The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger's »

TEMPLE GRANDIN earned her Ph.D. in animal science from the University of Illinois and went on to become a professor at Colorado State University. She is the author of four previous books, including the national bestsellers Thinking in Pictures and Animals in Translation. Grandin spearheaded reform of the quality of life and humaneness of death for the world’s farm animals.

Dr. Temple Grandins voice of experience is back to give parents and teachers specific, practical advice on helping young people on the autism spectrum. This collection of articles, written from 2000-present as an exclusive column in the national award-winning magazine, Autism Aspergers Digest, offers Temples invaluable personal and professional insights, from inside the world of autism, about autism. Temple voices her views on a wide variety of topics ranging from the nonverbal child to social functioning, early intervention to adult issues. The articles have been updated and Temple has added fresh commentary on the topics.

Corey Seeman - Library Journal

If autism had a rock star, it would be Grandin. Diagnosed with autism when little was known about the condition, Grandin went on to earn a Ph.D., become an expert on the humane treatment of livestock, and write prominent autobiographical works on autism (e.g., Thinking in Pictures). This collection of articles from Autism Asperger's Digest that draw heavily from her own life provides snippets of her views on the condition. The columns are organized by theme, each with a new introductory section written by Grandin. Notable sections include labels and diagnoses, education (especially harnessing a child's special talent), and the social world of autism. She distinguishes nicely traits from autism vs. those that are unacceptable from any child. While the book has a great deal to offer, it suffers from repetition across chapters. These articles do not present information in an in-depth manner, but they provide a nice overview from a prominent member of the autism community. A book like this might be more accessible to readers than some of the meatier volumes on autism. Recommended for public libraries.

Foreword Dr. Ruth Sullivan xiii For Readers New to Autism xix Tony & Temple: Face to Face xxi Introduction xxxi Chapter 1 Diagnosis and Early Intervention 1 Do Not Get Hung Up on Labels 7 Economical Quality Programs for Young Children with ASD 11 Different Types of Thinking in Autism 15 Higher Expectations Yield Results 19 Chapter 2 Teaching and Education 23 Autism the Way I See It 31 The Importance of Developing Talent 35 Teaching People with Autism/Asperger's to be More Flexible 37 Teaching Concepts to Children with Autism 39 Motivating Students 41 Getting Kids Turned on to Reading 45 The Importance of Practical Problem-Solving Skills 47 Turning Video Game Obsession into Learning 51 Chapter 3 Sensory Issues 55 Visual Processing Problems in Autism 65 Auditory Problems in Autism 69 Incorporating Sensory Integration into Your Autism Program 73 The Effect of Sensory Perceptual Difficulties on Learning Styles 77 Chapter 4 Understanding Nonverbal Autism 81 You Asked Me! 93 Tito Lives in a World of Sensory Scrambling 97 Solving Behavior Problems in Nonverbal Individuals with Autism 101 Whole-Task Teaching for Individuals with Severe Autism 105 Chapter 5 Behavior Issues 109 Disability versus Just Bad Behaviors 115 My Experience with Teasing and Bullying 119 Rudeness is Inexcusable 123 Autism & Religion: Teach Goodness 127 Chapter 6 Social Functioning 131 Insights into Autistic Social Problems 141 Learning Social Rules 143 Emotional Differences Among Individuals with Autism or Asperger's 147 Healthy Self-Esteem 151 Four Cornerstones of Social Awareness 155 Chapter 7 Medications and Biomedical Therapy 159 Alternative versus Conventional Medicine 173 Evaluating Treatments 175 MedicationUsages: Risk versus Benefit Decisions 177 Chapter 8 Cognition and Brain Research 181 Lose the Social Skills, Gain Savant Skills? 189 People on the Spectrum Focus on Details 191 The Extreme Male Theory of Autism 193 Detect Babies at Risk for Developing Autism with Head Measurements 195 Thinking in Details 199 A Look Inside the Visual-Thinking Brain 201 Brain Cortex Structure Similar in Brilliant Scientists and Autism 205 Chapter 9 Adult Issues and Employment 207 Employment Advice: Tips on Getting and Holding a Job 217 Happy People on the Autism Spectrum Have Satisfying Jobs or Hobbies 221 Inside or Outside? The Autism/Asperger's Culture 223 Going to College: Tips for People with Autism & Asperger's 227 Can My Adolescent Drive a Car? 231 Wall Street Journal Social Stories 235 Innovative Thinking Paves the Way for AS Career Success 237 The Link Between Autism Genetics and Genius 241 Bibliography 245 Index 249