Temple Grandin

Autism spokesperson and professor of animal sciences

• Born: August 29, 1947
• Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts

• Education: Franklin Pierce College; Arizona State University; University of Illinois

Significance: Temple Grandin is a biologist known for her systems designed to reduce stress on animals. She is also an advocate for autistic people. She has written books, has appeared on numerous programs, and has been covered extensively by media outlets for both areas of expertise.

Background

Temple Grandin was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 29, 1947. Her parents were Richard Grandin and Eustacia Cutler. Most children can speak a number of words by the time they are twenty months old. Grandin was diagnosed at age two with autism. At that time, autism was believed to be a form of brain damage, and Eustacia Cutler believed physicians caused it. Cutler ensured Grandin had speech therapy and education to help her learn to communicate. Grandin learned to speak when she was nearly four years old.

She struggled through school and was often teased and bullied. When she was eighteen, she found that she could relieve some stress by designing and building a squeeze machine, which is similar to devices used to calm cattle for inoculations. She was a good student, however, and went on to attend college. She graduated from Franklin Pierce College with a degree in psychology in 1970. She then earned a master's degree in animal science from Arizona State University, and she went on to the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where she earned her doctoral degree in animal science.

Grandin worked for companies that operated slaughterhouses. She told them how to ease the stress on the animals and improve their quality of life.

During the 1980s, Grandin was invited to speak for the Autism Society of America. This was her first public appearance on the topic of autism. In 1995, Oliver Sacks wrote a book about her; An Anthropologist on Mars got its title from Grandin's description of how she felt around other people.

Life's Work

Grandin used her gift for visual interpretation to understand how animals experience events. She studied cattle behavior in corrals and noted the way they moved when they were being herded. Grandin saw that cattle moved in curved lines, seeking to move back to where they had been. This led her to design cattle corrals with curved chutes. The cattle were under less stress because they were being directed where the handlers wanted them but were allowed to follow paths that felt natural to them. She designed facilities with the animals' best interests in mind, paying particular attention to relieving stress.

She served as a project manager on stockyard designs and installation. Grandin drew criticism from some animal rights activists for her work with slaughterhouses, and in particular, those that serviced fast-food companies. She countered with her belief that animals should be treated in the best way possible, in conditions that reduce their stress levels. Grandin also provided designs using her philosophy on her website, where people building corrals or facilities for cattle could freely view the layouts of Grandin Livestock Systems. She also provided information about humane slaughter practices, including the use of upright restraining equipment for animals.

In addition to her writing and consulting career, Grandin also became a professor of animal sciences. She began teaching at Colorado State University during the 1990s.

Grandin wrote a number of books about animal care and about the autism experience. She related her experiences with teachers and classmates. She said that she was bullied throughout her childhood and teen years, but she found solace and acceptance by focusing on special interest groups. She engaged with others over shared love of horses and clubs for those interested in model rockets and electronics. She also credited a science teacher for encouraging her. She used her personal website to share information about her work and offered advice for families of autistic people. Many people with hypersensitivity have used her squeeze machine, also known as a hug machine, to calm themselves. A number of studies have found the machine provides some benefits.

Grandin found success throughout her career. She drew attention outside of her field in 2010 when HBO released the film Temple Grandin. Actress Claire Danes portrayed the biologist in the Emmy Award–winning film. Grandin attended the award ceremony and took the stage, where she briefly spoke to the crowd. Also in 2010, she was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world. She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016. Grandin was featured as a guest speaker at a number of events, and she participated in numerous social media events, including Google Hangouts and discussions on Reddit.

Grandin has received many awards and honors for her work. In February 2017, she was named to the National Women's Hall of Fame. She was one of ten women inducted that year. The honor is restricted to American citizens whose contributions are of enduring value and of national or global significance. In 2020, she received the University Distinguished Professor award at Colorado State University. In 2023, she received an honorary Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Kansas State University and a Doctor of Science degree from Iowa State University. Grandin also received the 2024 Outstanding Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award from the Denver Business Journal.

Her 2022 book, Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions, was a New York Times Best Seller. Grandin continued to work as a professor of animal science at Colorado State University into the 2020s.

Impact

Grandin's work as a consultant has greatly changed the way animals in industry are housed and handled. She has advocated for humane treatment of animals, and her ideas and designs for slaughterhouse facilities became the standard in the industry. According to her website, half the cattle in the United States are handled in facilities Grandin designed.

She also believes individuals with all abilities contribute to society. She advocates for training for teachers of children with autism so they can help children learn in the way best for the individual. She has written several books to encourage children and adults to understand how they learn and celebrate their individuality.

Personal Life

Grandin expressed aversion to interpersonal relationships. She characterized herself as a visual communicator and found interpersonal communication, in particular verbal communication, difficult.

Bibliography

"Biography: Temple Grandin, Ph.D." Dr. Temple Grandin's Web Page, www.grandin.com/temple.html. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Dimas, Jennifer. "Temple Grandin Named to the National Women's Hall of Fame." Source Colorado State University, 10 Feb. 2017, source.colostate.edu/temple-grandin-named-national-womens-hall-fame/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Grandin, Temple. "Society Is Failing Visual Thinkers, and That Hurts Us All." The New York Times, 9 Jan. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/01/09/opinion/temple-grandin-visual-thinking-autism.html. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

"Livestock Handling Systems, Cattle Corrals, Stockyards, and Races." Dr. Temple Grandin's Web Page, www.grandin.com/design/design.html. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.