Status Updates From The Autistic Brain: Helping...

In chapter 6, Grandin discusses how the research towards autism should shift to focus on the strengths, or "positive truths". A strength she discusses is a fine attention to detail. She suggests that this could be due to all regions of the brain being activated towards a visual stimuli (for example), and not just the occipitotemporal. This allows a "bottom-up" thinking, which also helps boost her creativity.

Chapter 5 focused on the issues relating with the definition of autism in DSM-5, and also the issues that Grandin sees with "label-locked" thinking. This is when people are focused with defining themselves, and others around them with certain labels (or mental disorders) and how that can affect the treatment, and support given to the person. Instead, Grandin says that we should focus on researching/treating symptoms.

I read the chapter "Hiding and Seeking". This chapter delved into the various impacts of sensory information on the autistic brain. Through various anecdotes about herself, Tito Rajarshi, and Carly Fleischmann, Grandin discovers a much more nuanced view on the impact of sensory information on autism really his. He looks at the "thinking" verses "acting" self, and also looks at the activation of parts of the brain.