Different . . . Not Less. Temple Grandin
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DIFFERENT… NOT LESS: Inspiring Stories of Achievement and Successful Employment from Adults with Autism, Asperger’s, and ADHD
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©2012 Temple Grandin
Cover design by John Yacio, III, & interior design by Cindy Williams
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Printed in Canada.
No part of this product may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of Future Horizons, Inc, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
Print book ISBN: 978-1-935274-60-5
E-book ISBN: 978-1-935274-73-5
DEDICATION
To every individual on the spectrum who believes in finding a sense of fulfillment and success in life, sometimes against all odds—
May you find valuable information, inspiration, and hope in the pages of this book.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The contributors to this book must be acknowledged, not only for their courage, but also for their candor. I thank them profoundly for their willingness to welcome readers into their lives and tell their stories—the ups and downs, the good times and bad. I absolutely believe their life experiences and wealth of knowledge will help countless others on the spectrum. They are living proof that individuals with autism can achieve great things—even when life seems like an uphill climb.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction by Dr Temple Grandin
A Note from Temple about the DSM
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
First and foremost, this book is the marvelous brainchild of Dr Temple Grandin. It is and has always been very important to Temple that people with autism and Asperger’s syndrome find their niche in life. As she famously emphasizes during conferences, “Collecting Social Security is not a job description!”
It is imperative that these outstanding folks use their unique and special skills to help themselves and the rest of the world. Temple came up with the concept for this book last year and has been relentless about her ideas coming to fruition. We applaud her passion.
Many readers will already be familiar with Temple’s story from watching the award-winning HBO biopic, “Temple Grandin,” starring Claire Danes. Those of us in the autism world were surprised and delighted by the overwhelming number of people who were touched and inspired by Temple’s story. Here you will find 14 similar stories, each a singular source of inspiration.
One of Temple’s early livestock plans is depicted on the cover of the book. Not only does it illustrate her obvious talent, but we believe it offers a glimpse into what greatness lies in the minds of so many people with autism and Asperger’s syndrome. These folks have extra burdens to overcome to be able to share their light with the world, and it is so important that they figure out a way to do so. The stories in this book relate the different paths the contributors have taken to find success—from dealing with the challenges of being “Different” to ultimately discovering that they are “Not Less.” Indeed, people on the autism spectrum have more than their share of talent to offer the rest of the world.
It was important to us, and to Temple, that each contributor’s point of view be expressed in his or her own voice. As