Emergence: Labeled Autistic

by Temple Grandin, Margaret M. Scariano

An inspiring firsthand account of a courageous and determined autistic woman who makes a remarkable discovery that eventually helps her control her condition and virtually cure her disorder captures the isolation and fears suffered by autistic children.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Nonfiction, Memoir, Psychology, Biography, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

199 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Mary Temple Grandin is an American academic and animal behaviorist. She is a prominent proponent of the humane treatment of livestock for slaughter and the author of more than 60 scientific papers on animal behavior. Grandin is a consultant to the livestock industry, where she offers advice on animal behavior, and is also an autism spokesperson.
Grandin is one of the first autistic people to document the insights she gained from her personal experiences with autism. She is a faculty member with Animal Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University.
In 2010, Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, named her in the "Heroes" category. She was the subject of the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning biographical film Temple Grandin. Grandin has been an outspoken proponent of autism rights and neurodiversity movements.

Reviews

[Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book written by an amazing woman. I admire her so much. I wish I could have achieved in my life at least half of what she has. Her advice and message in this book stand true. My experience with working with those afflicted with autism has led me to the same conclusions as what she presents in her book. I recommend this book highly to everyone. It is a window to the inner-workings of the mind.

[Aurélien Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a striking story of growth and development! Temple Grandin, one of the most famous advocate for autism, retells her life in here - how the various people who contributed to raise her (her mum, her auntie, a teacher) by refusing to let her being locked into the restrictive label 'autistic', all contributed to her 'emergence', her blossoming into the amazing individual we now know.

Temple Grandin grew up in the fifties. Barely a decade after Leo Kanner's work, and still half a century before Asperger as we define it came to be fully recognised, autism used then to be perceived as a dark and hopeless cell. It was a terrible label to ascribe to a child, determining an awful fate: being send down into an institution - to be forgotten there. Only the stubbornness and dedicated love of her mum, later picked upon by other 'mentors', will avoid her such doom.

Of course, it's obvious to us now: autism is a spectrum as diverse as the people affected by it. It can be a serious, if not debilitating, impairment in many aspects, but, it can also be a set of features which, properly harnessed, can be turned into strengths. It's obvious to us now... It wasn't back when Temple Grandin grew up! How lucky was she then! Her obsession with details, intense and peculiar interests, and geeky engineering brain will all be nurtured to such a point that, against all expectation for a autistic person of her generation, she will come to live a normal life. In fact, branded a 'retard' as a child, she would actually accomplish more than most of us: getting a degree in Humanities, a Ph.D. in Animal Science, transform (as an engineer) livestock-handling facilities in the USA, shed a new light (as an animal scientist) on our understanding of cattle's behaviours, and, author of many books on autism, end up by being the strong advocate we all know (or should know!). Now, isn't that an amazing women? And here's the thing: her seductive quirkiness and abrasive intelligence shines throughout this book!

Interestingly, she does more than simply telling her life. She subjectively explains the over-sensitivity of autistic individuals, and its impact on their feelings and behaviours (eg. the pages about her very own 'squeezing machine' are more than funny, they are telling even if tentative...). She paints how it is to think visually (as opposed to verbally) - a theme she will later develop in another of her book (Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism ). She, above all, fully demonstrates that a condition doesn't define you; it's how you deal (and are encouraged to deal) with it that does:

'...the characteristics of autism can be modified and controlled... I feel strongly that I am living proof that they can.'

'I had come a long way from the non-verbal, tantrum-throwing, peer-hitting child.'


