Temple Grandin was diagnosed with Autism as a child. She did not talk until she was three and a half years old. At age four, doctors said Dr. Grandin should be institutionalised, but today Temple Grandin is a world-renowned Professor of animal science and her influence on stockyard design is seen as revolutionary. When she was young, she was considered weird and teased and bullied in high school. The only place she had friends was activities where there was a shared interest such as horses, electronics, or model rockets. Mr. Carlock, her science teacher, was an important mentor who encouraged her interest in science. When she had a new goal of becoming a scientist, she had a reason for studying. So what has made Dr Grandin so successful? Her Autism. In her TedTalk, she describes how she sees in 'pictures' and not just one, arbitrary generic picture but rather a series of explicitly detailed photos - like "Google images" she says. Seeing in pictures has helped her work in designing cattle handling facilities. She said that because of her visual thinking Autistic mind, she could 'test run' a piece of equipment in her mind. Visual thinking gave her an insight into the animal's, mind since animals depend on their senses like visual elements, hearing and smells. She would place herself in the position of the cattle on their journey and record the visual elements that they face. She can place herself in the 'eyes' of cattle during holding, handling and transport, seeing the elements that cause them fear and distress. As the number of children diagnosed with Autism continues to rise globally, Grandin is sharing her message about the disorder and “differently-abled brains” world wide. At the heart of that message is this: Rigid academic and social expectations could wind up stifling a mind that, while it might struggle to conjugate a verb, could one day take us to distant stars. “Parents get so worried about the deficits that they don't build up the strengths, but those skills could turn into a job,” said Grandin. Just like what happened to her. Temple makes the case that the world needs people on the Autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of smart geeky kids. She has become a prominent author and speaker on both Autism and animal behavior and she has been named one of Time Magazine's most influential people and her life is the subject of an award-winning movie called "Temple Grandin" starring Claire Danes.
The world needs all kinds of minds
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