Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism

Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism (1995) is a scientific memoir by author Temple Grandin. Grandin is a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, where she fomented her specialized career as one of only a handful of livestock-handling equipment designers in the world. Thinking in Pictures narrates Grandin’s experiences as a world-renowned cattle handler, a professor, and a woman living with autism. Grandin fills each chapter with anecdotal stories and empirical research.

Thinking in Pictures addresses the hurdles Grandin faced before better understanding autism. As a child, she struggled with delayed speech, social ostracism and ridicule, and anxiety. Her tendency toward intellect and science, however, later turned problems into learning opportunities.

Autistic individuals share common traits, such as an inclination toward visual thinking, social difficulties, and fixations. The author cautions, however, that one brush cannot paint the full picture of autism—variations exist. Moreover, though many people view autism as problematic, Grandin affirms both the aptitudes and difficulties inherent in living with autism. She credits her visual library and memory, for instance, for her success in creating livestock equipment and empathizing with animals. She is also particularly skilled at observation and attention to detail. Grandin’s determination to reshape the stigma of autism continues to this day, exemplified in her advocacy for herself, others with autism, and animal welfare.

Grandin’s ability to identify associations is a running theme in the memoir. In particular, she sees similarities between humans and animals—especially autistic humans and animals—and she describes her ability to connect with animals through a scientific lens. For instance, she points out the brain similarities between humans and animals, such as a shared physiological fear response and the capacity for thought and emotion.

Grandin also credits her success to social support, another key topic of the memoir that she delivers with a scientific bent. Grandin discusses the mentors who looked beyond her deficits to see her strengths—and then helped her advance her social skills, education, and career. In her discussion, Grandin reinforces her concerns with the deficit-only view of autism. Historically, researchers attributed a behavioral rather than neurological cause to autism—a significant misconception, she claims. In her portrait of autism, she emphasizes the role of neurology and biology, including the effects of sensory processing and anxiety.

In the end, Thinking in Pictures underscores how a more holistic picture of autism acknowledges the importance of sensory processing. Throughout the memoir, Grandin frequently refers to brain research, highlighting the role of the brain as the location of processing, perception, and interpretation of sensory information such as sound. At the end of each chapter, Grandin provides detailed research findings, including attention to brain structures, how the brain communicates, and the importance of early intervention to help the brain develop in a healthy way. Grandin clearly intends for Thinking in Pictures to help reframe the narrative surrounding autism, animals, emotion, and thought.