ErinMcNally

@01383936
SPEPaper

TempleGrandin,agirlbornwithautismin1947,barelyutteredaworduntilshewas
four.Sheusedherautismandherabilitytothinkinpicturestoheradvantageandexpounded
issuesthatareinvisibletoaneurotypicalperson.Sheisnowaworldrenowneddoctorofanimal
science,anactivistforpeoplewithautism,andaprofessoratColoradoStateUniversity.She
becamefamouswhenrenownedNeurologistOliverSacksmentionedheruniquenessinhisessay
AnAnthropologistfromMars
publishedin1995.

ThisbiopicstartswithTempleGrandin,playedbyClaireDanes,stayingwithherauntfor
summer,wheresheisfascinatedbya
cattlecrush
,adeviceusedtocalmcattledown.Herpanic
attacks,obsessions,fearsandinabilitytocomprehendhumanemotion,swiftlyrevealher
individualitytothosearoundher.However,onlythoseclosetoherrealizeherabilitytothinkin
aspecialwayandhowthisuniquefacilitygivesheraperspectivehiddenfromtypicalbeings.

Hercollegescienceprofessor
Dr.Carlock
,realizedherdistinctivemodeofthinkingand
despitealltheoppositiontriedtochannelizeherabilities.Shefaceddifficultiesduringcollege
becausehercostudentsmadefunofthewaysheacted.Shecreatedforherselfa
squeeze
machine
quitesimilartothecattlecrush,whichhelpedherfindcomfortwhenshegotdisturbed.
Sheworkedherwaythroughallthetroubles,byhardwork,passionandwithhelpofindividuals
whorecognizedherbrilliantmind.

Portrayingapsychological/neurologicaldisorderisahugeordealforanyactor/actress.
ClaireDanesshowsremarkabledevotiontothesubject,makingherperformanceengrossingand

hypnotic.Thevaguefacialexpressionsduringconversation,thequestioningeyes,andtheunique
mannerofspeechofautisticpeoplearedisplayedremarkablybyClaireDanes.Thebiopicgives
usajourneyinsidethemindofapersonwithautismandaidsusinunderstandingtheworldfrom
anautisticperspective.
Autismspectrumdisorder(ASD)isarangeofcomplexneurodevelopmentdisorders,
characterizedbysocialimpairments,communicationdifficulties,andrestricted,repetitive,and
stereotypedpatternsofbehavior.Autisticdisorder,isthemostsevereformofASD,whileother
conditionsalongthespectrumincludeamilderformknownasAspergersyndrome.Although
ASDvariessignificantlyincharacterandseverity,itoccursinallethnicandsocioeconomic
groupsandaffectseveryagegroup.Expertsestimatethat1outof88childrenage8willhavean
ASD,andmalesarefourtimesmorelikelytohaveanASDthanfemales.

OneofthemostpronouncedfeaturesofASDisimpairedsocialinteraction.Asearlyas
infancy,ababywithASDmaybeunresponsivetopeopleorfocusintentlyononeitemtothe
exclusionofothersforlongperiodsoftime.AchildwithASDmayappeartodevelopnormally
andthenwithdrawandbecomeindifferenttosocialengagement.Inthemovie
TempleGrandin,
Templedisplaysmanyofthesecharacteristicsofautismthroughoutherchildhood.

ChildrenwithanASDmayfailtorespondtotheirnamesandoftenavoideyecontact
withotherpeople.Theyhavedifficultyinterpretingwhatothersarethinkingorfeelingbecause
theycantunderstandsocialcues,suchastoneofvoiceorfacialexpressions,anddontwatch
otherpeoplesfacesforcluesaboutappropriatebehavior.Mostofthesesocialbehaviorsare

easilylearnedbymostchildrenbutinsituationswithchildrenwithautismthesebehaviorsmust
betaught.

ManychildrenwithanASDengageinrepetitivemovementssuchasrockingandtwirling,orin
selfabusivebehaviorsuchasbitingorheadbanging.Theyalsotendtostartspeakinglaterthan
otherchildrenandmayrefertothemselvesbynameinsteadofIorme.Childrenwithan
ASDdontknowhowtoplayinteractivelywithotherchildren.Somespeakinasingsongvoice
aboutanarrowrangeoffavoritetopics,withlittleregardfortheinterestsofthepersontowhom
theyarespeaking.

ClaireDanestheactressthatportrayedTempleGrandin,tookonachallengeasanactress
andsucceededbeyondexpectations.Sheencapsulatedthecharacteristicsofapersonwithautism,
whiletellingabeautifulstoryofTempleGrandinslife.Thisfilmisnotonlyentertaining,but
alsoveryrealisticandtruetothecharactersrealstory.Danestookonthedauntingtaskof
impersonatingawomanwhoisstillalive.Shequiteliterallytookthespiritandembodimentof
TempleGrandinintoherownbodyinordertoaccuratelyportraythisperson.Thefilmcrew
greatlyaidedherinthispursuit,andproducersrevisedafilmscriptthatwasoriginallywrittenat
theturnofthecenturytobetterfitamodernunderstandingofbehaviorinpeopleandchildren
withautism.Thisfilmmanagedarevisionofdisabilitynarrativethatsucceededinmovingthe
autismconversationintoasocialratherthanmedicalmodelframework.(

Cleverly,thefilmbeginswithatestofourviewingperspective.Wearethrowninto
perspectivalreliefbyviewingClaireDanesinsidewhatappearstobeashoeboxrenderingofa
room.Ononesideofthespace,Danesappearsquitelarge,whileontheotherside,sheisan
appropriateheightforhersurroundings.Thisimageisanearlyreminderthatnoteveryone
processesspaceandtimethesame
way.Danesstartsthefilmbysayinginsidethisboxofopticalillusions,MynameisTemple
Grandin.Imnotlikeotherpeople.Ithinkinpictures,andIconnectthem.Thefilmpullsthis
interactionandsuccessfromGrandin
sautobiographicalwritings,andforegroundsthiseventas
theonethatopenedthefirstofmanydoorsforthiswomanwithautism.(Davies,2011)

Thefilm
TempleGrandin
,ClaireDanescapturesthebeauty,andhardshipthatpeople
withautismexperiencethroughouttheirlives,andretellsthestoryofTemplessuccess.Itgives
oneinsightintothechallengesanduniquenessesofbeingindividualwithadisabilityandforces
ustorealizethestrengthandfortitudethatittakestonotonlydealwiththechallengesofhaving
adisabilitybutwhatonemustdotosurviveandflourishinanenvironmentthatisoftennot
alwayswelcoming.ClaireDanesmasterfullyshowshowTempleisabletoconnecttoother
parentsofchildrenonthespectrumbysharingherinsights.Weseeevidenceofthisinthescene
whenTempleandhermotherarelisteningtoaspeakerataconferenceandTemplemakesa
connectiontothepresentation.Shestandsupandstateswhatitfeelslikeandprovidesinsight
fromtheperspectiveofanindividualwithadisabilitytoparentswhoarelongingforinformation
onhowtohelptheirchild.Templehasachievedinspiteofallthechallengesthatshefaced
throughoutherlifetime.Hermotherswillingnesstoholdherdaughtertohighexpectationsand

herdeterminationinseeingthechallengesinherdaughterbutneverthinkingofheraslessofa
personallowedhertobewhosheistoday.

WorkCited
Davies,T.(2011).TheSocialModelofDisabilityasRepresentedinFilm.
RetrievedAugust1,2015.