As a parent whose 8yrs child was diagnosed with alphabet soup ADHD, TS, OCD, ODD, BP, Anxiety, Dyslexia, seizures, ataxia, left hemiparesis, developmental delay, Post tramatic stress disorder from the birth of his sisters or a rough in pre-or inutero environment etc by doctors, neurologists, ot, pt from the time he was 18 months - 8yrs etc
His final dx of PDD-NOS at 8yrs 9 monthsw believe it or not made the most sense out of them all. It explains all of his behaviors at different times of his life. It explains how he is one way one day and another way another day and the range and variety of odd behaviors. Before getting the PDD-NOS dx I started looking towards the possible autistic treatments always reminding myself and others "not that he is autistic" and always found how amazing it was that he seemed to respond to the biomedical treatments of autism. Many parents could not understand why I would be interested in autism treatments when my son was dx with all the other stuff. I just told them that autism community is on to something right now in genetic research in looking at diet, biochemical treatments. It is a neurological disease and it has NOTHING to do with the way parents raise their kids.

This book automatically confirms my beliefs that 1) there is a connection between adhd, bp, autism-not just behavioral but medically and genetically 2)that children are often misdiagnosed as only adhd, or bp and not even look at the autism part(thinking) as what is causing some of the adhd, bp symptoms 3)that a child may look adhd as a preschool, change to ODD, and then when he is older and frustrated and full of anger-become dx with bp when originally he has autism.4)there are a lot variabilities in autism -autistics are not all quiet withdrawn kids who stim all day long with poor speech-many don;t have any speech problem at all and in fact has a high vocab., they can be very social but can be somewhat social awkward or not understand some social situations, some can be very active and not stim at all 5)behavior modifications may not alway work and when it doesn't it means there is something else going on rather than just adhd and odd. Sometimes behavior mod can be more harmful to the self esteem when the child has something more going on than just adhd and odd.
Basically this book provides evidence and concrete visuals and confirms many of my thoughts and theories regarding this subject.
Thank YOu Diane Kennedy!

I was so amazed at how accurate this book is on describing my 12 yr old son. When a book is written from a parent of a special needs child, it means more for they know what it is like to cope and deal with a special needs child. My son was first dz with ADHD, then it was just Aspergers. I tried telling doctors that he has both for I read so much info on both ADHD and Aspergers. It was either one or the other to them. This book was amazing for I know I'm not alone. It's not easy to raise my son, but he's my world. So easy to read and understand. I felt as though this book was written for and about my son. Must have for every parent, family member, and friends of ADHD/Asperger child. This book will give you more insight and coping skills to deal with doctors, schools, and everyone who doesn't understand what it is like to live with an Aspie child. I recommended it to his teacher and counselor. Thanks so much for this book, wish it was published years ago.

This book provides a very persuasive case of the links and similarities between ADHD and autistic spectrum disorders. While it has been known for a long time that people on the spectrum often have attentional problems, this book explores this phenomenon more extensively. Most noteworthy is the conclusion that a diagnosis of ADHD often gets in the way of a diagnosis of autism. This leads to an incomplete understanding of symptoms of autism, which are often misinterpreted, for example, as oppositional defiance. Further, many opportunities to treat autism are missed. Great job!

Mary Carpenter's fascinating account of Temple Grandin's early life may be intended for children with learning disabilities. But it will make absorbing reading for all children. Every child will have experienced some of the discomfort of Temple's childhood, a childhood which Carpenter brings to life with vivid details. And what child could fail to be moved by the story of how Temple's personal antidote to autism, the squeeze machine, has improved the lives of the nation's millions of cows.

This book was, as a whole, an excellent source to help Asperger syndrome victims improve their self esteem. My only concern was with the chapter that I have the most knowledge about, the chapter about Charles Darwin. Much is said about "Darwin's secret," implying that he figured out evolution on his own and had health problem as a result of his discovery. First of all, he did not discover evolution but only popularized the idea. Evolution was believed by many many persons before Darwin. ... Furthermore, he accepted the use and disuse theory (Lamarckism) as a major part of his theory, an idea that has now been disproved. He also advocated the pangenesis theory, now also disproved. We still even today face the same problem that Darwin tried to solve, the origin of genetic information. Many theories exist today to try to explain this major problem, none of them are satisfactory. This is why evolution is still so controversial (a fact that the author tries to trivialize). It is a good idea to read both sides before writing a book. I am not very knowledgeable about the other persons profiled so can not comment, but I do know about Asperger's disease and he is on target here.

