Temple Grandin

From the beginning of her life, there were signs that Temple Grandin was different. As a baby, she seemed to pull away from others’ touch. She did not speak until she was five years old, and even then, she spoke haltingly. In her youth, Grandin often resorted to tantrums out of frustration. Grandin experienced sensory overload, like many people with autism: Simple things like the feel of her clothing, sudden or loud noises, and groups of people could make her feel overwhelmed.

Nevertheless, even as a young person, Grandin found ways to deal with and get around the difficulties she faced. For instance, she found that twirling in circles—sometimes for long periods of time—helped calm her down. She also realized that she more naturally thought in visual terms rather than abstract and language-oriented ways. In kindergarten, she was asked to sort a series of images: While the other children in her class sorted them alphabetically, by letter (such as grouping an image of an apple and an ape), Grandin instead sorted them by category. In her adult life, Grandin has further learned to excel despite her difficulties. She has become a renowned consultant to the cattle industry, designing inventions and systems that help ensure cattle are treated humanely.