The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum - Hardcover

Grandin, Temple; Panek, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0547636458 ISBN 13: 9780547636450

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013

Synopsis

A cutting-edge account of the latest science of autism, from the best-selling author and advocate

When Temple Grandin was born in 1947, autism had only just been named. Today it is more prevalent than ever, with one in 88 children diagnosed on the spectrum. And our thinking about it has undergone a transformation in her lifetime: Autism studies have moved from the realm of psychology to neurology and genetics, and there is far more hope today than ever before thanks to groundbreaking new research into causes and treatments. Now Temple Grandin reports from the forefront of autism science, bringing her singular perspective to a thrilling journey into the heart of the autism revolution.

Weaving her own experience with remarkable new discoveries, Grandin introduces the neuroimaging advances and genetic research that link brain science to behavior, even sharing her own brain scan to show us which anomalies might explain common symptoms. We meet the scientists and self-advocates who are exploring innovative theories of what causes autism and how we can diagnose and best treat it. Grandin also highlights long-ignored sensory problems and the transformative effects we can have by treating autism symptom by symptom, rather than with an umbrella diagnosis. Most exciting, she argues that raising and educating kids on the spectrum isn’t just a matter of focusing on their weaknesses; in the science that reveals their long-overlooked strengths she shows us new ways to foster their unique contributions.

From the “aspies” in Silicon Valley to the five-year-old without language, Grandin understands the true meaning of the word spectrum. The Autistic Brain is essential reading from the most respected and beloved voices in the field.

About this title

Book Description

HMH Hardcover, 2013Previous ISBN: 978-0-547-63645-0

From the Back Cover

[headline] Goodreads Choice Award for Best Nonfiction Book of 2013

“The right brain has created the right book for right now.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Temple Grandin may be the most famous person with autism, a condition that affects 1 in 88 children. Since her birth in 1947, our understanding of it has undergone a great transformation, leading to more hope than ever before that we may finally learn the causes of and treatments for autism.

Weaving her own experience with remarkable new discoveries, Grandin introduces the advances in neuroimaging and genetic research that link brain science to behavior, even sharing her own brain scan to show which anomalies might explain common symptoms. Most excitingly, she argues that raising and educating kids on the autism spectrum must focus on their long-overlooked strengths to foster their unique contributions. The Autistic Brain brings Grandin’s singular perspective into the heart of the autism revolution.

"[Grandin’s] most insightful work to date . . . The Autistic Brain is something anyone could benefit from reading, and I recommend it to anyone with a personal or professional connection to autism or neurological difference."—John Elder Robison, author of Look Me in the Eye

"The Autistic Brain can both enlighten readers with little exposure to autism and offer hope and compassion to those who live with the condition."—Scientific American

TEMPLE GRANDIN is one of the world’s most accomplished and well-known adults with autism. She is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and the author of several best-selling books, which have sold more than a million copies. The HBO movie based on her life received seven Emmy Awards. She lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.

RICHARD PANEK is the prize-winning author of The 4 Percent Universe and the recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship in science writing. His books have been translated into sixteen languages. He lives in New York City.

Edition details

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0547636458
• ISBN 13: 9780547636450
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256