This is a lively, entertaining and obviously provocative book. Whether you endorse or denounce post mortme diagnoses of AS,one has to admit that soem famous thinkers have had traits consistent with AS. A whole host of thinkers are listed from science, the arts, music and even the theatre. Some of the choices are likely to be more controversial than others, but I won't comment on that.

My major concern with such a book is that it is always open to the charge of selectivity. The fact that someone had traits consistent with AS does not allow us to derive the conclusion that they had AS. To be fair to the author, he does make comemnts to this effect in the beginning.

The strength of the book is that is in inspirational. You to can succeed if you have AS. The weaknesse is that skirts the argument that you should only conclude AS when the 'AS traits' interfere with a person's abliity to cope. In other words, Asperger syndrome is only a problem when it is a problem.

Nevertheless the book gives us plenty of food for thought. I hope that the author will produce another with more forensic detail however.

Utterly fascinating! Certainly explains the "unusual" traits of some very famous people. A must read for relatives of those afflicted with Asperger's Syndrome.

Until I read Beyond the Wall I had a difficult time understanding what Asperger Syndrome was. Throughout this book Stephen Shore gives us his view into the world of Asperger Syndrome. I found Beyond the Wall to be an inspiring book and full of insight. The author provides the reader with practical, first hand information that is valuable for anyone living or working with am individual on the autism spectrum.

As the parent to two children with autism that happen to be on opposite ends of the spectrum I found Beyond the Wall fascinating and accurately defined. The attention to detail that Stephen Shore includes from both his experience as one growing up autistic but not really knowing it to his teaching children with autism is very powerful.

I was thrilled when I read how one of the Mother's to a student he was teaching music to insisted on the Mayer-Johnson augmentative communication device as this is what my non verbal son is using within his speech and occupational therapies.

Stephen discusses the first time he learned to shave which has resulted in having a beard all these years, and it looks good as well. The fascination with spinning and how it led to his love for bicycling as well as his insight into the world of dating helped prepare me for when my children are older.

Having listened to Stephen Shore this past March at a Convention in Los Angeles I found myself wanting to re-read Beyond the Wall and share it with many other families, teachers and therapists.

After reading Beyond the Wall I felt like I really got to know the author and like him very much. He proves that that success can be achieved for those who have autism or asperger syndrome.

This is one of the best on the market and a must have for all families who have a member on the spectrum.

In the beginning of Stephen's book, he writes about the sleeping dragon of autism reawakened and his quest to find out more about *this way of being* and its relation to him.

Beyond the Wall is a must read for a parent, teacher or professional. Parents often wonder what it is to be autistic, how they can help their child learn and grow thru the years, and how to help their loved one with hypo or hyper sensitivities and what will their child's future be like. Stephen's book will answer these very important questions.

Stephen just doesn't write about his love of music, he shows how his love of music can help an autistic child to learn. Stephen writes about self-advocacy and how important it is to teach a loved one how to self advocate. Stephen writes about his academic learning from grade school to college. He writes of his frustrations in his earlier accounting career. He writes of going back to school for post graduate studies and switching careers. He writes of his new career, living life and being married.

Beyond the Wall, is Stephen's autobiography, about being a son, brother, friend, educator, advocate and husband. Long after your done reading his book, you realize that todays autistic child will be tomorrow autistic adult and that Stephen has left the door open for all the children to follow.

I read this very informative book and was amazed that many people with autism can lead productive lives,Ms.Temple Grandin is a prime example!

This book was really interesting and fascinating. It helped to see autism from a different perspective. I was so enthralled with the book I finished it in 3 hours! This is a must read for anyone working with children with autism or for families who have children with autism.

There are not enough words or good enough words to describe this book, or the person who wrote this book. I have been aware of the presence of Temple Grandin for some years now. I have read about her in Oliver Sack's books. I have seen journalistic shows concerning her on television. I have known that she is considered autistic (been diagnosed as that)and that she had a Ph.D. and works with animals, primarily livestock. All of this information predisposed me to be interested in her life, and ready to admire her for everything that she has accomplished.

