A portrait of Temple Grandin. Photo courtesy of Grandin's office.
Imagine a mind where every thought comes in pictures, images of things that related to one word. This is how Temple Grandin describes her world; it’s full of images that have helped her in her career.
People with autism tend to have specialized thinking, usually in math, music or verbal logic. The focus is so detail-oriented, that it allows them to be able to comprehend things differently than those who form thoughts with words.
Temple Grandin, an Arizona State University Graduate, and current Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University was diagnosed at the age of four with autism, and has been able to use her specialized skill to thrive in her career. She says after a visit to her aunt Anne’s ranch, she realized that her expertise in cattle could be used for designing livestock-handling equipment.
“You have to take the thing that’s the person’s strength and build on it,” says Grandin about people with autism and helping them best use their skills.
When doing research at ASU, Grandin was the first woman to milk cows on experimental farms. She describes her experience of going into the cattle industry as not being easy for a woman because of the time period.
“Women were thought of not being capable to do anything then. There was a lot of resistance and I had to go prove myself,” Grandin says.
Luckily, she says she had some help along the way that helped her get through her research.
“There were a few people that were good to me. That’s what kept me going,” Grandin says, crediting ASU professors Philip Stiles, Mike Nielson in industrial design, Foster Burton in construction and Ted Gilbert in the Red River Feed yard.
Grandin feels what she is doing is important because “it reduces suffering.” Among her most famous books are Animals Make Us Human, Animals in Transition and most recently, The Way I See It. A HBO special, Temple Grandin, debuted in February. In the film, Claire Danes plays a young Grandin with a strong will and determination to prove herself in a world uncomfortable with discussions of autism.
Grandin says these accomplishments make her happy for being able to make a difference.
Cheryl Miller, Grandin’s assistant, has known Grandin for 13 years and experienced all the work that Grandin has done for the livestock industry as well as for people with autism.
“I admire Temple so much for all that she is doing for the livestock industry and for families with autistic children,” Miller says. “My admiration for her builds on a daily basis as I receive e-mails from parents of autistic children who thank her for what she has done and is doing for their families. She has had a profound influence on the livestock industry. She serves on numerous animal welfare committees and is a passionate advocate for humane treatment of animals.”
Grandin says she tried to understand better ways for cattle to move through the chutes without fear and distractions. By getting down on all fours and seeing how cattle viewed the chutes, she was able to see how it had an effect on the cattle.
“I created my designs running around every feed yard in Arizona and I helped work cattle and I basically took all the good parts in the designs and put them all together in the new designs and got rid of the bad parts,” Grandin says.
Bernard Rollin, a distinguished professor in philosophy, biomedical sciences and animal sciences as CSU met Grandin 30 years ago at conferences in the 70s about animal welfare. He says he has been friends with her since then. Grandin asked Bernard to assist her in finding a job at CSU. Twenty years later, she still calls the campus home.
“She was the first one to base her designs on cow behavior on what they like and don’t like. Light comes in and what they see on the ramp creates a broken pattern of lights and it make’s them not walk smoothly through the chutes,” Rollin says.
Through her observations and knowledge, Grandin was able to create these designs. By covering up the sides of the chutes, she was able to get the cattle to walk through more smoothly. Rollin is grateful to have her as a friend and when asked about what he thought of everything she’s gone through he thinks she’s been amazing.
“What she’s done with animals is spectacular and what she’s done to get through her disability is equally as spectacular,” says Rollin.
Kristie Rohwedder, a Philosophy major and senior on ASU’s nationally ranked Speech & Debate team (ASU Forensics), has been doing research on Grandin for her piece from Errol Morris’ 2000 documentary series “First Person.” The profile Rohwedder is working on is titled “Stairway to Heaven” and is a self explanation of how her character’s brain processes information. Rohwedder says her research into this character turned her on to Grandin’s story.
“I think her work in both autism activism and research as well as cattle farming is extremely interesting and both give us insights into the human brain we didn’t really have before,” Rohwedder says. “Our understanding of autism has definitely grown over the past couple of decades, and her work and writing, I think, has been a key contribution.”
Rohwedder has watched numerous interviews with Grandin, has listened to Grandin’s vocals and has read articles by and about Grandin. Her excitement extends on being challenged for her performance. She says she finds Grandin to be one of the most genuine, yet complex people she has ever had to portray.
“Playing Grandin is really interesting and it’s definitely been the challenge I anticipated,” Rohwedder says. “While autism usually contributes to lack of emotion or facial expressions, Grandin has very interesting ways conveying humor, sadness, disappointment, happiness, etc. She kind of breaks our stereotyped notion of what it means to be autistic.”
Contact the reporter at jvalle1@asu.edu
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