Category Archives: Temple Grandin

Feb 13 2026
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writing on the Spectrum, John Robison, Temple Grandin, autism research, Greta Thunberg, Autism & the Environment

Understanding Autism: Beyond the Spectrum

Consider autistic persons who have reached a high degree of recognition–I can quickly name a few in a variety of careers. For instance, there is John Elder Robison, author; Temple Grandin, Animal Activist and speaker/author; Elon Musk, Entrepreneur; Greta Thunberg, Environmental Activist; Susan Boyle, Songstress; and Anthony Hopkins, knighted actor. This diversity would seem to indicate that autism has many different facets–thus the term “autism spectrum”.

A recent article in the Washington Post, December 26, 2025, reports findings from recent studies[i] indicating evidence of at least four autism phenotypes, having both a specific set of behaviours and genetic traits as well as overlapping origins and characteristics.

This work leads to a greater understanding of the complexities and the range of autism’s many forms, suggesting that common variants found in the general population can “in certain combinations and under certain environmental conditions” result in the development of some forms of Autism at different stages of life.

It occurs to me that limiting autism to only four types is like reducing the colour spectrum to the primary colours: red, yellow and blue. And that makes me think of rainbows. 

Rainbows are caused by two everyday elements: sunlight and raindrops.  These elements are natural and we see them often.  However, when an individual ray of light enters a raindrop, the light bends or refracts. This separates the white light into its component colours inside the droplet.  But before exiting the raindrop, the light bends again, reflecting off the back of the droplet. This final bend or dispersion reveals a particular colour—one of the primary or secondary colours, or a shade thereof.

The findings in this study indicate that autism is somewhat similar in origins. Like a ray of sunlight entering a droplet of water, there are myriad environmental[i], industrial, medicinal, hereditary and prenatal influences. These can effect change in a person’s DNA, affecting the way we develop and subsequently, the way in which we interact with our environment.

A lead author of the subtype study, Natalie Sauerwald, is quoted as saying “There are many autisms.”

One of the studies reported, using an unrelated research team and different data found that genetically distinct forms of autism can be expressed later—after age six[ii]. These diagnoses appeared “strikingly different” from that diagnosed in early childhood. According to the article “…hundreds of genetic mutations have been identified as being linked to autism.” 

Only half appear to be inherited, the rest arise spontaneously, either from random copying errors in DNA or from external influences like air pollution, paternal age, maternal diabetes, and prenatal infections.  These types of autism appear later, and look more like depression, ADHD or PTSD.

The Washington Post article also mentions James McPartland[iii]’s research at Yale involving brain synapses of autistic adults.  Synapses are the vehicles for transporting messages from one nerve cell to another, allowing for the assimilation of more, and more varied information by the brain.  

It is important to note that McPartland, over years of study, found that adult autists had fewer synapses than neurotypicals, and the fewer the synapses, the greater the struggle with the social aspect of life.

Like water droplets in a rainbow, each of us reflects a combination of events and influences that make us unique. These may be a result of inherited DNA or of our body’s reaction to outside stimulu or events. The important thing to remember is that in our uniqueness, we bring special attributes into this world. Celebrate them!

Litman, A., Sauerwald, N., Snyder, L. G., Foss-Feig, J., Park, C. Y., Hao, Y., Dinstein, I., Theesfeld, C. L., & Troyanskaya, O. G. (2025). Decomposition of phenotypic heterogeneity in autism reveals underlying genetic programs. Nature Genetics. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02224-z

[i]  David Mandell, Professor of psychiatry, U of Pennsylvania.

[ii] Olga Troyanskaya, director of Princeton Precision Health and Co-Author of Flatiron Institute Study noted above.

[iii] James McParland, director of the Center for Brain and Mind Health at the Yale School of Medicine.

For more information on this study see;

https://www.brainfacts.org/diseases-and-disorders/childhood-disorders/2025/new-autism-subtypes-identified-based-on-genes-individual-traits-111125

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/12/26/autism-research-diagnosis-subtypes/

https://www.princeton.edu/news/2025/07/09/major-autism-study-uncovers-biologically-distinct-subtypes-paving-way-precision

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Apr 04 2025
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Adult Aspies and Social situations, Positive Aspects of Life on the Spectrum, Temple Grandin, UNFORGIVING, writing on the Spectrum

Autism and Life Beyond the Herd

This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man*. 

You may often hear or read this quote: the epitome of self-awareness. As someone on the Autism Spectrum, it registers with me. It must be so for many people now and also throughout the ages since Shakespeare’s time, because it is often quoted.

And yet, it is commonly known that humans are born with the herd instinct.