However, it was not until my own nephew was diagnosed as having a developmental delay problem of his own, Asperger's, that I actually sought out more information about Temple Grandin and autism. In studying neuroscience, we just barely scratched the surface of this disability, and I remember thinking that this was an area of great dissent and of great need. Above all, there is an obvious need to hear from those who have autism. There are many books out there by parents, by physicians and scientists, by educators and psychiatrists. But there are few books by those who live the life of someone with autism. As a deaf person I know that those who would understand what it is like to be deaf in a hearing world cannot possibly imagine the problems, the obstacles, and even the joys which come with my differences. So I am also aware that I cannot understand other disabilities and differences unless they are told to me by someone who has actually been through it themselves.

Grandin does a great service to those with autism and those who have loved ones with autism or developmental delay disabilities. By allowing us access into her world, and explaining why she 'behaved' certain ways in certain circumstances, it allows others to comprehend the absolutely mind-boggling over-stimulation that these persons are exposed to. Not only does it aid in understanding and allow us to reserve judgement (rather than condemning these children as uncontrollable), it may help those who are exploring the neuroscience accounting for autism as well as lead to the development of educational and behavioral methodologies which can assist these children to meet their potentials and fulfill their lives. It also helps all of us to realize that differences do not necessarily have to be negative.

Temple Grandin and her mother are examples of what can be accomplished through love and education. Grandin was helped on her path by her mother and good teachers, but she also helped herself by educating herself on all possible fronts as to why she reacted and behaved (and how to control those reactions and behaviors). I can only begin to imagine the difficulties that both she and her mother faced in overcoming her problems, and making the most of her abilities. This book is necessary reading for all parents of children with these disabilities, for those who work with them in education and in psychiatry. I have now added Ms. Grandin to my list of people I admire, up there with Lincoln, Helen Keller, and Albert Schweitzer. She is an inspiration to us all of what can be done with hard work and perseverance. As she stated "Children, including the autistics, are not static"...all children and all people can always be taught and can achieve more. It is only the prejudices of others that are allowed to dictate what any child can or cannot accomplish.
Karen Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh

...The book Thinking in Pictures involves the evaluation, from the first person perspective, of a life with autism, and delves into the complicated world of an autistic person. The book provides a clear explanation of almost all the problems that plaque a person with autism, and additionally shows the way an autistic person's mind works and
the way the world affects their thinking. The book conveys information primarily through the view of author Temple Graindin, but also makes references and comparisons to animal science and, thus provides an almost parallel theme to the
book.
While parts of the book do diverge from the subject, the book provides an excellent summary of the life of an autistic in a non autistic world. Because the book is written from the first person, there is a personal touch to the book that draws the reader in and helps them to better experience Temple's world. The comparisons to animals also prove to be effective as they further emphasize how different an autistic person's
mind works as compared to our's. It, then as a result, further shows how an autistic person's world is completely different, yet the same to our own. The book at times, however, sometimes goes too in-depth with the descriptions of animal science and
sometimes reads like a cattle-dairy science textbook. Much of the book also deviates from the main topic of autism into her own philosophies of life. Finally, much of theinformation about the drugs is very tedious, and while it does provide much useful information, does not contribute much to the overall theme of the book. On the whole, the book is very interesting and helps to show the pictures of the autistic world.

Temple Grandin's autobiographical work traces the entire span of her life in order to give a full and complete picture of an individual that has found her own way to cope with and overcome many of the obstacles presented by autism. She adopts a non-linear style, supplementing the story of her recent successes with recollections of her successes and failures along the way. Her discussion of autism is complemented by ample citation of scientific sources and of the accounts of many others who suffer with similar difficulties. She provides insight into many facets of autism: sensory, emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual. The metaphor that ties her story together is her work with livestock, as she draws abundant comparisons between animal psychology and the workings of the autistic mind. The pursuit of more humane and civilized livestock-handling facilities is her life's work, and she empathizes strongly with the way that these animals feel. I found Temple Grandin's account of her life to be incredibly interesting and inspirational. I read the entire book in one sitting. Her writing style is clear and fluid and it is amazing that someone suffering from autism has been able to gain such a mastery of the written word. I saw no major weaknesses in her writing style, and was impressed by the coherent and original chronology that she employs.
The story of her life resonated with me on several different levels. Having read about autism and having seen the movie Rain Man, I thought I had a fairly good understanding of autism. Grandin's narrative opened my eyes, giving me a glimpse of the way that the autistic mind works. I also found her life to be interesting because of her work with farm animals. I grew up on a dairy farm, and I could vividly picture each scene that she described. I had never really thought about animal psychology before, but now the behavior of our animals makes a lot more sense to me. Her identification with these animals also helped me to understand that autistic individuals think in a way that I will never be able to understand. Grandin thinks totally in visual images, cataloguing everything she has seen into a highly organized mental database. Her ability to visualize solutions and to retrieve information is astounding, and her analysis of the relationship between genius and autism was especially persuasive. Overall, I found this autobiographical narrative to be very compelling.

