Must Watch

I watched "Temple Grandin" 2 weeks ago and can not get it out of my mind. It was a beautifully made movie, so that alone is worth recommending it to others to watch. On top of that it was amazingly insightful and helpful to me personally. Temple Grandin has autism. That word is so big and scary in 2011, how much more so in the 1960s. Yet Temple was born to a mother that would not give up on the child she had been given. She refused to institutionalize her and used her best abilities to work with her. In high school she placed Temple in a boarding school and then forced her to go to college. Both were big steps in helping Temple become social and independent. What an amazing woman to carry the burden of raising such a "different child" in a time where there was not much help and very little resources available. In turn, Temple herself has become an INCREDIBLE resource to mothers, fathers, caregivers, and therapists all over the world because of her ability to verbalize how her brain works. The movie brought to light things that I have seen Madeline do countless times, but now I "get it". Yes, Temple has autism, but she is an amazing, independent, sucessful woman who learned to use her strengths and work around her weaknesses/deficits. Watching the movie made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. It made me so thankful that I live in an era and an area with bountiful resources for my child. There were so many things about the movie that gave me a new perspective on what the future looks like for Madeline. Although Temple's diagnosis is autism, we know that if Madeline was diagnosed 50 years ago, she'd be diagnosed with autism too. The neurological deficits Temple is able to verbalize are so helpful to me to see how Madeline is probably thinking. The movie also made me realize how much progress we have made in the past 5 years. Temple would shudder if anyone tried to touch her to comfort her. It looked so familiar since my child used to do that. Now she is happy to give and usually receive hugs and physical comfort. I don't want to forget the progress we've made! So if you're looking for a new movie to watch this weekend--rent "Temple Grandin". I highly recommend it!