Customer Reviews
Great information 
2008-02-13
This book if filled with great information about Temple and Sean growing up in and how their disorder effected all parts of their lives. This book is beneficial for other families and for professionals. I highly recommended this title!
"Mystiques of Autistic Processing and Societal Integration" 2008-02-05
"Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships" Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspectives of Autism", by Temple Grandin & Sean Baron and Editor Veronica Zysk. Future Horizons, TX 2005. ISBN 1-932565-06-X. HC 383 pages, no illust., 3 pgs. Ref. 9 1/4" x 6 1/4".
An intense, factual expose of the autistic mind-set interpreted through the minds of two published writers, both of whom worked successfully to overcome their ASD (autism spectrum disorder) disabilities, including AS (Asperger's) or Aspies. The book's format was uniquely addressed by having a skilled editor monitor major issues and allowing the authors to define & explicate personal experiences & varied techniques they used to overcome obstacles and deficiencies, nearly all of which involved social interaction with peers, parents & professionals (teachers or employers).
Importantly the spectral divergence of afflictions were compared and categorized into basic subtypes as Imaging vs Logical (flat affect) vs Emotional types; noting need to become integrated in society through compensatory, modified behaviors, while stressing importance of obtaining early help through parenting, mentors, professionals and inherent need to gain motivation and self-esteem. Great emphasis is placed on the "Ten Unwritten Rules of Social Relationship", most of which are social skills & behaviors taught under generic term of manners, etc., and are discussed in a highly emphatic but coherent manner. Specific weak links in ASD include rigidity of thought & behavior, difficulty in multi-tasking, emotional absence or lability, lack of perspective thinking, and naiveté or guilelessness wherein unfair advantage is easily taken of them.
The book, as a primer teaching tool, rightfully contains modest prolixity, which in and of itself is common to ASD. The mismatch of the sensory inputs (visual, auditory, touch, etc.) often requires environmental adjustments or elimination, at times the use of medications or special diets, and regular exercise is emphasized. Conclusions include some brief synopses of other ASDs having diverse problems, some undiagnosed until adulthood. Current era where societal integration is less tightly bonded, family units fragmented and a heightened if not frantic pace of living reigns in a culture of increasing acceptance of using drugs, alcohol, smoking, sex, video-games, C-Ps and self-importance causes authors to suggest current-day treatment is more difficult than during the 50's and 60's when B&W TV was monitored.
This is a book that everyone, affected or not, would learn a great deal about successful societal integration.
A guide inside the Aspie mind 2007-11-12
As a parent of an Aspie I often wonder how my son views the world. If you don't know where someone is at how can you reach them? This book is the guide to where Aspies are at. Temple and Sean are very different from each other and that is very helpful. They offer two different views of social situations.
This book is practical, offering a step by step set of rules. Aspies like ruls. I like this book.
great content, could have used better editing 
2007-08-09
I'm a big fan of Temple Grandin's books, and couldn't wait to pick this one up. It's the first time I've been disappointed.
This book contains a lot of fascinating information and insight, both about autism and about the rules that govern "neurotypical" social life. There's nothing like having an outsider's perspective - "beginner's mind" - to realize all the things you take for granted.
My disappoinment, though, lies in the book's very sloppy editing. Spelling and grammatical errors pop out at least every 3 pages or so. Stylistically, much of the writing reads like a first draft: stiff, clunky, stilted, and loaded with cliches. The potential for good writing is there, if only a judicious editor had been around to help clean up the mistakes and suggest stylistic improvements. I don't expect a Thackeray or Joan Didion here, but the persistent grammatical & spelling errors distract severely from the content.
Interestingly, Temple Grandin's segments (the book is written in three voices, Dr. Grandin's, Mr. Barron's, and their editor's) are by far the best written of anything in the book. This surprised me, since she is such a visual thinker and has written in the past about her difficulty with language. It just goes to show that practice makes perfect: even an incredibly non-verbal thinker like Temple Grandin has, over time, perfected a lucid, funny, readable, down-to-earth, straight-shooting yet graceful prose style.
Recommend to anyone 2007-06-27
As a parent of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I found the writing in this book very information and very helpful. It helped to help bridge the gap between the thinking of an individual with ASD and those identified as neurotypicals.
Practical Wisdom 2007-06-15
Dr. Grandin and Barron address the social challenges those with autism and Asperger's face, explaining in the process how confusing and illogical normal societal rules can be. They also address the "unwritten rules" that most children understand instinctively but are a mystery to those on the spectrum. They teach how to trust feelings, be assertive in a positive way, and deal with negative people and situations.
Fascinating Guide to Understanding & Teaching the Autistic Mind 2007-03-28
Fascinating. One author with minimal, and one with maximum, emotionally-influenced autism, provides a range of insights for understanding and teaching minds on the autistic spectrum.
One important theme is that professionals often don't know what they are talking about and may do more harm than good, though many are trying and helping. Often, determined parents and common sense are the best approach, though understanding how to teach the autistic mind is difficult.
For example, one mother was aggravated over her son's tracking dirt in, constantly telling him to wipe his shoes and punishing him over time. One day she noticed as he came in that he bent down and carefully wiped the top of his shoes. Once she demonstrated what she meant by wiping one's shoes, there was no more problem.
Kids are unique. Being corrected about how to place eating utensils and napkins at a dinner table is a helpful learning experience for Temple, but a depressing condemnation for Sean. He sees his error as incompetence and something everyone else knows. Must first gain a perspective on how important this error is in the broader scheme of things.
The first half gives insights into how these two learned things and why they had troubles. The second half of the book gives ten rules of life that autism makes it difficult to understand and suggests ways of teaching these.
Wonderfully informative 2007-02-05
I am a teacher and we are the parents of a child with Asperger's Disorder who has many of the same issues that both authors had to deal with as children. This book is so extremely insightful and such a huge assistance for educators to see how and what they say to children has an affect upon a child's behaviors - good and bad. As a parent this book is a reaffirmation thay with love and patience - and consistency - good things can and do come true.
I would highly recommend this book to any person who has a difficult child in their home and wants to better understand the positions from which that child may be working. This book is for parents of any child, not just a child with autism.
Very enlightening 2006-06-27
This book emphasizes that one never finishes learning social skills; that the way one reacts has everything to do with having sufficient data. Data is constantly input into the "hard-drive" of the mind from multiple sources. The more information that is gathered, the better ones social skills are . Written from a 1st hand point of view, there is much to be gleened from Temple and Sean's personal experiences.
Outstanding! 2006-06-23
What an extraordinary book by Temple and Sean. I have read many of their books, but this one was the best. They really helped me to understand the difficulties social interaction from their points of view. It is fascinating to me the perspective that they give. It is a real behind-the-scenes look at the way that someone with ASD views and interprets things that others say and do. Knowing that being socially-adept is a challenge for individuals with ASD, the insight which they provide on how they have overcome so many of these challenges is really positive and encouraging.