Temple Grandin accomplished many things with this book. Technically, it is a very well-written book, with good flow, an extensive display of vocabulary (without sounding pretentious), a logical structure, and only a small amount of repetition (which is an accomplishment for an autistic person).

"Thinking in Pictures" explains autism from the inside-out. Oliver Sacks, in "An Anthropologist on Mars" gave an excellent description of autism (and Temple Grandin) from the outside, but this book gives the inside view from the very same subject. After reading the DSM-IV and many textbooks, I was still having trouble fully grasping what autism was. After reading Sacks' books, I was much clearer on the subject. "Thinking in Pictures" went three steps further in helping me to understand the various forms of autism. I also have a much greater understanding of what sensory integration treatment is all about, even though I had listened to two in-services on sensory integration by sensory integration therapists before reading this book.

I also learned much about the cattle and beef industry in this country, which was surprisingly interesting. I'm glad that there are people like Dr. Grandin in that business working to make it as humane as possible.

Temple Grandin also is in an unusual situation and was able to give a perspective on what it means to be a "normal" human being that few people could give. Being a very bright but autistic person, she is almost the "flip-side" of "an anthropologist on Mars": it is as if she were a Martian anthropologist visiting Earth and trying to understand humanity. Her thinking, feeling, and sensory processes are so different from the average person, that she can almost view humanity from the outside.

"Thinking in Pictures" teaches the reader much about autism, the cattle industry, and humanity. What might surprise many people is that, with all that teaching going on, this book is also thoroughly enjoyable. I hope that I can someday meet Dr. Grandin, as I am sure it would be an interesting, unique, and memorable experience.

Christian McCallister, Ph.D., L.P., Clinical Psychologist

I didn't care for this book very much primarily because the book's thesis, that Thomas Jefferson suffered from Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism, and written by a man whose son has Aspergers, seemed contrived and forced. Throughout the book I felt the author was searching for facts to feed his thesis rather than letting the facts speak for themselves. I don't think Thomas Jefferson's admittedly rigorous and scrupulous record keeping and so-called "bizarre behavior" rose anywhere near the standard the author of this book would have us believe it does. Jefferson was an introvert but he was nothing of the disheveled, socially awkward, odd duck, that Mr. Ledgin wants or needs him to be to fit his argument.

The very publication of this book is from an odd source: Future Horizons, Inc. The web address for this publisher is listed as FutureHorizons-autism.com and I could not help but feel that this is a case of an autism-related organization claiming someone famous (in this case Thomas Jefferson) as one of their own. As history, Diagnosing Jefferson is poor and surely would have been rejected by any academic press and most trade publishing houses. There is precious little "research" in the scholarly sense; rather the footnotes are a patchwork of all of the best-known Jefferson biographies, Time Magazine, New York Times articles, and the like.

The writing is not bad but is pedestrian and the author seems blinded by his own theory as he struggles to align even the most off hand contemporary observations about Jefferson's behavior with his (Ledgin's) trusty list of Asperger traits. Nevertheless, no matter how forced the diagnosis, Ledgin taunts his detractors, saying flatly that "no other conclusion" can explain Jefferson's "strange behavior." He states boastfully, "I challenge anyone to advance a better solution to the puzzle of his idiosyncratic behavior."

One does not necessarily need formal credentials to write good history, and examples abound of unlettered men and women who have done so, but Norm Ledgin is not one of them. The author earned a bachelors degree in journalism and a masters in political science in the early 1950s, and lists among his occupations: editor of a weekly newspaper in Kansas, and a "traffic safety specialist" in Louisiana. All terribly interesting, but something short of the usual background for one who sets out to write a learned book about an 18th century thinker and political figure.

Ledgin's portrait of Jefferson is simply unrecognizable to me as it has been to most Jefferson scholars; and as far as I know, none have endorsed his thesis. Ledgin's tone is that of a crusader not a detached historian. Like many amateur historians he exhibits a zeal and single mindedness for his subject but lacks the breadth of knowledge and training to give his passions context and balance. This isn't so much a book about Jefferson at all; it is a book about Asperger's Syndrome; therefore, if you want to understand Jefferson you will find Ledgin's polemic tedious and irrelevant.

