Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
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.Retrieved
August1,2015.