The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum 1st Edition

This book is pretty boring. I'm on the spectrum as they say today. i.e. Asperger's Syndrome. But my experiences are nothing like hers-. I admire the author a great deal and she describes her experiences in an understandable way that are probably very helpful to some, but she assumes we are all alike, and we are not. I'm convinced that all of us are different. I was hoping to find out how my brain is different from the brains of neuronormals, and was interested in how the author's brain is different. I admire her efforts to study her own brain. I would not go to those lengths to have my brain scanned. For me a brain scan would be pure torture. I was interested to see that I share many of the author's sensory problems as well as how many are different from hers. With so many differences from her experiences as well as the differences she has seen among her students, I am coming to think there isn't such a thing as an "Autistic Brain", because we are all so different in so many ways. But if the brain is no different, then how come there are so many sensory differences between us and the neuronormals? It's our perceptions that seem to be different. Social events they enjoy were always torture for me. I suffered through them because other people wanted me to be normal. And I thought I could make myself be normal, but I never could learn to like the things they enjoy. This book did nothing to explain to me why it is impossible for me to be "normal". Perhaps no one knows. I thought having a brain that is different would explain the problem. She would need to see the scans of many Autistic brains to see anything they have in common. She doesn''t mention having done that. Any scientific study of any value needs to have a great many subjects to compare. Without those comparisons, the idea of an "Autistic Brain" has no real data to prove anything.

This book is super fascinating! My grandson is high functioning autistic and after reading this book I now suspect my youngest son is also.. but not ever officially "diagnosed" as such. What I like is that the Temple Grandin walks you through a lot of the historical science of autism and then her questions and theories are the same ones that jumped out at me as I was reading it... then she dives into more research that she has uncovered in trying to answer those questions. We don't know enough about autism today and even if you don't know someone with autism, what I thought was so fascinating is learning more about how the brain works & why we all have different strengths & weaknesses. If we figure out more about autism it will undoubtedly shed a lot of light on the rest of us with the 'average' ho-hum brains! I will re-read this one again - High recommend! Great book and well written.

When I began reading this book I wasn't sure it would have much application to me as an educator of children with autism, but boy was I wrong! This book is a must-read for those who have loved ones on the spectrum or who are, themselves, on the spectrum. Temple opened my mind to new ways to teach my kiddos by focusing on their individual strengths. I even had the honor of meeting her at a book signing in my city recently.

If you know someone with Autism spectrum disorder or if, like me, you are just curious to learn and understand this complex affliction, this book is for you.Temple Grandin eloquently and honestly conveys what it feels like to experience the world as an autistic person while simultaneously exploring the scientific side of Autism and interpreting the results of decades of research as only she can. Her vivid examples and comparisons make understanding the day to day challenges of life with ASD much easier.We all fit into one or more of the types of thinking and learning described in this book, not just those with ASD. Understanding and learning to tap into the strengths of each can be invaluable when assembling collaborative teams. It can also help us all to be more open to embracing differences instead of ridiculing or dismissing them.By including references and links to other books and scholarly articles on the subject of Autism (some written by other autistic individuals), Temple Grandin provides a clear path to further understanding this often misunderstood neurological disorder.Excellent read that I will visit again and again.

Love Temple! Ever since I watched her movie about 7 years ago I have become such a fan! Until I had a child of my own 3 years ago and he was diagnosed with ASD I started to read more of her books about autism. She is such an inspiration to parents and so knowledgeable. This book is a must have for anyone who has ASD, is a caregiver, teacher, parent, family member, or has contact with anyone with ASD. Temple covers everything from the neurological basis, behaviors, examples, research, as well as explains the research and findings at a level that everyone can understand. I honestly believe that is you can understand what is going on inside of the brain and why, you can better understand the person and the behaviors.Thank you Temple for everything you do!

This is an excellent book helped me see things from my sons perspective. Very well written, I would reccomend this book trying to understand autism.

Arrived well within the recommended delivery time frame. Received in good condition and is a very interesting and worthwhile read. Would recommend to anyone interested in this field. It aides understanding and gives you food for thought!

Very insightful, every parent should have had a read even if there is a lot of medical jargon in the book.

An inspirational book for parents with an autistic child. I recommend this to everyone that wants to know more about autism and to understand the autistic brain.

full of insights into the way autistic people think and view the world. Well worth the time reading. I loved it.

Still in the process of reading it, but good so far. Thank you

I’ve only started reading this book. I may be a quarter of the way through. I have a four-year-old son who is diagnosed on the spectrum and was told to read this book to help me get a better understanding of what Autism is. It’s really good at describing the scientific side of it so you get a better understanding of why certain things in their brain works the way that it does. It is definitely open my eyes to have a better understanding of why my son asked the way that he does with certain things. It’s great for a parent who has a child who is autistic, Or a family member or friend who wants to have a better understanding of Autism. I have recommended this book to others and they have bought it as well.

This is one of the better reads of the Autistic Person and their thinking, feeling and accomplishments. Dr. Temple Grandin shows us how to deal with the positive attributes and not the shortfalls. She really does know her stuff & how to make the reader aware of how the autistic person can operate in this world they live in. She delves into how their brain is different to the normal person but still has so many positives!

This is a great read from front to back. This is the book for you if you're at all interested in the subject of autism. My favourite thing about this book is that it is firmly planted in the latest science: all of Grandin's claims and examples are well-documented with the sources listed in the back. (After you finish the book, you can spend time going through some of the sources too!) It contains very balanced and logical content and does an amazing job of revealing the course of future of study in this field. Clearly, Grandin and her co-writer Richard Panek have done their research and put a lot of effort into organizing it into something incredibly comprehensive for the average reader.Instead of focusing on the specific bounds of diagnostic labels, Grandin looks to a future where autistic children and adults are instead assessed, helped, and encouraged based on their specific strengths and weaknesses. She foresees a future where autism, as well as other neurological conditions, is diagnosed biologically through brain imaging technology which will provide better understanding of individual brains. The book contains interesting anecdotes, personal examples, and even visual representations of some of the subject matter. Best of all, it provides information about different types of thinking that applies to all humans - not just to autistics. If you hadn't already considered that even "neurotypical" people experience and process the world in vastly different ways, this book will illustrate how.I would recommend "The Autistic Brain" to everyone I know. Without being overly sensational, it presents autism in a more positive light by describing how the autistic brain works and the wide range of specialized skills a person with autism may have. It would be a great introduction for parents or teachers thinking about the educational and occupational future of both their autistic and non-autistic children.This was by far the best book I've read in the past year.

Amazing book. If you have anyone in your life with autism there is no question, this book is amazing to read and suprisingly easy to read. It gives you a great perspective and understanding.

Me encanta Temple Grandin. Sus libros explican el autismo desde un enfoque lógico y practico.Uno de los imprescindibles si te interesa el autismo.

I needed to transform the social damage of being asperger into tools to simply be able to live a simple life

As a grandmother of a recent diagnosed grandchild, The Autistic Brain is a welcome tool to help me understand how the brain works so that I can inhance my grandchild's strengths and help understand his weaknesses. I will refer back and forth to the book in the future.Temple Grandin is an amazing person who didn't allow autism to hold her back.

I found this book to be easy to read with lots of stories and personal examples as well as well researched and mind expanding. It will be one of the first books I will recommend when someone wants an insiders view into the world of autism!

NA