Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism

Connection and communication between brain structures appears as a likely contributor to difficulties for those with autism. Explain connection and communication, linking the concepts to Grandin’s example of the brain as an office building in Chapter 1.

Sensory processing sensitivities are a prominent feature of autism. What behaviors may suggest a reaction to sensory sensitivities that people mistake as behavioral? How can a person decipher between actions with sensory and behavioral causes, respectively?

Grandin describes multiple autism-related traits, such as fixations, visual thinking, and attention to detail. What traits of Grandin’s appear in how she structures the book and the content she includes?

The social world presents both challenges and the potential for valuable guidance and support for those with autism. What insights from Grandin’s social experience can benefit those with and without autism to produce more effective and empathetic interactions?

Designing slaughter facilities for animals may appear contradictory to Grandin’s advocacy for animal welfare. What mental strategies does Grandin implement to reconcile slaughter and animal welfare? 

Grandin proclaims many societal benefits due to the existence of those with autism. What advantages does she assert? What are the disadvantages of a world without autism?

Grandin advocates that animals are capable of thought and emotion. Describe how Grandin’s belief challenges the opposing belief—that animals lack true thought and emotions.

Genius and autism, like the concepts of abnormal and normal, do not always fit in mutually exclusive categories. In what ways are traits of genius also traits of autism? What traits of autism exist on a continuum, representing both abnormal and normal degrees?