Chapter 10 of NeuroTribes took the readers in the world of the autistic mind through Temple Grandin. It was interesting to have that sort of insight because it was never something that seemed possible. Temple Grandin’s appearances at these functions broke down some walls and opened the mind of parents of autistic children. Grandin was able to “cast more light on the day-to-day reality of autism than decades of clinical observation and speculation had managed to produce” (425) Her descriptions of her behavioral problems and years of inability to express herself were tough to read through. It was sad to think that everything she had been feeling was completely normal, except that she didn’t have to words to express it. Temple recalled her mother and teachers wondering why she screamed and she explained “screaming was the only way I was able to communicate” (425) This broke my heart! It brings memories of children in supermarkets, porches and around my neighborhood, mothers looking completely stressed out and embarrassed, not knowing what else to do with their children. Now, this doesn’t mean that all these children were autistic, but what if there was a possibility that some of them were? These parents were tired, stressed and tired and many of those feelings were projected towards these children.
Grandin as an adult is able to explain the everyday problems a non verbal autistic child would go through but also proved that autism wasn’t the end of the line for these children. Grandin grew up to be an Assistant Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University with a PhD in Animal Science. Although she was proud of how far she had come and how much she accomplished, it seemed that she found herself still having to explain how it was possible that someone with autism could grow up to be so successful. Grandin was presenting herself as someone who had “recovered” from autism. Grandin understood that she hadn’t “recovered” from autism, there was really no way of doing that, she explained that she had “learned, with great effort, to adapt to the social norms of the people around her”. (427) Although it’s wonderful that Grandin was able to go through life learning these things and becoming the successful woman she is today, its too bad that thats how she had to do it. She felt she had to change her life according to everyone around her in order to be understood. Even though it obviously worked well for her its hard not to question if she’s being her true self or who everyone else wants her to be.
I definitely agree with your sentiment about Grandin’s need to change herself to fit into societal norms. I feel that it kind of disappoints us as readers to know that Grandin thinks of herself as “recovered” or “reformed” rather than fully accepting (and loving) herself the way she is. Throughout the book we see stories of people who eventually gave up trying to heal themselves or their loved ones and achieve a sense of satisfaction or enlightenment, but for Grandin to express and present herself in this manner is not what we were rooting for.
On another note, I think it’s really interesting to see how Grandin in “Neurotribes” compares and contrasts to Grandin in her essay and Grandin via Oliver Sacks. All three seem to be a portrayal of the same person, but the different view points and observers (self versus others) casts Grandin in varying degrees. I would love to look at this issue of representation on a deeper level – i.e different narrators, different points of view, self-vs-other, etc.
I think it’s really true that Grandin represents herself differently in different contexts–as we all do, really. In many instances, she’s very clear about the fact that she experiences Asperger’s as a strength that suffuses her identity and makes her career possible. But she has also worked hard to communicate across neurological difference–to be an advocate. In that sense, I don’t see her as capitulating to neurological norms, but that’s an interpretation. There is certainly room for debate and others have argued otherwise.