Temple Grandin and Autistic Biography
Before Temple Grandin’s ground-breaking autobiography Emergence: Labeled Autistic was published in 1986, the few non-fiction books about individuals with autism that did exist were either clinical studies written by professionals or biographies narrated by the subjects’ mothers. Grandin led the way for other diagnosed writers on the spectrum to follow—her book served as a guidepost for others on the autism spectrum who wished to write their own life stories. Looking closely at the autobiographical writings of people diagnosed with autism reveals a wealth of information about an autistic writer’s motivation, use of genre convention, point of view, representation of self, content selection, themes, metaphors, and style.
An autistic autobiography occupies a unique place in literature. As an autobiography, of course, it fulfills the reader’s expectations by providing a sustained narrative of the experiences of one individual based on their memories rather than research. It may reasonably be compared to a variety of sub-genres including the personal quest story, the Bildungsroman, the coming-of-age story, the women’s memoir, the disability memoir, the gothic novel, or even the slave narrative. In recent years, the autistic autobiography has become its own genre with its own set of conventions and traditions. Grandin’s groundbreaking work provided a sort of template for other authors on the spectrum (and their editors) to consider. Most of the autistic autobiographies that followed hers include several of the following elements:
A dedication or thank you, usually to an important family member
Foreword or introduction, usually by a recognized expert in psychology
An account of early childhood marked by troubling symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, especially sensory sensitivities, sensory overload, communication problems, uncontrollable behaviors, and withdrawal from the world
An account of adolescence with increased feelings of anxiety, isolation, and alienation
At some point in the narrative, the diagnosis
After the diagnosis, an emphasis on education, training, medication, therapy
A special parent, friend, teacher, or counselor who gives moral support and encouragement
An account of adulthood, gradually progressing toward self-understanding, more satisfying relationships, greater independence, continued education, and work
A need to find and connect with other adults on the spectrum
Suggestions, helpful hints, instructions for the reader
Bibliography for suggested reading
It must be noted that this book of Grandin’s, and others by her, were written in conjunction with a co-author. It would be interesting to know more about what the shared writing process was like for them and how it shaped the finished product. Grandin’s co-author, Margaret Scariano, seemed to have edited the work with a neurotypical audience in mind. It would be very interesting to see Grandin’s notes, tapes, or whatever she wrote down, before she had help from an outsider.
The diagnosis divides the “before” (what’s wrong with me) from the “after” (what do I do now?). Grandin’s diagnosis presents itself in the subtitle “Labeled Autistic.” The introduction reinforces the fact with “I was labeled autistic” and “I was evaluated as being autistic.” Establishing the diagnosis first, before telling the story, adds poignancy to Grandin’s earliest memories and bravado to her struggle toward a normal and totally independent adulthood.
The most pronounced thread running through autistic autobiographies is the theme of alienation. Grandin, and many other autistic life-writers, explains how she knew she was different from her peers, and how that difference led to feelings of rejection, loneliness, isolation, frustration, and despair. Her emotions are outlined for us specifically, and also shared through metaphor. The metaphor serves three purposes: it helps the author understand her own feelings, helps the autistic reader identify with a “me too,” and it helps the neurotypical reader gain an understanding of what it might feel like to have autism.
After being subjected to horrible bullying in school, Grandin developed the metaphor of the “glass door” between herself and the outside world to gain understanding of how her autism allowed her to see other people but not embrace them. Doors became important tropes in her story. She first pondered the concept of the door when she heard the pastor of her church talking about the door to heaven. But as she continued to think about doors, they came to represent barriers between her and all of the things she desired (self-knowledge, comfort, friendship, education), and since the barriers were glass, the objects were within sight but not within reach. In several instances she used the metaphor of the door to explain how isolated she felt from other people:
I decided that getting along with people was like a sliding glass door. The door has to be approached slowly; it cannot be forced; otherwise, it will break. Relationships with people are the same way. If they are forced, the relationship doesn’t work. One little shove can shatter everything.
Over time, the doors changed from barriers to gateways.
For readers interested in studying autistic autobiography, here is a short list of terrific books to get you started:
Songs of the Gorilla Nation, by Dawn Prince-Hughes
Nobody Nowhere, by Donna Williams
Pretending to be Normal, Liane Holliday Willey
Born on a Blue Day, by Daniel Tammet