The Way I See It: 5th Edition: Revised & Expanded

The Way I See It:

A Personal Look at Autism

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© 2020 Temple Grandin

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Cover and interior photos © Rosalie Winard: Cow photo in chapter title collage, author bio, and central photos on titles for chapters 2, 3, 8, and 9.

Chapter 4 title image © Angus Bremner.

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This book is unedited for content. Any opinions are those of the author and are not necessarily shared by the publisher.

ISBN: 9781949177312

Contents

Foreword

Foreword to the Second Edition

Foreword to the First Edition

For Readers New to Autism

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Importance of Early Education

The Importance of Early Educational Intervention

Do Not Get Trapped by Labels

Economical Quality Programs for Young Children with ASD

Different Types of Thinking in Autism

Higher Expectations Yield Results

Teaching Turn Taking

What School Is Best for My Child with ASD?

Chapter 2: Teaching & Education

Finding a Child’s Area of Strength

Teaching How to Generalize

The Importance of Developing Talent

Teaching People on the Autism Spectrum to Be More Flexible

Teaching Concepts to Children with Autism

Bottom-Up Thinking and Learning Rules

Laying the Foundation for Reading Comprehension

Motivating Students

Getting Kids Turned On to Reading

Too Much Video Gaming and Screen Time has a Bad Effect on Child Development

Therapy Animals and Autism

The Importance of Choices

The Importance of Practical Problem-Solving Skills

Learning to Do Assignments That Other People Appreciate

Learning Never Stops

Chapter 3: Sensory Issues

Sensory Problems Are Variable

Visual Processing Problems in Autism

Auditory Processing Problems and Sound Over Sensitivity in Autism

Incorporating Sensory Methods into Your Autism Program

The Effect of Sensory and Perceptual Difficulties on Learning Patterns

Environmental Enrichment Therapy for Autism

Chapter 4: Understanding Nonverbal Autism

A Social Teenager Trapped Inside

You Asked Me!

Why Do Kids with Autism Stim?

Tito Lives in a World of Sensory Scrambling

Understanding the Mind of a Nonverbal Person with Autism

Solving Behavior Problems in Nonverbal Individuals with Autism

Whole-Task Teaching for Individuals with Severe Autism

Chapter 5: Behavior Issues

Disability versus Just Bad Behaviors

My Experience with Teasing and Bullying

Rudeness is Inexcusable

The Need to Be Perfect

Autism & Religion: Teach Goodness

Chapter 6: Social Functioning

Insights into Autistic Social Problems

Learning Social Rules

Emotional Differences Among Individuals with Autism or Asperger’s

Healthy Self-Esteem

Four Cornerstones of Social Awareness

Questions about Connecticut Shooter Adam Lanza, Asperger’s Syn drome, and SPD

Chapter 7: Medications & Biomedical Issues

Alternative Versus Conventional Medicine

Autism Medical Update

Hidden Medical Problems Can Cause Behavior Problems

Evaluating Treatments

Medication Usage: Risk versus Benefit Decisions

My Treatment for Ringingin the Ears

Chapter 8: Cognition & Brain Research

Chapter 9: Adult Issues & Employment

Improving Time Management and Organizational Skills

Employment Advice: Tips for Getting and Holding a Job

Teens with ASD Must Learn Both Social and Work Skills to Keep Jobs

Happy People on the Autism Spectrum Have Satisfying Jobs or Hobbies

Inside or Outside? The Autism/Asperger’s Culture

Portfolios Can Open Job and College Opportunities

Going to College: Tips for People with Autism & Asperger’s

Finding Mentors and Appropriate Colleges

Reasonable Accommodation for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

Get Out and Experience Life!

Can My Adolescent Drive a Car?

Innovative Thinking Paves the Way for AS Career Success

Try on Careers

The Link Between Autism Genetics and Genius

My Sense of Self-Identity

Tony & Temple: Face to Face

Bibliography

About the Author

Foreword

Ihave known Temple for over twenty-five years and have always admired her understanding of autism, which is based not only on her personal experiences but also her extensive knowledge of the research literature. Temple has an amazing ability to entrance audiences and readers with her insights and explanations. She is a very forthright person, and I can hear her voice on every page.

Temple’s revised The Way I See It is a compilation of articles from the Autism Asperger’s Digest over twenty years. It is interesting that her insightful conceptualization of autism over two decades has continued to be confirmed by independent research and clinical experience.

