Cadry Williams - Emergence: Labeled Autistic

Emergence: Labeled Autistic by Temple Grandin PhD and Margaret M. Scariano . The book acts as a recode of Grandin fight overcame autism. At the age of three, Grandin was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder; specifically, asperger which is at the higher functioning end of the spectrum. Although she was a bright child, due to her inability to properly communicates herself or control her behavior, Grandin struggled through grade school. Eventually moved from a 'normal' school to an educational program for autistic children, she began to suffer 'nerve attacks. Grandin tells her story of how she went from a fear-gripped, autistic child to a successful professional and a world leader in her field.

Grandin describes some of the teachers in her life. Her first primary school teacher does not understand her, and Grandin tells how difficult it was for her to do linear learning, for example multiple choice questions that only have one answer, however Grandin can clearly see several ways to answer questions. Additionally, in one instance, she understood a concept that was taught, yet she was unable to explain her logical reasons for answering questions ‘incorrectly’. Her inability to explain herself often led to a need to act out physically by kicking or hitting or overturning a chair. Sometimes, Grandin explains, she frightened even herself with her own behavior. Throughout the book Grandin reminisces about several events within her early childhood, that the reader can easily see how Grandin's problems, when looked at more simply, can be problems shared by many people. Grandin notes “that although she possesses truly bizarre behaviors, many of her attitudes, fixations, and kinesthetic and visual propensities are shared by many people in lesser degrees. By inference one can see that the educational system in most schools ignores and even punishes such propensities.” (Grandin & Scariano, 2005)

Through the resources of Grandin ’s family, she was able to attend a small school for children with exceptionalities and as well as be treated by psychiatrists throughout her adolescent years. Grated, many of the psychiatrists could not understand her logic process. Her primary psychiatrist, Dr. Stein, could do nothing more than supply M & M's to Grandin during their sessions but offered little to no incite in to her condition. When Grandin went to a summer camp and was introduced to sexual matters for the first time she fixated on the topics but did not really understand. Dr. Stein in turn fixates of this event and associates it with the Squeeze Machine one of Grandin’s lifelong fixations.

To understand its importance, one must understand the Squeeze Machine and Grandin’s fixation and obsession with it that autistic children and autistic people absolutely cannot tolerate being touched. “Babies stiffen up and turn away from their mothers. Young children become violent when touched. Parents and family understandably are hurt and put off by these rejections.” (Grandin & Scariano, 2005) However, throughout the book Grandin develops the idea that Autisic children really want to be touched and cuddled, but their neurological affliction makes it impossible.

The Squeeze Machine, modeled on a cattle chute that Grandin sees and experiments with as a senior in high school, the neurological disconnections, the vestibular mechanisms in the body, can be calmed and perhaps reset so that autistics can tolerate touch. The same operation renders the autistic more liable to be able to experience emotions, and this is a real difference because autistics may be excited and interested in machinery but not in people. They do not feel, and they do not love.

Dr. Stein, who apparently relies heavily on Freudian theory, insists that the Squeeze Machine is something sexual in its nature. Again not truly understanding Sexual matters Grandin is deeply troubled by the suggestion that her machine may be some kind of sexual device. These doubts trouble Grandin throughout her life, even though her Squeeze Machine and later her devices to help with animal husbandry become so famous that she travels internationally.

Grandin’s attempts to translate her own experiences into practical advice on how to communicate with children who have autism one of the striking passages from this book is a follows, “Sometimes I heard and understood and other times sounds or speech reached my brain like the unbearable noise of an onrushing train.” (Grandin & Scariano, 2005)  Monitor what you say to the autistic child; Keep your sentences short and simple. Look directly at the child because the autistic learns to read the whole body-not just the words. (Grandin & Scariano, 2005)

Grandin encourages parents, teachers, and the therapists to channel obsessive interests into projects.  Grandin states that “Singleness of purpose (persistence) can work wonders, High-functioning autistic adults, who are able to live independently and keep a job, often have work that is in the same field of interest as their childhood fixations. One man with a childhood fixation on numbers today works successfully doing fiscal efficiency reports.” (Grandin & Scariano, 2005)

This book reads like a combination of a text book, how to manual, a personal reflection and autobiography. It is interesting to read how the author blends them together enabling the read to both understand the experience the events from her point of view. I do note that in no way does this book represent all autistic children but it is a very useful reference.