Different not Less
In 1950s, she was misdiagnosed as brain damaged, which meant she would be institutionalized. She was formally diagnosed as Autistic only in adulthood. Still, no one ever expected her to be successful in mainstream society, however Temple Grandin went on to become prominent scientist and animal behaviorist.
As a child Grandin could only communicate in pictures, she couldn’t to connect to peers or teachers, she barely avoided institutionalization, when her mother sent her to speech therapy at 3 and Grandin. She was anxious and lonely for most her childhood and adolescence.
If I can snap my finger and be non autistic, I would not. Autism is part of what I am. — Dr.Temple Grandin
Her turning point came when Grandin started spending summers at her aunt’s farm. She would interact with farm cattle and felt connected to them in a way she couldn’t connect to people.
At Farm Temple spotted cattle held in a squeeze chute, a device that holds cattle tightly, while they wait to be examined or given veterinary treatment. Like all children, Temple wanted to be hugged to help her feel safe and secure. However, Temple, being autistic, couldn’t stand being hugged by human as it would give her panic attacks, so she built a prototype for herself. She would use it for 15 minutes and it made her calmer.
Temple grew curious as to why her hugging machine would work. She became obsessed with how touch and pressure affect an autistic child. Being outcast meant she had ample time to read and research, even though reading textbooks took her longer than “normal” children, it helped her to improve her learning skills. Though not stellar, she progressed through high-school.
As her learning abilities through research and reading improved, Temple was eventually able to graduate University in with a Master’s in animal science.
The world knows her today as Professor, Inventor, best-selling author, and spokesperson. She is currently Professor for Animal science at Colorado State University. She has been named as top 10 professors in US; she was listed in 2010 in Times 100 among 100 most influential people in the world under Heroes category. She has authored more than 60 scientific papers on animal behavior, and she is one of the few autistic people to publish their first-hand accounts on autism. From a girl who couldn’t speak until 4 to becoming a proponent for autism and empathy for animals, Temple has achieved and contributed immensely to our society.
“Nature is cruel but we don’t have to be” — Temple Grandin
Reference:
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/temple-grandin-her-struggles-yak-yaks-flna1c9442451