This revision covers a wide range of topics across the entire autism spectrum, from self-injurious behavior and communication difficulties in severe autism to issues regarding college and employment for those who are able to be self-sufficient and achieve a successful career. Temple provides wise advice on contemporary issues such as the changing diagnostic criteria, the recommended amount of daily screen time, and the advantages of therapy animals. Temple also provides relevant academic references and her personally recommended resources for each article and chapter. In reading this book, parents, those who have autism, professionals, and especially teachers will all achieve a greater appreciation of the qualities and challenges associated with autism.

I know that I will be taking quotes and metaphors from The Way I See It to illustrate specific points in my clinical work and presentations, and I will be advising colleagues that their expertise will be greatly enhanced by reading Temple’s explanations and recommendations. I will also advise clients to read her new book to achieve a greater degree of self-understanding by absorbing her wisdom and positive approach to autism. In reading The Way I See It, you too will see autism the way it is.

PROFESSOR TONY ATTWOOD

Foreword to the Second Edition

by Emily Gerson Saines

Producer of the HBO Temple Grandin Movie

and Mother of a Child with Autism

Autism entered my life prior to my son Dashiell’s second birthday. We, like so many parents, told our pediatricians of what are now known to be the classic signs of autism. Our son lost his language, began spinning, flapping his hands, having tantrums, and withdrew into his own world, a world into which we were not invited. For almost a year, we went to his pediatrician’s office to discuss these behaviors, only to be told there was nothing to worry about; he was simply experiencing his terrible twos. However, his behaviors escalated, and we witnessed him becoming a danger to himself and others. We called the pediatrician and said, This is not just the terrible twos. Something is wrong—something is horribly wrong. We insisted that my son be tested, and within a few short hours of arriving at the hospital, we were told that our son was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). For many of us, being given a diagnosis of PDD is a gentle way of saying, Your child, your beautiful baby with ten fingers and ten toes, has autism. He may never be able to read, write, talk, or hold down a job. He may never live alone, have friends, be welcomed into a community, marry, or have a family of his own.

The next several months were equally brutal. Our school district had an early intervention pre-kindergarten program. They assured us that the teacher was well trained and that the school was well equipped to handle him. We enrolled him, and on the first day of school, they lost him—physically lost him. Upon closer examination, it turned out this so-called well-trained teacher had never taught a child with autism—ever. Being two well-educated parents, we were confident that we could do a better job on our own. We set up a home-based program to be run by one of the most highly regarded behavioral therapists at the time. Unfortunately our timing was off, as our highly regarded behavioral therapist was in the midst of a nervous breakdown and as a result, her therapy methods more so resembled child abuse than teaching. We couldn’t have felt more lost, more alone, and more inadequate when one day, a package from my mother arrived in the mail. It was a book called Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin. The following day, an envelope from my grandmother arrived, and in it a New Yorker article written by Oliver Sacks about none other than Temple Grandin.

Temple’s story is remarkable. She is a gifted animal scientist, the most successful designer of humane livestock handling facilities in the United States, and she has autism. She began life nonverbal and with a variety of inappropriate behaviors. In spite of her autism, today she can read, she can write, she can talk (boy can she talk), she lives on her own, she can hold down a job (in fact she has many of them), she is a consultant for a number of Fortune 500 companies, she is a best-selling author, she is a lecturer (on livestock and autism), she is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, and perhaps most importantly, she is a friend—a dear friend. She is fiercely loyal, always available, and willing to take action. Once upon a time, all of this seemed like a pipedream even for Temple, but with the support and encouragement of her mother, Eustacia Cutler, and other mentors in her life, Temple went from being a nonverbal four-year-old to being all she is today. For parents of children with autism, Temple Grandin is our hero. She has given us a window into our children’s minds and a reclaimed dream for a future filled with possibilities.

Thirteen years ago, I realized that Temple’s story needed to be shared with a wider audience. As I transitioned from being an agent at the William Morris Agency into owning my own management company, I realized it was possible for me to lead that charge and produce a film about her extraordinary life. I called Temple, reached out to HBO, and we were on our way. It took us ten years to get it right, but I couldn’t be more proud of our film, Temple Grandin, which celebrates the life of someone I respect and admire so much. Whether I was sharing a meal with her in New York, reviewing dailies with her in my hotel room in Austin, sitting beside her at the Golden Globes, being hugged by her on stage at the Emmys, or listening to her encourage the Chairman of Time Warner to examine the McDonald’s distribution system, my days with Temple have been amongst the best and most interesting of my life.

After settling back into my normal life, I picked up a copy of Temple’s book The Way I See It. Just when I thought I had learned everything Temple could teach me, I was astonished to learn there was more—a lot more. Often parents of children with autism are encouraged to adhere to a routine with their child.