Emergence is a short but extraordinary read. Temple Grandin's story of battling against all odd and sheer determination is more than inspiring. It makes for a great understanding and acceptance of whose who, like her, are not 'neurotypicals'. Autism cannot be cured, but, for some affected by it, it surely can be turned into a strength.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Temple Grandin has autism. This - her first autobiography - is more complex a work than I expected from someone with autism, and also a more simple work than anything written by most people who study it. That Grandin is able to write a narrative of her life is an incredible achievement, due in no small part to her mother's diligence in finding great teachers for her daughter. It's also indicative of the fact that autism can "improve" over time - or at least an individual with autism adds to their store of knowledge across the span of their lifetime, and that gives them a better chance at anticipating the correct behavior in a social setting, or hitting commonly accepted markers in the act of telling a story. As Grandin would put it, every day of her life sees her adding to the visual index in her brain - more video of more social situations with more people acting in more varied ways. The more entries in her personal library, the more choices Grandin has. Grandin intellectually decides, after consulting her index, how to react to situations that individuals without autism would react to without a thought. It's in learning how Grandin makes sense out of her world that autism becomes something more than a collection of studies into psychology, neurology, and biology, and instead becomes an experience of life as valid and meaningful as any other.

There's a general simplicity to Grandin's storytelling that makes this a quick read -- there are also numerous repetitions of phrasing and story which would, in another book, be endlessly frustrating and easy to describe as 'bad writing.' Here, however, they serve a different function - they make it possible to see, in the way Grandin writes, the act of her searching her mental index for a story that demonstrates X, and in accessing it, needing to tell the story exactly the same way every time. The limits, challenges, and gifts of her condition are illustrated in her prose, not just by it. It's a fascinating introduction to autism as lived, not simply autism as observed.

[Lauren Besser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the insight Temple gave into her mind as an autistic child growing up. I would not read this book expecting to learn about autism across the board this book strictly talks about temples experience.

The beginning of the story spoke about her journey as a “recovered autistic person”. While the book did talk about her experience working through some of the downfalls and obstacles that come with being autistic I was disappointed when I finished the book and didn’t have a better understanding into autism generally speaking. While I understand autism is unique in that not one autistic person necessarily deals with the same symptoms as another I was hoping that temple would have made some comparisons so that the reader could understand the severity she faced in her autism. I didn’t feel that I really understood where she started and how she grew overtime (which I thought was the whole point of the book).

With that being said temples story is a unique one and she does a great job of humanizing those born with autism. She has compelled me to learn more about others who have similar experiences.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grandin's first autobiography outlines her story of growing up in an era when autism was poorly understood to become a successful, functioning adult who has contributed extensively to animal studies as well as serving as an advocate for individuals with autism. The memoir is short, less than two hundred pages, and includes her own recounting as well as letters that her mother sent to various specialists, educators, as well as to Grandin. What emerges is the fact that Grandin's life would have been very different if her mother had listened to the specialists who believed Grandin was incorrigible and retarded. Instead, despite (or because of?)her youth (Grandin's mother was only 19 when Grandin was born), she enrolls Grandin in a series of specialty schools and advocates for her daughter when misunderstandings arise. In addition to her mother, Grandin points to several teachers who helped Grandin turn her obsessions into a productive career.

What was most interesting and helpful for me was hearing Grandin's strong voice throughout her story. She's not the most elegant writer. Her sentences are blunt, sometimes choppy, and she occasionally repeats themes or stories more than is necessary, but all of this serves to illuminate exactly what she's talking about when she tries to explain how her brain--and how some other brains that suffer from autism--work. Because of her voice, I could imagine how she perceived the world.

In terms of developing my teaching practice, her concrete examples were also helpful. She describes in detail visual and tactile lessons that helped her grasp concepts or remain interested in school when abstract or verbal presentations did not. I've spent a lot of time thinking over the past few weeks how I can make academic writing more of an object that students can play with rather than a collection of slippery words on a page.

[Joy H.]

I watched a film adapted from this book, _Emergence_.
Below is a copy of my comment (at my group) concerning the film:
===============================================================
I just finished watching the Netflix DVD of "Temple Grandin". I gave it 5 stars out of 5. It won many Emmy Awards. I found it amazing.
"Temple Grandin" (2010)
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Temple_G...
"Claire Danes stars as Temple Grandin, a brilliant young woman coping with the stigma of autism ..."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278469/p...
"A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry."

