When Temple Grandin was born, her parents knew that she was different. It wasn't until years later that she was diagnosed with autism, a brain disorder that makes communication difficult. Today, Dr. Temple Grandin is a brilliant scientist and professor of animal science at Colorado State University. Her world-changing career has revolutionized the livestock industry--each year, half the cattle in the United States are handled in cruelty-free facilities she has designed. She is also a passionate advocate for autism, using her experience to prove that people with this disorder can have "normal" lives. To achieve this unprecedented success, Temple used a unique ability: she thinks visually, the same way animals do. Because she thinks in pictures, she can see the world as a cow, or a dog, or a pig might see it. And so she knows that animals raised for food deserve good lives and should be treated with respect. Now she gives them their voices.
Temple Grandin / Sy Montgomery
“Temple Grandin is one of the most well-known autistic people in the world. In a distinctive voice Meredith Mitchell tells children the story of Grandin’s difficult yet accomplished life. Mitchell depicts the struggle Grandin’s mother experienced when her husband wanted to send Temple to a mental institution after she was diagnosed. Instead, her mother enrolled her in public school and treated her as normally as possible throughout her development. Mitchell methodically describes Grandin’s ability to think visually, which led to her ability to think in picture format and comprehend how animals view their experiences. This was key to her approach to reducing animal cruelty in the livestock industry. The story of Dr. Temple Grandin's long journey from autistic child to professor of animal science at Colorado State University is articulately delivered.” ~AudioFile (B.J.P.)