Article Summary #6

Temple Grandin's Life With Autism

Stanley, Alessandra, “Peering Into a Mind That’s Different, Not Less,” New York Times, February 4, 2010

In her autobiography “Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism,” Temple Grandin describes her life with autism and her ability to become a very successful woman despite many setbacks. The HBO movie “Temple Grandin,” in which Claire Danes is the lead role, allows viewers to watch her colorful and vibrant life on their televisions. It makes its debut on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m.

Grandin, whose autism was diagnosed when she was young, was born in 1947 in Boston, Ma. Her mother and teachers were extremely helpful in allowing Grandin to prove she was a very smart and talented woman. She loves animals and became a prestigious animal behaviorist and livestock consultant. She is well-known for creating humane slaughterhouses.

Grandin credits her autism for her accomplishments. She claims the hypersensitivity and distinctive vision caused by autism allowed her to become attuned to animals’ emotions and the details of agricultural engineering.

The HBO movie “Temple Grandin” is an excellent depiction of Grandin’s life with autism. It allows viewers a glimpse inside Grandin’s world, which is filled with vibrant images that pop into her head. Grandin describes these images as “full-cover movies, complete with sound, which run like a VCR tape in my head,” in her autobiography. Claire Danes portrays the anxiety and fear Grandin feels from the sights and sounds of the world. For example, when her mother sends her to Arizona for the summer, she sees how cows become calm in squeeze chutes, which are metal devices that press against cows to keep them still when they are given vaccinations. Grandin then creates her own squeeze chute to help her relieve anxiety.

Although she does have many supporters, Grandin was still forced to endure much criticism by some students and teachers who believed her autism made her less credible in her field of work. But despite this criticism, she continues to be success in working with animals and is a beam of hope for parents with autistic children.