The film, "Temple Grandin", was adapted from the following books written by Temple Grandin:

Emergence: Labeled Autistic
Thinking In Pictures and Other Reports from My Life with Autism

From Wiki:
===================================================
"During Temple's college years, she conceptualized the squeeze machine, which was designed for herself because she had a sensory integration dysfunction and disliked physical affection by people. The machine hugs both sides of her to calm her down, as she controls the pressure, and it makes her relaxed whenever she becomes tense."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_G...
====================================================

[Kakihara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autism is a world beyond our world, a world we can only access if we really want to do it. I would like to congratulate Temple Grandin for being so brave in sharing with us all her knowledge she has accumulated during these years, if we learn to understand how this world works for autistic people, that is for sure we are going to make it a better place for everybody. Now that I know little bit more about autism and asperger than I knew before, I am glad to say that I am actually applying all of this with my son and some other special children I have met so far. I hope everybody gets to do the same, you will be amazed by them, they are so intelligent and outstanding, so human, there is plenty of things to learn about. Well done Temple !!!

[Katsumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Temple Grandin succeeds in pulling her audience into her world. That world is as mysterious to those of us who are "normal" as an alien planet is to earthlings. We can now understand a little better what is going on in the mind of an autistic person. I highly recommend this book, especially for all of us who are blessed to have an autistic loved one in our families.

[Moon Captain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. I love the squeeze machine. I love how she explains herself. Big relate

[Joomi Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were two main reasons why I chose to read this book. First of all, it is a book about autistic. The chapter 1 of Northstar 4, our English textbook, had a passage about autistic and servants. The second reason why was that the author of this book was Temple Grandin. My English teacher introduced her while we were learning chapter 1. And also, part of her book, ‘Animals in translation’ was also in our textbook. After my teacher’s introduction of Temple Grandin, I watched her TED lecture, which was titled “The world needs all kinds of minds”, and thought it very interesting. Her point of view, as a ‘visual thinker’ was something that I had never thought before. I wanted to learn more about her and started to read this book. This book is mainly about ‘Temple Grandin’ herself. She had written her memories back from her childhood to her career.
These days, Temple Grandin is well known as the genius of designing livestock facilities. However, the interesting part was that she was not a “good child” as a young girl. It was true that her autism had big impact on it. She was diagnosed with autism at young age. She was aggressive as a young child, who had learned to speak very late and tried to solve problems with violent acts. She had tantrums.
The change occurred at her junior high school, Mountain Country School, when she met her teacher Mr. Calock. Before meeting him, Temple had special abilities on ‘visual’ subject like art and sewing, but had bad grades on other subjects. Mr. Carlock believes her ability which made Temple study, and choose her career after learning ‘animal science.’ Also, on her vacation with Aunt Ann, she develops ‘cattle chute’ for herself, which was used to be calm, and this shows how talented she was with understanding animal’s mind and tried hard to change herself as sociable person. Later, she become successful on her career as she understood animals and built livestock facilities suitable and fast for animals.
While reading this book, I felt three things from Temple’s life. First of all, everyone has their own talent. We need to find our own advantages and further develop it. Temple found her interest and talent of animal science, and became famous expert who created one-third of livestock facilities in U.S.
Second, power of education is very strong that it can change other’s life. For example, Temple was expelled from Cherry Hills Girls School because she hit other student who teased her. The mean girl teased Temple as Retard, and the teacher decided to expel Temple, not hearing her stories. On the other hand, in the Mountain Country School, a girl cut in line and Temple hit her. Miss Downey, listens to Temple’s story and understands her position before scolding her of using violence. Also, while all the other teachers though Temple as a weird girl who has bad grades, Mr. Calock find her special talent on mechanism. I strongly felt that education is very important by reading this book. So for next time I go to volunteer for mentoring, I decided to be more careful of my every use of language and attitude. Also, society and government should change the education model to the direction of respecting every student’s individuality and help them to find their dreams from it.
Finally, we can do a lot of things only if we tries to change ourselves. Temple had autism and it was hard for her to communicate and understand others. Also, she had temper tantrums. However, by trying hard to change herself, she could recover a lot. It reminds me the book ‘Outliers : The Story of Success (Malcolm Gladwell)’ and the 10,000 hour rule. I got hopes after reading it and decided to do my best to change my disadvantages of personality.

