A Look Inside Temple Grandin's Fascinating Mind

 If you have not read Temple Grandin's book, 'Thinking In Pictures: and Other Reports from My Life With Autism' you need to run out to the library or nearest bookstore now! This is a must read for anyone interested in in autism spectrum disorders. Temple Grandin was diagnosed with autism in the early 1950s, a time when autism was largely misunderstood. Although Temple had little language very early on, she is now able to eloquently describe her life with autism and the way her brain works and she does exactly that in this book.

She describes her mind as a movie that is constantly playing images in her head. She learns by first visualizing specific examples and then forming the concepts from those detailed pictures. She writes about her struggle in translating words to pictures for more abstract concepts, but she has taught herself these skills along the way. In this book she talks about how she has used her strengths in visual thought to earn her Ph.D in Animal Science and develop humane cattle handling devices. She has the unique ability to relate to cattle and uses that and her own experiences of the world to better the field of animal science and our understanding of autism spectrum disorders.

HBO Movie: Temple Grandin:

This incredible movie premiered earlier this year and has since won 7 Emmy Awards! Claire Danes stars as Temple and plays the part perfectly. Like the book, this movie chronicles her life from a a young child when she had no language through her socially isolating experiences in school and college to when she found her niche in a career using her life's passion. In images that flash on the screen to depict Temple's thought processes, this movie allows the audience to get a glimpse inside her mind and the truly fascinating way it operates.

You can purchase the movie on amazon, as well as the book-- see the respective links below:

http://www.amazon.com/Temple-Grandin-Claire-Danes/dp/B0038M2AZA/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1293563354&sr=1-1

 

http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Pictures-Expanded-Tie--Vintage/dp/0307739589/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293563149&sr=1-1

  -Molly