... many resonances ...
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Having previously read Liane Holliday-Willey's "Pretending to be Normal", I bought Grandin's book when I saw it in my local bookshop. Her description of thinking in pictures has many resonances for me. I don't have AS or HFA but I do exhibit the Broad Autism Phenotype, which is enough in itself to cause some problems similar to those described by people with ASD.
Tiny things in the book were enormously helpful to me. At one point Grandin says that she finds books or films about relationships boring or confusing. In the TV documentary on her she said she would prefer to watch Wallace and Grommit. Ditto - and it was very cheering to find that I am not alone in that idiosyncrasy :-)
It's hard to convey just how helpful such biographies are to those of us who have struggled, even with the mildest manifestations of autism.
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Fascinating...
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I found this book really fascinating and I have also seen the Horizon documentary featuring Temple Grandin. She is very inspirational for me, particularly as I have a son who is on the autistic spectrum (asperger's/HFA). He also seems to be a visual thinker and he makes lots of pictures out of objects probably based on things he has seen that interest him. They are quite complicated (he is four and a half years old). He also makes quite complex patterns. He is also very good at making things out of lego like drills, houses, airplanes. Both my husband and I had grandfathers who were very good with their hands and could fix anything, build models etc. Yet he does not interact with children very well outside his family and is struggling at school. I think he has sensory issues similar to Temple Grandin's. Anyway, time will tell how he develops. It is a very interesting read and I would recommend it to any parent/carer of a child who is developing in a different way.
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Autism, Sensitivity, Understanding and Genius
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This is a book about autism and the author's struggle for acceptance, education and fulfilment, as a world authority on the humane handling of livestock. As the title suggests, the book offers a fascinating insight into Grandin's idiosyncratic way of thinking, which is both enthralling and sometimes amusing. It might offer guidance for those attempting to manage autism and explanations as to what autism is for the curious. It explains how it affects the lives of those who are identified as autistic, from Kanner's to Asperger's. And, whether from the descriptions of the physiology of the condition or the biography, there emerges important philosophical questions about different ways of being in the world. It offers inspiration in the author's description of the way she manages her condition, and might offer others encouragement and inspiration in managing their own physiological or psychological disadvantage. Autism, it seems, covers a wide spectrum and it is very amusing, as you can't help noticing autistic traits, in the personalities of many so-called 'normal' people. It seems impossible not to conclude that the existance of autism is a precious gift for the progress and creativity of mankind, and from the perspective of an autistic person, normal society shows itself to be a very cruel and rejecting entity indeed. Grandin comes across as a very likeable and compassionate person and my admiration of her is unstinting. I am very glad that she took the trouble to write this book. I liked it very much.
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