Temple devotes an entire chapter to encouraging flexibility in a routine and provides examples on how to accomplish that. She identifies strategies for encouraging interests that can later become vocations, as children with autism become adults with autism. Additionally, Temple reminds us that learning is a continuum. Human beings have the ability to learn well into their senior years, and the exposure to new things is essential in expanding a person’s mind, even, and perhaps especially, if they have autism. This book is insightful, helpful, and hopeful—just like the woman who wrote it! It is a how-to guide that I am confident will leave any reader feeling both informed and inspired.

EMILY GERSON SAINES

February 2011

Foreword to the First Edition

by Dr. Ruth Sullivan

Director of the First National Autism Society

Who better than Temple Grandin to give us a personal look at autism and Asperger’s?

For over thirty of her nearly sixty years’ experience on the autism spectrum, Temple has dedicated much of her time, energy, considerable intellect, and talents to learning about her condition and translating it for the rest of us. This book puts together under one cover her highly insightful, informed, articulate, and most of all, practical, ideas and instructions for dealing with the wide range of behaviors, learning styles, and physical health issues found in autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

At the time Temple came on the autism scene, few people had heard of autism, and even fewer had ever heard of someone with autism who could communicate well enough to tell us how it felt, from the inside. I was a member of a small group of parents of children with autism, nationwide, who in November 1965, at the invitation of Dr. Bernard Rimland, met to form a national organization, the National Society for Autistic Children (NSAC), now called the Autism Society of America (ASA). Our goal was to seek a better understanding of this mysterious condition that so severely affected our children, and to seek treatment, as well as cause and cure. There was almost nothing in the literature. Dr. Rimland’s book, Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and Its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior (published in 1964) was among the very first on the subject. None of us knew an adult with autism.

I first met Temple in the mid-1980s at the St. Louis Airport, when making a connection to Chicago for the annual NSAC conference. In the small waiting area there were about 25 other conference goers from across the nation, also waiting for that flight. Most of us knew each other, and the talk was mostly about autism.

Standing on the periphery of the group was a tall young woman who was obviously interested in the discussions. She seemed shy and pleasant, but mostly she just listened. Once in Chicago, she and I got on the conference bus and sat together as we traveled to our hotel. I learned her name was Temple Grandin, and this was her first autism conference. I was impressed at how much she knew about the condition. It wasn’t until later in the week that I realized she was someone with autism. I had heard of a woman who had that diagnosis, who was high-functioning, but had not connected the two. I approached her and asked if she’d be willing to speak at the next year’s NSAC conference program. She agreed.

Back then, NSAC conferences were the only national meetings focused solely on autism. Each year there was one entire session set aside just for information exchange. It was held in a large room of ten-person round tables, each designated for a special subject, with a discussion leader. That next year I was the discussion leader for a table labeled Adults with Autism, and that’s where Temple first addressed an NSAC audience. The ten chairs were filled immediately, and people were standing at least three deep. The room became noisy, and with so many wanting to hear every word Temple said, I asked for a room just for us. More people followed as we were led to a small auditorium.

Temple and I stood on the slightly elevated stage. The audience couldn’t get enough of her. Here, for the first time, was someone who could tell us from her own experience what it was like to be extremely sound sensitive (like being tied to the rail and the train’s coming). On the topic of wearing certain kinds of underwear, she described her profound skin sensitivity, and how she could not verbally articulate how painful it was. On relationships, she talked about how hard it was to communicate what she felt, and about her difficulty in understanding others. She was asked many questions: Why does my son do so much spinning? What can I do about toilet training? Why does he hold his hands to his ears? Why doesn’t he look at me? She spoke from her own experience, and her insight was impressive. There were tears in more than one set of eyes that day.

After the hour-long session ended, many stayed around to talk to Temple. She seemed surprised but pleased with the attention—even adulation. Later, when I asked, she said she had been a little nervous. Over the years, I’ve often thought about that scene, and marveled at how remarkable an event it was for her, and all of us.

Not long afterwards, in 1986, her first book was published, Emergence: Labeled Autistic. The rest is history, as they say. Ten years later came her highly acclaimed work, Thinking in Pictures, with other autism books to follow. Temple simultaneously became well known for her work and writings in her chosen professional field of animal behavior. She earned a Ph.D. in that discipline, from the University of Colorado. Her 2006 release, Animals in Translation, became a New York Times Bestseller.

