The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism

by Temple Grandin

374 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 7, 2026

About the author

Mary Temple Grandin is an American academic and animal behaviorist. She is a prominent proponent of the humane treatment of livestock for slaughter and the author of more than 60 scientific papers on animal behavior. Grandin is a consultant to the livestock industry, where she offers advice on animal behavior, and is also an autism spokesperson.
Grandin is one of the first autistic people to document the insights she gained from her personal experiences with autism. She is a faculty member with Animal Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University.
In 2010, Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, named her in the "Heroes" category. She was the subject of the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning biographical film Temple Grandin. Grandin has been an outspoken proponent of autism rights and neurodiversity movements.

Reviews

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been yearning to read a really good, informative book about autism, and Temple Grandin's books were always in the forefront when I researched the topic. I also learned that a movie was made about her life living with autism. When I noticed that a new updated sixth edition of her book was about to be released, I jumped at the chance to read it. I rarely highlight or annotate books, but found myself highlighting scores of passages throughout this book- as so much struck a chord with me. Autism wasn't a word I heard growing up, but my father was a little "off" and I've always felt a little "off" myself. In addition, I see friends of my adult son who have graduated college but are unemployed, probably held back by parents who were loving and well-meaning but didn't push them to become self-sufficient and self-sustaining members of society. These young men in their mid to late twenties are also a "little off", and it's sad to watch them being coddled to the point where they are living very sheltered and unproductive lives. As a family we often speak of these young men and wonder how they will survive when their parents are no longer alive.

Ms. Grandin writes a forthright and no nonsense look at her own life living with autism, how her mother specifically taught her manners, promoted being involved with hobby groups to find out what she liked (which can later be transformed into employment-CRUCIAL!!) and teamed up with her teachers to reprimand Temple if she behaved incorrectly. Temple makes the clarion call that children with autism need to be challenged and not coddled into an introverted, isolated, and unproductive existence. Also, early intervention is crucial for a positive outcome. Ms. Grandin provides many resources and references after each chapter for further information. I'm certainly no expert, but this rings true as an excellent book about autism, ADHD and Aspergers.

Thank you to the publisher Future Horizons for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.