[Lydia LaPutka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate to be gifted this book from a sweet friend. This allowed me to read it with a highlighter in hand, noting parts that I felt were important to me as an educator. I love that Ms. Grandin's beliefs often matched my own when it comes to medication. She stated, "In young children with a new diagnosis of autism, it is often best to try some of the biomedical approaches such as the casein-free (milk) and gluten-free (wheat) diets. Special diets have helped some children." I would add that it's important to try behavior modification prior to medication. Too many parents hope that a pill will be the panacea. But do you really want to jump to medicate on a brain so young? As a kindergarten teacher, I often urge parents to look into seeing a nutritionist and/or behavior programs like Love and Logic. Sometimes a child needs more routine and consistency in their lives. Often it's a lack of discipline, period. If medication becomes necessary, by all means, use it. But rule out other things first!

Much of the book was filled with useful tidbits like the following: " . . . an autistic child may ignore a loud noise but react violently to the sound of crinkling cellophane." Very insightful and useful information when it comes to future students. I have had several students with Asperger's, some diagnosed, some not. In kindergarten it is rare to have an entering child already diagnosed, however, they are easy to spot by their quirky behavior, difficulty with eye contact, social isolation, and undeveloped gross and fine motor skills. But the students I have had were treasures! I enjoyed each one immensely, particularly after settling into our daily routines and developing a relationship with them. Just about all of these students were spiked academically in some area. Several were incredible readers (although a few of them read in a monotone) and one was quite gifted verbally. I called him my little professor. But on the flip side, handwriting was difficult for all of them and making friends and understanding social nuances were difficult. Working with the parents is often delicate. Who wants to hear that their child is different? Often I am able to elicit their own description of their child which will often include words like "quirky," "unusual," or "concerning." That gives me a place to start.

One of my favorite lines in the book was, "Typical of young people with autism, I didn't bear change with grace." I see this not just with students who have autistic tendencies but with others who are OCD or ODD. I have a 21-year-old son who STILL does not "bear change with grace!"

I am fascinated with this idea of a human "squeeze machine." If studies show that it helps autistic children, then every school should have one or something that gives similar stimulation. I hope more studies will be done on this.

The most powerful thing I got out of this book is the fact that teachers can and do make a difference with autistic students. Not just any teacher, but teachers who believe in their autistic students and approach them with love, creativity, firmness, and patience. Temple Grandin's book is a book of hope for many parents. It also reads as a type of manual for educators who are interested in adding to their "bag of tricks." We can never have enough in our bag!!!

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was inspired to read this book after watching the HBO movie Temple Grandin, which I highly recommend. The movie takes some artistic license, but overall, it really seems to portray Temple Grandin well.

This book is written mostly as a memoir, with information about autism studies, and Temple's own opinions about autism-related matters, interspersed in relevant places. Though Temple Grandin is neither a doctor nor a researcher, she writes with authority on a wide range of topics related to autism.

It was interesting, too, to read about Temple's mother's perspective, which was provided through the inclusion of a couple letters that she (Temple's mother) wrote to Temple's doctors.

Having no formal training in autism, I learned quite a bit from reading this book. More notably, I was surprised at the language (particularly in the book's forward) that referred to Temple Grandin as a "recovered" autistic person. I know that early invention is considered key in treating autistic children, and that the goal is to help the chidren "overcome" their symptoms, but I guess I never realized that autistic people could "recover" from autism.

I also learned about how wide the autism spectrum is, how each autistic person may suffer from their own unique combination of symptoms, and how each person responds differently to different kinds of treatments (much like Parkinson's Disease, with which I am more familiar). Included as an appendix was a copy of a diagnostic survey that Temple's mother filled out, and the questions listed there really shed light on the many symptoms of autism.