Temple quickly became a much sought-after speaker in the autism community. She wrote articles for the popular press as well as peer reviewed professional journals. Always generous to projects related to parents and their children, she wrote for parent organization newsletters, and traveled around the U.S. and the world to speak at autism conferences. Probably no one with autism has appeared in the world media more than Temple, nor had a bigger impact on our global understanding of autism and Asperger’s Syndrome and the people diagnosed on the spectrum.

Yet, the Temple Grandin of today is not the same woman I met nearly twenty-five years ago. It has been a remarkable privilege to witness Temple’s growth in social skills and awareness throughout the time I have known her. She is one of the hardest workers I have ever known. In my opinion, it is mainly that trait that has helped her become the successful, engaging adult she is now, despite severe difficulties along the way. She is knowledgeable. She is willing to help parents as well as others with autism. She is insightful. And she is courageous—a fitting word to explain her heartfelt, strong (and sometimes unwanted) advice to her adult peers with autism or Asperger’s on the importance of being polite, dressing appropriately, accepting responsibility for their actions and following rules of civility if they want to get and keep a job or have friends.

And not least, she is funny. Though generally her presentations are straightforward, in recent years she has become quite good at humor. Her audiences love it.

In addition, and to her credit, she has learned to be generous in recognizing those who have helped her along the way, namely her mother, Eustacia Cutler, whose book, A Thorn in My Pocket, tells the family story. Others are teachers and colleagues who saw her potential and bravely went beyond current practice to help her develop some of her strengths. For many individuals with autism, it is difficult-to-impossible to understand and develop theory of mind, that intangible mental process by which most of us intuitively notice and read the nuances of social situations: how others are feeling, what they may be thinking, and the meaning behind their nonverbal actions. Temple’s persistence in learning this, and her strong analytical skills while doing so, have helped significantly in improving her social thinking and social sense.

Temple continues to wrap her energies around autism and the people it touches. Her talent is a gift to all of us—not just those of us in the autism community, but the world at large. The book you are holding in your hand is the result of her keen detective-like analysis of human beings, her extensive personal thought, and the wisdom gained only through the personal experiences that make up Temple Grandin. It serves as an excellent summary of what one human being has contributed to one of the most disabling and puzzling conditions known to mankind. Temple takes time to listen—without pre-conceived ideas or judgment—to parents and the professionals who work with and for individuals with autism on the entire spectrum, from severe autism to high-level Asperger’s. She seeks solutions, from teaching strategies to the larger lifespan issues that can present challenges of immense proportions, even for neurotypicals. The suggestions she offers in this book are imaginative, well thought out, practical, and useful. She talks directly to the reader, with honesty and understanding. She knows what autism is like, and her recommendations make sense.

Every library, large or small, needs this book on its shelves. Every school, large or small, with the responsibility of educating children with autism or Asperger’s, needs the guidance this book offers. Every teacher within those schools will benefit from reading it and applying the strategies Temple so clearly illuminates. Last, and certainly not least, every parent will find within these pages golden nuggets of advice, encouragement, and hope to fuel their day-to-day journey through their child’s autism.

As I’ve heard Temple often remark in the twenty-something years I have known her, about the way she views autism and her life: "I didn’t become social overnight. There wasn’t a point when some magic switch turned on in my brain and the social stuff made sense after that. I’m the person I am today because of all the experiences I’ve had, and the opportunities those experiences offered me to learn, little by little. It wasn’t easy; sometimes it was really difficult. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I just kept going until I got it right. And, I’m still learning today!

That’s what I want other people on the spectrum to learn: You just can’t give up. You have to keep trying." The wisdom she offers through this book and its personal reflections on autism will, I’m sure, ring true for many more decades to come.

RUTH CHRIST SULLIVAN, PH.D.

May 2008

Ruth Christ Sullivan, Ph.D. was the first elected president of the Autism Society of America (formerly NSAC), founded in 1965 by the late Dr. Bernard Rimland. In 1979 she founded and was Executive Director of Autism Services Center (ASC), in Huntington, WV until her retirement in 2007, at age 83. ASC is a nonprofit, licensed behavioral health care agency that serves all developmental disabilities but specializes in comprehensive, autism-specific services, in community-based settings including clients’ homes. ASC serves approximately 270 clients, with a staff of 350. Dr. Sullivan was one of the chief autism lobbyists for Public Law 94-142 (now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA), as well as the Developmental Disabilities Act. She was the main force behind the founding of the West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University, in Huntington, WV, in 1983.

Dr. Sullivan assisted in the production of the 1988 movie, Rain Man, serving as a consultant on autism behavior. Dustin Hoffman, who won an Oscar for his starring role as Raymond Babbett, worked directly with Dr. Sullivan and her son, Joseph (born in 1960), who has autism, in practicing for his role. The premiere of Rain Man was held in Huntington with Dustin Hoffman and Barry Levinson, the producer, present. It was a benefit event for Autism Services Center.

