Temple Grandin Summary

After reading about the life of Temple Grandin, there are three things of which I am presently aware. The first, is that, the many diverse causes and symptoms of autism are stigmatized in mainstream culture. This includes the severity and frequency of these occurrences. Secondly, regardless of the specific conditions, autism almost always effects the same three characteristics of the brain.These are, feelings towards others, communication, and imagination. Lastly, I have realized that autism causes a very isolated state of mind, autism in itself means “aloneness.” According to the article, many of these people have no, (or very little) truly deep feelings, but rather a continuous emotional indifference. Temple Grandin herself said that she …show more content…
Perhaps this is the reason why so many diagnosed with Asperger’s have superior mental function. Their cognitive power is the product of the brain compensating for the underdevelopment of emotional constructs. Because their brain sees the world so differently, it is more efficient at logical processes than picking up the subtle signs required in fluid human interaction. I would hypothesize that this is why there are so many talented autistic people. Savants are some of the most inspiring and successful people in history. A savant is someone who has remarkable talents as a result of their autism. This is usually found in “high functioning” autistics, these people usually do not exhibit symptoms as severely as others with their condition, Temple Grandin herself is an example, but two of my favorite suspected savants are master chess player Bobbie Fischer, and quantum physicist, Albert Einstein. Einstein once said something which I find particularly relevant when considering autism and the stigmas which surround it. “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is