Temple Grandin
I worked with autistic children for years at a state hospital, and when I retired I had the time to better understand dogs, horses, chipmunks and other animals (including me). I admire Temple Grandin, a brilliant, highly educated autistic woman, hugely talented and Spock-logical. In her book, “Animals in Translation,” Grandin explains how her mind works, and how she ‘reads’ other autistic children, and yes, cattle minds, too. She’s a staunch advocate of their humane treatment, especially at the end of their lives.
Chicago slaughterhouses had always had a terrible time getting cattle to go up the ramps, around tight corners, and finally into the slaughterhouse. The beasts would shy away, panic or, in the noise and confusion, try to climb out and gallop away. Terrible smells added to the general mayhem. Grandin, with her acute sensitivity toward the ways animals signal fear and distress, got down on her knees and made the journey, ‘becoming’ the cattle. She found all sorts of scary things to shy away from and generally become distressed over-creaks, noise, shadows, bad smells - so she redesigned everything that had to do with conveying cattle to their deaths- a huge project that the corporation was extremely reluctant to undertake. But oh, what a huge difference her patented design made. Cattle walked their last mile calmly, chewing their grass bits. Each was dispatched painlessly, out of sight and sound of the animal following behind it. Quiet fans blew away the scent of blood. Her innovative design sparked a revolution in how slaughterhouses work. Almost every business has switched to her method.
Her mother was extremely reluctant to institutionalize her as the doctors advised, and instead, altered her way of learning to function by picking creative, patient private teachers. Comfortable with Grandin’s unique inner world, they were able to respond creatively to her particular needs.
I’ve included a link below to a fine article from Wikipedia explaining this remarkable woman’s life. By the way, she’s earned an excellent living creating remarkable inventions, like her ‘hugging machine,’ which helps calm and relax frantic autistic children.
- Click Here to Read Wikipedia Article about Temple Grandin -
And:
- Click Here to Visit Temple Grandin's Website -