Revolutionizing food-animal welfare. Innovation in livestock handling. A champion for autistic individuals and families. Dr. Temple Grandin, an autistic herself, has done this all.
Dr. Grandin was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Eustacia Cutler and Richard Grandin on August 29, 1947, and grew up with another sister. She did not start speaking until the age of 3, and was diagnosed with autism at 4. Dr. Grandin went on to graduate in 1966 from Hampshire Country School, a boarding school for gifted children, and going to Franklin Pierce College to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1970. She earned a master’s degree in animal science from Arizona State University, and a doctoral degree in animal science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1989.
Dr. Grandin has become a huge advocate for animal welfare. Studies on the behavior of cattle, how they react to ranchers, movements, objects and light were headed by her, leading to developments on adapted curved corrals, which lead to reduction of stress, panic, and injury of slaughtered animals. One of the most notable essays Dr. Grandin has published is “Animals Are Not Things”, stating that even though animals are property in today’s society, the law gives them ethical protection and rights. Owning cows is compared to owning a screwdriver, stating that “both may be used to serve human purposes in many ways, but when it comes to inflicting pain, there is a vital distinction between such ‘properties’: legally a person can smash or grind up a screwdriver, but cannot torture an animal legally”. Because of the insight into the cattle, Dr. Grandin has been able to design humane animal-handling equipment, leading to becoming a fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
Dr. Grandin also advocates on the rights of autistic individuals; believing in early intervention to address autism and reaching out to supporting teachers who can “direct fixations of the child with autism in fruitful directions”. Dr. Grandin also does not support a cure for the autism spectrum. As stated in the TED talk Dr. Grandin gave in 2010, “the world need all kinds of minds”. Her website also features updates on her lectures, books she publishes, and advice for autistic individuals.
Dr. Grandin has received many honors, including being listed in the Time 100, receiving a Double Helix Medal, and receiving honorary degrees from many universities including Carnegie Mellon University, McGill University, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. A short semi-biographic was also made in her honor titled ‘Temple Grandin’ which won 30 awards and 27 nominations.
As a world-renewed and sought-out speaker on animal welfare and autism rights, Dr. Grandin truly is a pioneer and a hero for many.