Despite the term “disorder” attached to autism, it encompasses both benefits and limitations. Misconceptions abound, from what causes problematic behaviors to the belief that autistic people lack thought and emotion. Grandin discusses both the struggles and skills associated with autism—insights that offer a shift from misconception to understanding.

Deficits do exist, says Grandin, and with varying effects on functionality. People often use high-functioning and low-functioning as categories to sort out important differences, although questions remain about the distinctions and features of these two subcategories. The problems a person with autism experiences span multiple facets of life—cognitive, sensory, social, emotional—and they often occur in a context of misunderstanding. A lack of direct personal experience contributes to misunderstanding. It can be difficult to comprehend sensory sensitivities, such as feeling discomfort due to high-pitch sounds or clothing texture, without first-hand knowledge. Deficits thus require understanding for the purpose of effective treatment and to avoid misconceptions:

At autism meetings I have heard countless horror stories of how giving the wrong drug to an autistic with epilepsy can cause grand mal seizures or how doctors make zombies out of people by giving them enough neuroleptics to put a horse to sleep (130).

Grandin also explains how sensory sensitivities and a heightened nervous system response to fear primarily fall on the side of problematic.