animal welfare group.
Not only did the story portrayed real-life scenarios about people with autism, but it also displayed the harsh reality and the difficulty of having a child with autism. It recognizes the efforts of parents in trying to build a relationship with their child, specifically when they are having a hard time knowing if they are showering enough love and support to their child with autism. Therefore,
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges (“Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.”) People with Autism may have difficultly managing their sensory input. They over-or under-react-to visual, tactile, and audio input. They may not be able to participate in typical life activities. They may be unable to movies, sit through concerts, or otherwise take part in social activities because the sound, light or sensations (“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Children with ASD may often respond ‘appropriately’ to situations and be seen as having challenging behaviors or obsessions. Basically they have problems with their input and output of their senses. They may become overloaded and may have sensory processing dysfunctions or difficulties. Visually they may have extremely organized or unorganized rooms. They may have auditory problems which may result in covering their ears for a fire drill or when class is loud and runs from loud areas (Indiana University Bloomington). Patient with Autism may have difficulties with tactile input. They could want the touch everything in sight or may over react when approached from behind. They also have issues with taste and smell which may cause they not to eat certain foods because of the texture or taste. Autism patients many react negatively to certain smells in the environment as well. This man cause them to object to farms, petting zoos, and fish stores. (edu) As a result of all of these problems Autistic patients are considered to be behavior issues. These behaviors are the result of sensory processing challenges that can be addressed through sensory training. . These may not be behavior issues, but sensory processing challenges that can be addressed through sensory activities. Visual training can be addressed by hanging pictures
But a small majority of people can think visually. So instead of speaking within their head, they see pictures. Visual thinking is a rare phenomenon that many are still grasping to understand. The rarity of visual thinkers are very high, which makes it much more difficult to find research about them. Stephen Wiltshire is a visual thinker, and he remembers in photographs that he took in his mind, “In autism, the systems that process visual-spatial problems are intact. There is a possibility that these systems may be expanded to compensate for deficits [lacks] in language” (Grandin). Temple Grandin, a visual thinker as well, explains that Wiltshire’s autism interferes with his language skills. In one area where he lacks, he gains in another area due to the brain’s design with modular systems. Many others with autism experience visual thinking, although sometimes visual thinking can be triggered due to an accident that affects the brain, but that is very uncommon. ----------
An individual never knows the full background of another until they interaction or create dialogue. Therefore, society, including myself, needs to be less judgemental. “Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time” by Mark Haddon keeps a reader intrigued by the intricate rambles and thoughts of the autistic child named Christopher. Haddon uses his book to make the public understand the struggles and daily life of a child consumed by his own brain.
He explains that using visual cues will help students with autism make these specific connections. Clearly, in order to put Powell’s suggestions in use in a mainstream school, the provision of resources and sufficient training would be necessary. Powell also states that