An Anthropologist on Mars by Sacks - Research Paper Example

Temple Grandin: “An Anthropologist on Mars” - A Discussion of Autism Temple Grandin is a success story that should be used as a warning against stereotyping people with disorders and labeling them as victims of a condition. Grandin has been able to achieve her doctorate degree as well as become a leading authority in her field. However, Grandin also suffers from autism, a condition that is often considered beyond hope of finding a way to successfully function within society. Using the example of Ms. Grandin, it can be understood that many conditions that displace a person from society should be considered for their true debilitating effects rather than for those which are defined through sociological structures that the effects provide a disruption rather than a complete barrier to leading a high quality life. The unfortunate fact about autism at this time is that there is no definitive cause for the condition. With no cause, there is no true medical treatment through pharmaceuticals. There are a series of mainstream theories on the causes of autism that are being researched in order to help to get closer to a cure or prevention of the condition. One of the theories revolves around the introduction of toxic chemicals into the system of the mother while the child is within her womb. The types of chemicals that could be responsible could be as mundane as those found in cleaning products or as seemingly benign as those found in toys, food, or water through heavy metals. These effects could be developed in the womb, or this is some suggestion that they are developed right after birth during the first year.1 There have not been any definitive answers, however, as to whether environmental chemicals conclusively cause autism. Another possible cause of the condition might be a genetic issue. There are many genetic disorders that can be detected through testing, but thus far a genetic connection between children with autistic traits has not been found. While there is no foundation as yet for this theory, the concept that genetics is the primary cause of autism is still considered the most likely causal candidate.2 Other possible causes include mitochondrial problems, prenatal and birth factors, neurological structure anomalies, autoimmune issues, or a neurobiological disorder. One of the biggest problems with the study of autism is that for most of history it was considered a psychiatric problem and was treated as a mental disorder rather than a biological condition. Therefore, the research is relatively new and has not reached its zenith of discovery. The condition was first considered a result of the “refrigerator mother theory” which was defined by a mother who was cold and had turned her child into an unemotional shell.3 This was considered a retreat from the world due to the coldness that was exhibited by the mother towards the child. In 1943, Kanner suggested that the disorder was the fault of parenting but was the result of a biological issue, thus opening the door for more study on the condition.4 There are two main symptoms for autism. The first is sensory symptoms which means that they are sensitive to sensation of the five senses in various degrees. The second primary symptom is that of the ability to form relationships. While it is possible there is a relationship between sensory sensitivity and severity of the condition, there has to date been no successful study to prove this relationship.5 While relationship issues are more of a difficulty for the families of those who have autism, sensory issues can cause a great many difficulties for a person with autism. According to Buron, Wolfberg, and Gray, “In the severest expression of sensory sensitivity, the child appears to be living in a ‘war zone’ with sudden explosions of jarring noises, visual sensations that are blinding, and touch and aromas that are described as painful”.6 The spectrum of sensory issues can also include problems with the converse side of sensitivity where a lack of reaction to certain sensations can put the child in danger. While a noise may sound like a piercing dagger, the pain of a bone break may not register. Cold may have no effect, putting the child at risk of walking out into the cold or unaffected as he or she walks into an icy lake. While the inexperienced affects can create a threat to the child, the overly experienced sensations can create maladaptive coping mechanisms that further alienate the child from society.7 One of the coping mechanisms used by Temple Grandin was to place herself in the pressing machine that was intended to press against the sides of cattle to calm them. By creating her own ‘hug’ machine, she was able to create a way to press herself without having to submit to human touch which is painful to her. The hug machine works, she believes, because when she reaches a certain threshold of emotional discomfort, the sensation of her body being pressed provides a deeper sensory pressure that is calming.8 While there is no direct pharmaceutical treatment for autism, there are several drug treatments than can help the issues surrounding the condition. Anti-depressants can often help with the sensory issues that are part of the problems associated with autism. As well, sometimes anti-psychotics can help calm the patient; however, most psychiatric drugs have side effects that are worse than the initial problem that is being addressed.9 The use of drugs and coping skills can effectively help a person with autism to find a way to manage within the world, but in severe cases the person is closed off and unable to connect even through language skills to the world around them. The sadness of severe autism is the bursts of sensory overwhelmed periods balanced against severe periods of isolation. Temple Grandin described her experience as a person with autism as feeling like an “anthropologist on mars”. She had difficulty making connections to the world around her and had to find ways to cope with her world on terms that made sense to her. This made her feel like an observer in the world rather than a participant.10 Grandin learned in a different way than other children as well. She learned through seeing pictures of what she was learning rather than comprehending writing about subjects.11 Because she had good teachers who looked for ways to conform to her needs rather than trying to force her to conform to what was socially acceptable and was structured within her schools, Grandin was able to pursue the education that would serve her greatest talents. She achieved her doctorate through her hard work that was done on the terms that were best serviced through the way in which her mind worked. She is known as a world renowned authority on animal movement systems and has the ability to recognize the needs of an animal, most often cattle, in order to smoothly move them from one place to the next.12 Grandin’s life is proof that despite a condition that has isolated many people from society, it is possible to tailor an education to the needs of a person in order to help them find success. Autism is a condition that is designed to create barriers between the understood world and the way in which the person with the condition sees the world. The world is a place that cannot be well comprehended by the person suffering from autism, but if the world bends towards the ways in which a person with the disorder can understand, great possibilities open up. This is not possible with all people who have to deal with the condition. Some are severely affected and cannot enter the world through any avenue. However, others, as exampled by Grandin, have the ability to find paths through which they can accomplish great goals. It is the position of society to learn to bend towards those who cannot bend, to support the success of those who have a built in disadvantage and to marvel and benefit from their place in the world. Bibliography Ayres, A J, and Jeff Robbins. Sensory Integration and the Child: Understanding Hidden Sensory Challenges. Los Angeles, CA: WPS, 2005. Print. Bernier, Raphael, and Jennifer Gerdts. Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, 2010. Print. Buron, Kari D, Pamela J. Wolfberg, and Carol Gray. Learners on the Autism Spectrum: Preparing Highly Qualified Educators. Shawnee Mission, Kan: Autism Asperger Pub. Co, 2007. Print. Dunn, Winnie. Bringing Evidence into Everyday Practice: Practical Strategies for Healthcare Professionals. Thorofare, NJ: Slack, 2008. Print. Grandin, Temple. Thinking in Pictures: And Other Reports from My Life with Autism. New York: Vintage Books, 2006. Print. Jayson, Leonard, and Marla Comm. Severe Autism, Denied Support: Struggling to Survive in the Mainstream : Marla Comm, a Troubled Life. Victoria, BC: Trafford, 2007. Print. Sacks, Oliver. An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales. New York: Vintage Books, 1995. Print. Sears, Robert. The Autism Book: What Every Parent Needs to Know About Early Detection, Treatment, Recovery, and Prevention. New York, NY: Little, Brown, 2010. Print. Read More