Autistic Traits that Contribute to Identity Development
characteristics of autism that contribute to temple's identity
Temple Grandin is a well known professor of animal science and and livestock lifestyle consultant who happens to be Autistic. Grandin found a passion for livestock in her early life because she felt that she could communicate with the better than she could other people.
"the emotion circuit is not hooked up" Sacks book 286
As described by Oliver Sacks, some consistent traits in people with Autism are "impairment of social interactions with others, impairment of verbal and nonverbal communication, and impairment of play and imaginative activities"(246). These traits are drawn from what is considered the "standard" level of verbal and social abilities of people in society. Communication is a large factor when it comes to identity building. Since this is so, people with Autism can have a hard time trying to understand their identity because they naturally act and behave differently than other people.
In her discussion with Sacks, Temple discusses her childhood and how when she was in school, she desperately wanted to make friends but
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Autism Spectrum Disorder, also referred to as ASD, is commonly known to be a developmental disability. Characteristics associated with ASD are “impairment of social interactions with others, impairment of verbal and nonverbal communication, and impairment of play and imaginative activities” (Sacks 246). There are many ways that these characteristics can be translated into behaviors (as shown in the video) and they are usually observed around the age of 3 years old. Not every Autistic person will have the same traits related to ASD, but they will typically be related to their personal social and communication skills.
As stated previously, the development of one’s personal identity is not just dependent on themselves alone. Adolescence is the prime time for one’s personal identity development. A large factor that goes into the building of one’s identity is social interactions with others. ASD makes it hard for people who have it to socialize and communicate with others, especially if they do not think in similar ways. Therefore, in adolescence, when one is supposed to develop their identity the most, people with Autism are often excluded from the social interactions around them, and as a result, the development of their identity is hindered.
