About this title: In this innovative book, Dr. Temple Grandin gets down to the Real issues of autism, the ones parents, teachers, and individuals on the spectrum face every day. Temple offers helpful do's and don'ts, practical strategies, and try-it-now tips, all based on her 'insider' perspective and a great deal of research. These are just some of the specific ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
"This was a great book written by an autistic woman. I really found her view & thoughts about aspergers very interesting. I found this to be much easier to get a grasp of aspergers from her account than other factual type books or books written by professional doctors, etc. Definitely an interesting insightful read."
A big plus for most readers today is that this book is easy to read. I finished it in just a few hours. The writing is perfectly at level for most reading audiences. I also think that parents of Autistic children and those with Aspgergers are going to like this book. It appears to be helpful for parents, especially. Now, for all of the praise I just heaped, I am going to come up with a few points I didn't like about the book, and I will list them here, along with brief explanations. I do not mean any disrespect against the author or people in the Autistic spectrum, as I have always thought I was a bit on the mild Asperger spectrum mystelf, but I am just being honest; the following could even hurt my reputation as a Vine reviewer, but I really need to be sincere about my review:
First of all, there is a strange emphasis in one section of the book that mentions nutrition, and meat consumption. Is it a coincidence that the author used to work for a meat company and still deals with the cattle business? As a vegetarian (for most of my life), I found this offensive, and anyone who has studied nutrition knows that you can get good protein from non-animal products. It is rather distasteful, considering that eating meat can contribute to Alzheimer's and many other diseases, as well as for those who have spiritual reasons for not eating meat, to constantly read this. Throughout the book I found references to the meat plant and meat industry. I also find it strange because, I for one, have always thought I may be slightly on the mild Asperger's spectrum, yet I have a very high empathy for animals and could never ever think of hurting them.
Another point I did not like was that there was such an emphasis in the book about people in the Autistic and Asperger's spectrum and "technicality," as well as too much emphasis on finding a "good" job which, according to the author, can only be found in technical vocations. Well, the truth is, not all people like technical things or vocations. I am also bad at algebra (like the author), but I also never excelled in any technical classes. "Nerds" come in all packages (the author frequently refers to Asperger folks as nerds). I for one, enjoy literature, poetry, writing, art, music, and am adept at all of these (I can play seven instruments for example and am a classically-trained pianist), but I am terrible when it comes to technical things and find them very boring. So I would ask the author to please consider that not all people in this spectrum are techie-nerds. I also could not sell my soul to make money. On the other hand, my husband, who is also sort of Asperger-like (a true Techie in all ways) is very good at technical things, but he was never able to attend college so far, so I would also ask the author to consider what would happen if parents had to raise a child in the autistic spectrum who were also financially impoverished. This could be quite a challenge and make for a book in itself.
I also found it odd that the author thinks that only people in this spectrum need a balance between hobbies and life. Well, I thought that was applicable to anyone, even the neurotypicals ("normal" people, that is). Most people need to have something in life other than a work identity, that is just human nature, and very essential to spiritual growth in general. This is not just applicable to those in the Autistic or Asperger's spectrum. I know that some people, even neurotypicals, are fed-up with materialism and need an identity other than work.
Also, there is a very strong emphasis in this book on male thinking. While I consider myself able to think in both a "female" and "male" way, the male way of thinking isn't always that great. It has many bad points. And sure, Einstein was a genius, but his genius brought a lot of suffering as well. (We would have all been better off without atomic bombs.) And not all geniuses were "male" oriented. Many countless poets, artists, and musicians have contributed to our societies with their rich visions of the ephemeral that "male" ways of seeing cannot provide. What about the mystery of the beautiful and the sublime? It seems there is just so much emphasis in this book about technical matters, success, and power. Also, I thought the author was very good with animals, but why no empathy for the poor cattle who get slaughtered? I do not mean this as disrespect, I am just curious.
The author also has a concern with violence. Well, sure, but where does that violence come from? It comes from a mostly "male-thinking" society where empathy isn't regarded highly, and "success" and competition are the way of life, which means suffering for many others. I do not think that sensitive people like Autistics and Aspies should have to become like this. This is just very cold. And again, I may have a mild form of Aspergers myself, but I have a very balanced male/female mind. Not all of us think in such black and white ways.
I would only recommend this book for people who need advice with their children with these disorders, but otherwise, there are many points, as you can tell, that I disagree with -- and I usually don't get this upset regarding a Vine review, so I'm telling it like it is. Maybe it's because I expected more from the author. I didn't feel that there was any real soul to this book underneath the advice given."
"I am just a bit into this book, but it is full of very concrete, helpful advice for working with kids with AS disorders. I wish that I had read this when I was working in EI. Though I am reading it with professional's eye, it is written in very clear, straightforward way. This is a result of Dr. Grandin's diagnosis and thank goodness for that! In other words, in my own circuitous way what I am trying to say is that this is a great book for professionals and parents alike.
One of my favorite pieces of advice is to use transition sentences such as "Kaitie, I have something to tell you" when changing subjects. She explains that because their processing may be slower, many times statements about new subjects get "clipped". For example if you are working on an art project and then all of a sudden say "I put your juice on the table", the child may only hear "on the table" while the brain plays catch up. This seems like great advice for not just kids and adults with autism, but ADD, nuero issues and injuries, MR, etc. It is little things like this that can make a world of difference."
"Temple Grandin has fascinating insights into the world of animals as well as being able to articulate her perspectives of living with autism. She is a fascinating human being and builds bridges of understanding with her insights."
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