For instance, in Chapter nine of Atomic Habits, James clear states that the human brain is programmed with the desire to be like everybody else. 

This need originates in a protective instinct which triggers the drive to be included–The aptly named ‘herd instinct’. To belong, to imitate the successful integrative and admired behaviours of others, to go along with behaviours we might secretly deplore, stems from our earliest prehistory.

As cave dwellers, and tribesmen, living within the group we were protected, we could benefit from shared resources.  On our own, alone, banished, or ostracized, we became easy targets for wild animals, other tribes, disease and injury. Vulnerable.  Miserable. Usually prey. Ultimately dead.

Safety was an overwhelming issue. As for procreation, the presence of at least one other person was required. Then there’s the bonus of shared resources as well as shared responsibilities. Going along with the prevailing group meant not only survival but a more desirable quality of life.

Theoretically our habits and behaviours are influenced by the culture in which we are born, raised and which we enter into as adults. 

Scientifically we are told that our brains are programmed to want to be aligned with the position assumed by the majority, and the powerful.

Research has proven time and again that being smart, being right, being true to yourself is less important than aligning oneself with the prevailing opinion.  This is ingrained in our being. Man is mentally programmed to respond in this manner.

I realized as I read this that, surprisingly, I had never wanted to be like everyone else.  In my memoir “Unforgiving” I explained that while my teenaged peers wanted to be different, they only really wanted to be different from their parents–not from each other. As for me:

I wanted to be the one and only Margaret Jean on the planet, and I wanted to be indelibly stamped as that single original sample of humanity whose Margaret Jean-ness would permeate every cell of her body and shine through everything she did.

That led me to think about other autistic people, in my family and in my friendships and acquaintances. Many of them have expressed the same feeling: Yes, we want to be accepted.  Yes, we want to be understood.  And no, we do not want to be like everybody else.

We value our uniqueness, the different way we perceive situations and people. Our evaluation of events and information. For instance, what if Temple Grandin had given in to everyone else’s concept of the behaviour of cattle, ignoring her insights as to their behaviours?  What if she had not had the courage to pursue the possibility of uniqueness in her brain?

We shouldn’t feel apologetic for being autistic.  It is how we were born, who we are.

I may misunderstand some social situations, but I may also have a deeper understanding of some.  I may be more intent on social justice than I am on fitting in. Is that really a bad thing? 

Our friends and family want to draw us into the herd for our own protection.  For our own social welfare.  For our own social ease. Admirably, they are thinking of our own good.

But is it what we want? Do we seek permission to be who we intrinsically are?  Do we need it? Those few who make it—how do they do it? By accepting themselves…By being true to who they are.

*Hamlet, act I, scene iii, lines 78–80.

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Feb 14 2025
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Autistics Loving yourself, Positive Aspects of Life on the Spectrum, Temple Grandin

Embracing Neurodiversity on Valentine’s Day

On Valentine’s Day let’s ditch the negatives of being a Spectrum personality. Let’s remind ourselves that more and more, people are realizing the positive aspects of neurodiversity. This can generate a more understanding response when we experience anxiety in social situations. I see a positive shift in public perspective regarding those of us who process information differently.

For instance, more and more TV shows and movies are featuring characters with neurologically diverse traits. Some individuals on the spectrum are being hailed as best selling authors and speakers. This signals an interest in and acceptance of neurological diversity which has not been seen before.

Sometimes scenes on the big screen can help us see ourselves more clearly. Take the intro of Monk for instance. When the detective goes back to straighten the umbrellas hanging on the wall, my partner always says, “That’s me!”

When Monk is facing an uncomfortable social situation, my heart beats faster and my palms sweat. Oddly enough, I don’t feel nearly as anxious when he’s cornered by a bad guy!

That series, Monk, was first aired in 2002 and ran for 8 seasons. For three years, the show held the record for the largest viewing audience after it aired the final episode. This illustrates the incredible popularity of the show.

There are a few TV series now featuring the concept of someone on the spectrum. After Monk came The Big Bang Theory in September of 2007. This series is about two geeky physicists who share an apartment. It’s not only Aspies who enjoy and appreciate the Big Bang. Over twelve seasons, the series consistently ranked in the top ten in their category, placing first in their eleventh season. Over the years, the series won awards for comedy, writing, and acting.

Since then a few series have sprung up, including the Korean Legal series Extraordinary Attorney Woo. It’s well worth turning on the closed captioning for this one. The main character displays autistic characteristics and verbally expresses her needs and idiosyncrasies.

When I’m watching this show, I often find myself thinking, “Yes! That’s exactly how I feel!”