I don't know how much help or editing Temple Grandin got in writing this book, but the writing was good enough that it surprised me, because there was a level of self-awareness that I thought autistic people lacked by definition. Even as a young adult, she seemed to understand the importance of self-motivation and responsibility, realizations that would be mature lessons for any teenager, let alone one with autism. In describing how she, as an autistic person, was able to cope with life's stresses, she provides keen insight that would be useful for any person - with or without autism - to know.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Temple Grandin has been a super-hero of mine for quite some time. Oliver Sachs first introduced her to me but I hadn't read any of her work until this book found its way into my heart. I wish I would have read this book earlier, it now makes so much sense . . . the fixations, the high sensitivity to the tactile feeling of clothes on one's skin, the temper tantrums, etc. For those challenged with special children (or adults), reading this book is sure to bring comfort and hope. Temple brings us into her world -- a world of over-stimulation that is frightening even to the person who lives within the walls of autism. She grew up in the 50's when the medical world was beginning to move away from institutionalizing these unique human beings, but didn't quite know to treat the symptoms of this disorder. Temple was blessed with a mother who continuously advocated on behalf of her and never gave up. Together they worked to understand how to compensate for the autism and let her gifts shine. The book is an amazing witness to the unconditional love a mother has for a child, no matter the circumstances. I highly recommend this book for those searching for hope.

[Diana (Bever) Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

In trying to understand my boys better, I picked up this book. It blessed me to do what I set out to do with the added measure of understanding myself better. Now I'm absolutely sure that "Asperger's" is not only the label that fits my boys, but it is what I have been dealing for as long as I can remember (as well as dyslexic and dyspraxic which often accompany Austism-spectrum challenges). We can learn to work around our challenges--to learn from them--and become productive members of society. It will be a long road ahead with numerous stumbling blocks and set-backs, but Temple did it, and we don't have nearly as far to travel as she has. The boys and I also watched the movie, Temple Grandin. Both are eye-opening and inspirational! Temple Grandin has come to speak at USU before, now we can't wait to meet her when she comes again.

[Elizabeth Peterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t think I have disliked a book more. The whole narrative of the book is labeling Autism as a “problem” and “curing” the individual so they can fit into society. Obviously societally we need to make our world more accessible and inclusive for individuals with Autism and not force them to conform to our standards. I also felt that the book was also used as a way to provide false hope and make money off of vulnerable people who have individuals with autism in their lives who are lower functioning or nonverbal and suggesting that they can just be “fixed” and “cured” using similar methods as Temple Grandin.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was more complex than I was expecting, but it was very interesting. I work with children with Autism, so this gave me a better look into the world of Autism. I am very inspired by Temple Grandin and all that she has done with her life.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book and thought it was amazing that an autistic person could be the writer, and be living a 'normal' life. I want to know more, as my nephew is autistic. So far, it's an amazing view inside the head of an autistic person!
A little repetitive over all, but what an interesting insight.

[Lindy Bell]

Slightly dated, but absolutely essential.

[Greta Cribbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I move on to my personal thoughts about this book, I just want to acknowledge that there are a couple of things about it that may be considered by some people to be controversial, particularly with regard to some of the vocabulary Ms. Grandin uses in her discussion of autism. Examples include her occasional reference to "recovering" from autism and her tendency to refer to children not on the spectrum as "normal." My take on these things is that this is her story told in her words. If she feels as though, in her personal journey through life, she has recovered from autism, she has a right to think of herself that way. And using the word "normal" instead of a more accepted term like "neurotypical", I think, speaks volumes about how it feels to be a child with autism. It tells the reader, in just one word, how isolated she felt when she was growing up. How weird. How very much not "normal." Again, it's her story. She can tell it in whatever words she wants to use.

Now, on to my real review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to everyone. Literally, everyone, not just people on the autism spectrum and their parents. Why? Because there are a lot of misunderstandings about autism in our society, and we would all benefit from the peek behind the curtain that this book offers. Parents of autistic children need to read this so they will understand a little better what is going on in their children's heads. People with autism should read this for inspiration, because my goodness, this is an inspiring story. Adults with undiagnosed autism or people who fall into the gray area called "borderline" should read this and know that they are not alone. Someone out there understands them. And everybody else should read this and learn to see the person behind the disorder. Bullying is such a common experience for people with autism during the school years. What if the parents of those bullies read this book, then talked to their kids about it? Would the bullying stop? Would those kids learn to see the autistic classmate as a person instead of a "weirdo"? Maybe not, because kids are kids and they make unfortunate choices at times, but it would be worth a try.

