NISE Fellow Hari Srinivasan Co-Authors Foreword with Temple Grandin in Autism for Dummies
We want to extend our deepest congratulations to Hari Srinivasan, one of our Neurodiversity Inspired Science and Engineering (NISE) fellows. Hari co-authored the foreword for the new book Autism for Dummies with Temple Grandin. Hari’s section of the foreword is provided below, along with a link for those interested in buying the book. Congratulations again, Hari, on your continually inspiring prose.
By Hari Srinivasan:
I’m awestruck to coauthor this foreword with Dr. Temple Grandin, a trailblazer who shattered expectations and paved the way for many, including myself. Now, on my PhD journey in neuroscience, I’m walking a path that once felt unimaginable. It still feels surreal.
I am autistic with limited spoken communication (though improving — proof that learning isn’t just for childhood), ADHD, sensorimotor processing issues, OCD, social anxiety, and co-occurring health challenges. Navigating my body feels like driving with a loose steering wheel — a constant battle between intention and execution. This unease fuels anxiety, avoidance, and social isolation.
Autism brings unique ways of thinking, perceiving, and innovating but also real obstacles. That’s why I believe in a dual opportunities-solutions approach: creating opportunities that build on strengths while also addressing challenges. This means providing individualized support (therapy, education, and addressing needs) alongside external changes (accommodations, environmental modifications, and shifts in attitudes).
Education became my door to opportunity. UC Berkeley and Vanderbilt gave me structure, meaning, and growth, allowing me to stay curious and engaged. Now, as an autistic neuroscientist researching sensorimotor systems, I get to contribute to both knowledge and solutions.
The solutions side of the approach is just as critical. Much of my childhood was spent in grueling 40-hour therapy weeks with little meaningful return for the effort involved. Instead of forcing autistics into standardized programs, support must fit the individual. A wider range of approaches is needed to address communication barriers, sensory distress, and health challenges. Without real solutions, many autistics with higher support needs will remain stuck at the threshold of opportunity.
Dr. Grandin and I were shaped by different worlds: She grew up when autism was little known, while I grew up in a time when it became an everyday word. Yet despite growing awareness, our understanding is still incomplete. When I was diagnosed at three, only six children were identified as autistic in my school district; within a few years, that number grew to hundreds.
Just as Dr. Grandin highlights the power of early support and structured opportunities in unlocking autistic potential, it’s equally important to recognize that not every autistic person benefits from the same approach. Too often, systems assume early struggles mean lifelong limitations, reducing the future to basic care instead of meaningful development. But people learn in different ways, and growth is possible at any age — which is why support must be flexible, informed by the full range of autistic experiences, and available throughout life.
I don’t have to love every part of my autism to appreciate how it shapes me — and that’s okay. Autism is both an ability and a disability, a strength and a challenge. This book understands that autism isn’t a singular experience and offers practical tools to support people in ways that truly meet their individual needs. Because within the vast range of autistic experiences, there lies endless possibility.
Title: Autism for Dummies
Authors: Khushboo Chabria, Ranga Jayaraman, and John Marble
Copyright © 2025 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The book “Autism for Dummies” is out now, and available at this link.
For those interested in other books referencing our staff and students, see our books page.
A fantastic LinkedIn post from the author can be found here.
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