If you’ve never heard of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, you can watch the trailer here: https://www.imdb.com/video/vi3256992281/?playlistId=tt20869502&ref_=vp_rv_ap_0

Here’s another resource. The Autism Research Institute website will direct you to their list of the top 36 movies and TV shows featuring autism.

Want more variety? Me, too. I’m sure there are other shows and books that I’m not aware of. I’d like to hear about your favorite TV show, book or movie that involves autism.

It’s Valentine’s Day: a day to celebrate our unique qualities. A day to enjoy the current, more positive media representations of neurodiversity. A day to give ourselves the gift of loving acceptance.

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Jan 29 2024
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Adults on the Spectrum: Work, Relationships and Play, Autism Spectrum, Autism Spectrum & Career Excellence, Autism spectrum: challenges at work, Greta Thunberg, Temple Grandin

A Positive Aspect of Life on the Spectrum.

In a previous post, Viewing Asperger’s Through a Different Window, I considered the possibility that some aspects of being on the spectrum make us more capable in certain situations, not less.

I’d like to further explore that position in this blog.  

Being on the spectrum has the advantage of enabling us to see events from a focused, objective perspective, one which is devoid of much of the emotional, social ‘baggage’ which often burden neural typicals.

From this distinctive, intellectually isolated position, we are able to recognize the ‘essence’ of scientific and political dilemmas which, when no longer ‘wrapped up’ in irrelevant social diplomacy, are much simpler to resolve.

We see significant examples of this in Elon Musk, Greta Thunberg, and Temple Grandin, people whose unique perspectives have promoted both awareness of and possible solutions to critical environmental and industrial challenges currently impacting all of humanity.

If you are on the spectrum, you may wish to consider whether your ‘lack of alignment’ with decisions being made for all of us by neural typical politicians and industrialists is because you are somehow ‘deficient’, or rather because you are better positioned to recognise, isolate and promote workable solutions to complex issues.

There is a difference in the way the human brain processes incoming information in neural typicals vs those on the spectrum. Our uniqueness allows us a different outlook on problems and often, a unique approach to them.  Our lack of emotional or social involvement encourages us to see issues objectively, and therefore to approach solutions rationally. 

 You may wish to discuss this with acquaintances who are also on the spectrum. You may be surprised at how others share both this viewpoint, and the frustration which arises from being marginalized.

 Once you are receptive to the notion of a positive influence resulting from the differing neurological processes, you will find no shortage of examples of the benefits of this unique perspective,

Sheila is one such person who brings a unique talent to her work.

Sheila is an Educational Assistant who, in her 20 year career, has worked with educationally challenged children ranging from kindergarten through high school. 

Early on, her talent for this work was discovered to be exceptional, and subsequently she often finds herself assigned the students with the most serious limitations, ranging from behavioural issues to those with significant brain differences..

In my next blog posting I will explore some specific, unique approaches that Sheila uses with great success.

You will see how, when her autistic mind identifies and isolates problems, successful solutions inevitably follow. You may find that they resonate with you. You may even find them quite fascinating!

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Jan 27 2015
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Adult Aspies and Social situations, Aspies and families, Aspies raising children, Autism Spectrum, Temple Grandin

An Aspie Life: Questions Raised by Temple Grandin’s Example.

When I look at Temple Grandin’s life, I feel ashamed of how little I have accomplished.

Mostly all I’ve done is love someone and raise three children with a whole lot of cooking, washing, ironing and housecleaning in between.  I went to university late, earned a degree.  Wrote some books.  Started a Quilter’s guild.  It seems a minimal contribution at best.  But then I look at my three children and suddenly my life seems to have some significance.

Not that I take any credit for how wonderfully they turned out.  I know I was an inadequate parent.  I didn’t know about Asperger’s least of all that I had it, and so did my daughter and possibly my son.  Maybe we all did.  One daughter and two grandchildren diagnosed.  I am so proud of who they are today.  Fine people.  They have become my friends as well as my children.  We mentored each other along the way.  I was very young when I had them, you see, just eighteen when I had my first and when she was three, the youngest was born.  I was fertile if nothing else.

And because of my autism, my Asperger’s, I was socially very immature.  So we grew up together.  I helped them where I could.  And when they saw me stuck they’d step in and give me a nudge in the right direction.  I wasn’t mature for most of my first two marriages.  But in the third one I think I finally mastered at least some of the art of maturity.  Not that I’m anywhere near finished yet.

My children are independent, organized, kind, and intelligent.  I don’t know what more I could ask of them.

But of myself I have to ask this: what have I done to better the world I live in?

Offhand?  I don’t know the answer.  And that seems a sad thing.

Yours truly,

Margaret Jean.

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