Overall a very good book that has made me want to read more of Temple Grandin's work.

[Isabella Espinal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an inspiring read! In my quest to find out what really makes a book good or not, I am trying to be more analytical, and not hand out five-star reviews so much, though with this book, anything less than five stars would be a lie.


Emergence discovers the life and struggles of an autistic woman, from childhood to career days (yes, I said career days). Through her special mind, Ms. Grandin explains what it is to have autism, how it affected her life, and even made her the success she is today.

In this review, you will find my thoughts on the book, and at the bottom, a small content review, thank you.



The writing in this book is so scholarly, and full of personality that it has inspired my own scholarly writing and given me the opportunity to get to know Temple Grandin, without having met her. Perhaps if written by someone else, the writing would come off as choppy, but in this book, it feels more as if she is talking directly to me, and I like that. I have found that one thing which makes this book so good is that what the author is talking about is actually worth conversation, and I realized that books like this improve me as a person, as well as the way I think about certain things. I found Temple’s childhood to be quite humorous, which I enjoyed. Also, I loved Temple’s mother’s perseverance to help her child grow. She knew there was more to Temple than meets the eye, and though few others did, she stuck to her guns and gave Temple the proper guidance so she could prosper. I loved this. I think a quote from one of her mother’s letters shows this best:



“It seems to me that love is wanting to make things grow, and having a stage in their growth.”



I highly recommend this book to anyone curious about autism, and about someone not letting their disability disable them, but using it for the betterment of themselves and others.





Sexual content includes: A bit of discussion of masturbation, and sex.



Profanity includes: Da**

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've picked up this book after reading a picture book about Temple Grandin with my kids.

Until I read about the symptoms of autism, I didn't realize what kind of achievement this book is for Grandin. Considering distinctive difficulties in social interaction/communication that Autism causes, it is amazing how Temple convey 'what's it like to be autistic person' in a book-format. Description of her various struggles, fixations, and confusions throughout her childhood gives you most insightful glimpse of autistic minds.

I felt heart-breaking reading about her inner crash between tactile defensiveness and craving for tactile stimuli. Hard to imagine locked in a body resists something so fundamental in survival and development while craving for them.

In the book, there are few personal letters from her mother (written to Temple or to doctors). Through the letter, I could understand why Temple attribute her success to her mom (and a few more individuals supported her). I can read deep love, understanding, also effort to be clear-headed of a mother with a child with 'different' needs.
This is from one of Temple's mother's letter;
"Be proud you are different. All bright people who have contributed to life have been different and found the path of life lonely"

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Temple takes the reader back into her earliest memories as she navigates a world in which she finds herself often at odds. Nonverbal until about age four, she remembers what it was like to understand what was said but she was unable to form her words to respond. She remembers her likes, dislikes, and her reactions. She takes us through her elementary, junior high (very bad experiences),high school, college, graduate and doctoral educational experiences making mention of teachers who helped the most. This is a profoundly intimate look, very candid. She shares what was the current thinking about autism at various times during her journey and the changes since. This was first published in 1996, and many advances have been made, yet autism remains mysterious. She gives very helpful advice for parents and caregivers, as well as therapists. As we now know, autism is not a one-diagnosis fits all, nor is it static. Very helful memoir!

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the movie Temple Grandin and wanted to read the books on which the film was based. So for me, the interesting parts of the book are the narratives and vignettes of Ms. Grandin's life. But because this book was written to educate caregivers of autistic persons on how to educate and understand autistic behavior, there is a lot of explanations of what could have been the cause of autism, what treatments/therapies are effective....etc. Those sections I began to skip as I got further into the book. Ms. Grandin provided many first-hand documents from her life in the book. We got to read her diary, her mother's letters to her, a health report form her mother filled out....While these are valuable memos to Ms. Grandin's life story, I feel they dragged on the narrative rather than enhanced it because of their length. In terms of storytelling, the film did better.

[Jammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'autobiographie d'une femme autiste!!!!
Vraiment très intéressant : j'ai beaucoup aimé l'aspect rétrospectif, le fait que ce ne soit pas une énonciation des événements de l'enfance de l'autrice.
J'ai également trouvé cela très intéressant d'intégrer des études et divers analyses sur l'autisme dans l'ouvrage. L'ouvrage donne beaucoup d'indications sur l'autisme et j'ai eu l'impression d'en avoir appris plus et de façon assez "scientifique/psychologique".
On peut questionner la fin et l'analyse de la mort animale : la question de respect dans la mort, de tuer avec respect, revient beaucoup et est parfois traitée de façon très étrange (qui, en fait, ne colle pas vraiment avec mes croyances quant à la souffrance animale). Mais c'était tout de même très enrichissant, sur l'industrie du bétail (en partie).

[Melissa Coffield · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off this was actually first published in 1986 and put out again in 2005; so it is dated material for parts of it. That said and kept in mind while I was reading this, it is extremely good and still beneficial to read today. I loved reading Temple's story beyond what was shown in the movie. Both my two children and myself are on the spectrum so I was able to really relate to the author on different levels.

I think my favorite part was reading her scores in the appendix. Today those questionnaires are still very similar and it reminded me of filling them out regarding my children. Infact I found myself answering the older style questions with them in mind and it just reaffirmed everything once again. Thank you Temple. You truly are amazing and I hope my boys are as successful as you.

[Laura Shields · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written in 1987 and an additional foreword was added in 2005. That being said this book is old, and therefore you can expect the language used and general approach/view on autism and provided supportive "science" is outdated. Autism is presented as a feral disease that one can be cured of and recovered from. I felt this read more like a case study, where temple is being presented as a monkey who miraculously has managed to resemble something of a civilized person. Because of this, it was difficult to read sometimes, but I understand this was just the reality of the time it was written in.

I would say this felt more like a case study than an autobiography. I was hoping to read more about the inner experience of autism in how Temple experienced it, but most of the time I felt we were only presented with an outside perspective: how her autism impacted her behavior and those around her, rather than her actual experience.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here in simple and very honest testimony Temple Grandin explains her childhood and her experience of growing up with autism. It is statistically unusual for autistic people to have the requisite insight, reflection and expression to do something like this, which makes this book all the more impressive and interesting. In style it reminds me of My Left Foot - despite the age of the author it retains a clarity and frankness which is often masked with complex rambling as we age. There is no shame in the account: there is no guile. Overall this was very enjoyable and interesting to read and I recommend it highly to everyone.

[Eli Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

É sempre muito difícil avaliar uma autobiografia, afinal, é a vida da pessoa.

Mas vamos lá, é sempre inspirador ler histórias de pessoas autistas.

Me identifiquei demais com muitas características dela, principalmente na infância.

É tão reforçador ver que a família o apoio e o amor tem impacto decisivo no desenvolvimento.

Mas não é um livro para todo tipo de público, ele precisa ser lido com senso crítico, primeiro levando em consideração o ano que foi publicado e segundo que a Temple não é médica, desde que o livro foi lançado descobrimos muito mais coisas sobre o autismo, tanto em relação a diagnóstico, prognóstico, quanto tratamento.

Por isso família desavisada ou sem senso crítico não deve ler.

Mas para o público correto é um livro ótimo.

[Nicole Westen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was both an easy and a difficult read. The text itself was easy and had a very nice flow to it. It wouldn't take long at all to get through this book. However, it was difficult for me because many of the stories brought back strong, and difficult memories for me and I frequently had to put the book down, walk away, and center myself before I could begin reading again. But I still highly recommend that anyone with even a passing interest in autism read this book. It is not hard and won't take much time, but the difference it will make will be huge.

[Fémi Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un témoignage important et intéressant raconté de l'intérieur. L'auteur mène aujourd'hui une vie épanouissante et a surmonté en grande partie son handicap. Elle précise d'ailleurs que ce ne sera pas forcément le cas de tous les enfants autistes mais que cela donne un exemple stimulant et enrichissant pour les parents d'enfants autistes et pour les professionnels. Elle explique le déroulement de sa scolarité, ses obsessions, ses réactions et celles des autres face à son autisme. Très complet.