"I AM DIFFERENT, NOT LESS": HONORING TEMPLE GRANDIN FOR WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY | APRIL 2ND, 2023

The Center For Disease Control (CDC) states that 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. 

On August 29th, 1947, Mary Temple Grandin was born. 

The doctors diagnosed Temple with autism in 1950. The doctors told her she could never speak, read, or write and suggested to Temple’s parents that they should institutionalize her. However, Temple proved people otherwise. Temple could successfully talk in complete sentences at three and a half years old. 

Getting a sewing job at 13, cleaning horse stalls at 15, and learning how to work led to her career interests. Temple’s original career goals were to work as an experimental psychologist interested in optical illusions. 

However, things were planned differently. 

By exposing Temple to animals at a young age, she could understand animals because she realized that animals and people with autism thought things in images, whereas most people thought in words and phrases. 

Years later, Temple received a Bachelor's in Human Psychology, Masters in Animal Science, and a Ph.D. in Animal Science. As time passed, Temple developed a love for animals, and she is now renowned for her major advocacy efforts for the more ethical treatment of animals. 

However, Temple’s efforts did not just stop at the advocacy for animals. She invented various systems for treating animals with compassion and respect while upholding ethical standards that are now being used today. Some of these inventions include designing an animal handling system that helps animals have less pain and fear, particularly at slaughterhouses. 

In honor of World Autism Awareness Day‌‌, thank you, Dr. Temple Grandin, for being one of the most well-known accomplished adults with autism who is deeply passionate about animals. Thank you for inspiring those never to give up and keep being resilient. 

References

"Data & Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 8 Mar. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html.

Temple Grandin. "Official Website of Dr. Temple Grandin." templegrandin.com, accessed 24 Mar. 2023, https://www.templegrandin.com/.

"Temple Grandin: Heroine to Autism Community Brings Humanity to Animal Science." American Association for the Advancement of Science, 19 Apr. 2019, https://www.aaas.org/membership/member-spotlight/temple-grandin-heroine-autism-community-brings-humanity-animal-science.

"5 Questions: Temple Grandin Discusses Autism, Animal Communication and Thinking Like a Cow." Stanford Medicine News Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, 11 Nov. 2014, https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2014/11/5-questions--temple-grandin-discusses-autism--animal-communicati.html.

By: Himanshi Kapoor