The Harrisonburg, Va., reviewer Randall See's statements about the author of Diagnosing Jefferson don't match the facts. First, Norm Ledgin was frank to admit at the start of his book that he was drawing on secondary sources (the works of respected historians) for all observations about Thomas Jefferson's idiosyncrasies, which Mr. Ledgin said match no other explanation but Asperger's Syndrome.

Second, I learned by interviewing Mr. Ledgin several years ago that his book was contracted for publication by Carol Publishing, a mainstream New York area trade publisher, and that it had been edited by one of the most respected editors in the business, Hillel Black. Carol went belly-up while preparing Diagnosing Jefferson for print. Rather than start the process of recontacting other trade houses, Mr. Ledgin turned to the specialty publisher, Future Horizons, whose president, Wayne Gilpin, had previously expressed very strong interest.

What has bothered a few people about Mr. Ledgin's book deep-down is his ready acceptance of the Sally Hemings liaison as a 38-year love affair. That acceptance is seemingly understandable to Mr. Ledgin (and now, it appears, to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello) on the strength of known facts, but to others it is the basis for a mental and emotional block.

I've read Mr. Ledgin's book, and I've read several Jefferson biographies. Obviously the critics of this author have not read Diagnosing Jefferson through, and they have admitted as much. Intellectual integrity requires more.

The author has examined and exploited helpfully something all other biographers have missed--the opportunity to identify whatever the basis may have been for Jefferson's many idiosyncrasies and so-called contradictions. Had the biographers simply assembled the quirks puzzling them and discussed them with a neuroscientist or developmental pediatrician or psychologist, they would have arrived at the same conclusion Mr. Ledgin has given us.

A staff member for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Dianne Swann-Wright, admitted on the Today show last year, "there was a personal side of Thomas Jefferson that many of us just simply haven't been able to understand." Mr. Ledgin explains that personal side in order to help us understand. Does intellectual curiosity extend only so far as scratching one's head, or are historians ready to listen to well-reasoned answers based in careful research?

I heard Mr. Ledgin speak in Charlottesville, Va., at the Festival of the Book this year. He is more knowledgeable about the very personal side of Thomas Jefferson than most, if not all, the biographers whose works I've read. It should be obvious to a reader of his entire work, including his bibliography and footnotes, that he has examined the Jefferson literature thoroughly, which is what he wrote was the basis for his assembling the eccentricities. His placing of Jefferson on the autism/Asperger's continuum as a result has been backed by at least four experts in that field and another in the behavioral sciences.

This is a landmark work. We must understand that autism and its high-functioning feature, Asperger's Syndrome, are parts of a spectrum condition; some people are disabled by it, some are enhanced by it. The author explains all of that extraordinarily well. One can be both productively brilliant and a high-functioning autistic--like Jefferson, quirky as can be, but a great achiever and mental giant nonetheless.

The reader can learn as much about Asperger's from this book as he or she can about Jefferson. For understanding what made Jefferson tick, this is the book to read.

Please, do not let this be the first book you read when your child is diagnosed. This book is depressing and includes no information about actually helping your child or dealing with the biological aspects of this disorder. This book assumes you have given up on treating your child's illness and that there are no comorbid disorders associated with the autism diagnosis, which is completely wrong. Keep searching, there is help and much better books.

With the second edition of "Children with Autism", Michael Powers has again provided families of children with autism (along with professionals)an invaluable resource for living with, and loving, a child with autism. In straightforward, non-technical language, "Children with Autism" addresses the needs of persons with autism and their families across their lifespan. From diagnosis, to early intervention, to adulthood we are presented with practical information that, in addtion, has a fairly broad research base. I am on my third copy as I keep lending mine out and, for some reason (perhaps the value of the information contained) they never seem to be retained. Highly recommended.

Dr. Powers has been a major contributor to the understanding of autism spectrum disorders for many years. The ORIGINAL book was one of the few available on the subject at the time of publishing, and while it is NOW outdated, it has been replaced by the current edition published in 2000. This edition contains much useful information that parents will not find elsewhere. I was, therefore, somewhat confused that the reviews for the previous edition are still on this website, as they really describe a different book, which is very misleading.