Though Dr. Sullivan has lived in Huntington, WV for forty years, she is still close to her large, south Louisiana Cajun family in Lake Charles.

For Readers New to Autism

Autism is a developmental disorder, typically diagnosed during early childhood. It is neurological in nature, affecting the brain in four major areas of functioning: language/communication, social skills, sensory systems, and behavior. Current research suggests there may be different subsets of the disorder arising from genetics, environmental insults, or a combination of both. Do not panic if your child is diagnosed with autism. When I was 2½ years old, I had no speech, constant tantrums, and repetitive behavior. Intensive early speech therapy and turn-taking games were effective. Today I am a university professor of animal science at Colorado State University. When kids are under five years of age, it is difficult to predict how they will develop. Some socially awkward children receive an autism diagnosis in either high school or elementary school because they have no friends. These children can benefit greatly from programs that teach social skills. Some of these kids are brilliant and can have a good career in computer science, art, engineering, or a highly skilled trade. During my career designing livestock equipment for many major corporations, I worked with many skilled people who were probably undiagnosed individuals with autism, ADHD, or dyslexia.

Every person with autism is unique, with a different profile of strengths and challenges. No two individuals manifest the same characteristics in the same degree of severity. It is a spectrum disorder, and the various individual diagnoses are collectively referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Individuals on the spectrum range from those who remain nonverbal with severe challenges that can include self-injurious behaviors and intellectual disability to individuals on the fully verbal end of the spectrum (known as Asperger’s syndrome under old guidelines), who are extremely intelligent with good expressive verbal language yet markedly impaired social skills and weak perspective-taking abilities. The autism spectrum is very broad, ranging from socially awkward brilliant workers in Silicon Valley to individuals who will always have to live in a supervised living situation. Some kids on the high end of the autism spectrum are gifted in art, music, or mathematics. In 2013, changes were made in diagnostic criteria in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), the diagnostic bible of the U.S. medical community, which eliminated Asperger’s syndrome. The various autism labels are now merged into one designation, autism spectrum disorders. An autism diagnosis is not precise. Over the years, committees of doctors have kept changing the diagnostic criteria. A draft of the new ICD-11 international autism diagnostic guidelines has been published. It may provide a clearer guidance to both parents and professionals.

The rate of autism is now 1 in every 59 births (Centers for Disease Control, 2019) and continues to escalate at alarming rates. Every 21 minutes, a child is diagnosed on the spectrum. It is four times more common in boys than girls and is consistently prevalent around the globe within different racial, social, and ethnic communities. According to the Autism Society of America, the lifetime cost of caring for a single child with severe autism ranges from $3.5 to $5 million.

Autism is a different way of thinking and learning. People with autism are people first. Autism is only one part of who they are. ASD is no longer viewed as strictly a behavioral disorder, but one that affects the whole person on various fronts: biomedical, cognitive, social, and sensory. With individualized and appropriate intervention, children with ASD can become more functional and learn to adapt to the world around them.

Great strides are being made in our understanding of autism spectrum disorders and how best to help these individuals. Children are now being diagnosed as early as 12 to 15 months old and many who receive intensive early intervention are able to enter elementary school in class with their typical peers, needing minor supports and services. No matter the age of diagnosis, children and adults with ASD are constant learners and significant improvements in their functioning can be made at any age with the appropriate types and intensity of services.

Too many parents coddle and overprotect their children. I am seeing teenagers who are fully verbal and doing well academically not learning life skills such as shopping, bank account or keeping and holding a job. My mother made sure I learned all these things when I was a teenager and a young adult. She always gave me choices of new things to try, but I was not allowed to be a recluse in my room all day. However, I had some scheduled time to be alone to calm down. Today I talk to many grandparents who discover that they are on the autism spectrum when their grandchildren are diagnosed. These grandparents learned life skills when they were young and many of them had excellent careers.

© Autism Asperger’s Digest, 2008, Reprinted with permission. Revised 2019.

Introduction

This fifth edition of this book is a compilation of articles I have written for the Autism Asperger’s Digest magazine from the year 2000 to the present. The articles have been grouped into different categories, addressing subjects from early educational interventions, to sensory sensitivity problems, to brain research and careers. At the beginning of each section I have added a new, updated introduction, which includes additional thoughts on the subject matter. Articles that required updating were updated.

The articles combine both my personal experiences with autism and practical information that parents, teachers,