Unstrange Minds: Mapping the World of Autism — Roy Richard Grinker
Roy Richard Grinker and his wife Joyce were as devastated as any couple would be when their first child, Isabel, was diagnosed as autistic at the age of two, but they did bring some educational assets to the situation. He’s an anthropologist whose father and grandfather were psychiatrists, and his wife is a psychiatrist.
This book is a combination of things : a history of the diagnosis and treatment of autism, a discussion on current issues in the field, a description of how autism is viewed and treated in several other countries including South Africa and Korea. But most of all, it’s a loving father’s story of his daughter, and how he and his family have learned to appreciate Isabel’s special gifts while helping her overcome her problems.
“I try not to think about what other teenage girls are like — the ones I see outside our local middle school, gossiping and talking about boys — and focus only on Isabel. If I compare her to the rest of the world, she seems so impaired. But if I compare her with herself, and consider all the progress she’s made, more than any doctor ever predicted, I’m suddenly filled with respect for her.â€
In some ways, I found the book a bit of a hodgepodge, as it jumps around between the personal, historical and anthropological elements. But I found it absorbing, anyway, especially the interviews with mothers of autistic children in other countries. There were some touching and inspiring stories, and it made me want to read more about how autism and other neurological and psychological conditions are viewed in different cultures.
- Unstrange Minds — The author’s official site for the book, which includes some interesting additional material including a clip of Bruno Bettelheim on the Dick Cavett program, and some recommended links
- Unstrange Minds — A review from Science Daily
