Temple Grandin got down on her hands and knees in the middle of the cattle pen. She wanted to see everything from a cow’s perspective. It was 1980 and Temple was experimenting with a new type of cattle handling system — a “curved chute” — used by ranchers to move cattle along in a controlled manner for purposes such as vaccinations or branding.

Temple has always felt a special connection with animals. In fact, sometimes it’s easier for her to relate to animals than to people. The reason — Temple has autism. So she decided to study animal behavioral science. She also used the unique characteristics of her autistic brain, such as her visual thinking and fixation on problems, to her advantage.

As Temple made her way through the cattle chute on her hands and knees, she took mental pictures of what she saw. She would analyze them later, to see if there were any flaws in her design. Temple is a visual thinker, similar to animals. She thinks in pictures rather than words. And she can replay her thoughts over and over, tweaking something to envision how it will play out. It allows her to see things that other people miss and understand why animals do what they do. No detail is too small for Temple’s mind.

As Temple sat in her experimental curved chute, she tried to anticipate the cattle’s reaction. She had observed cattle for years and knew how they thought. Specifically, she looked for details that would trigger fears in the cattle — shadows, direct sunlight, bright colors, reflections, clanging metal, jiggling chains, high pitched noises, air drafts, items fluttering in the wind, etc. Even the smallest detail could spook the cattle and cause a big problem.

Temple went on to make a career out of her special connection with animals. In fact, she was a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University for over 25 years. Over the years, Temple designed more humane livestock handling equipment that reduced the stress and injury to livestock. For example, her “curved chute” has been adopted worldwide, from small ranchers to massive slaughterhouses. Today, over half the cattle in the US are handled in facilities Temple has designed. All because of her unique, autistic brain. 

The Power of the Wand

Temple Grandin had a remarkable career as a professor, autism activist, inventor, and author. She embraced the different ways that her mind works and chose a career that took advantage of her strengths. Today, there are a number of resources for kids and teens with autism to learn, grow and develop their unique skills. Touchscreen devices (such as an iPad) have revolutionized how people with disabilities are able to interact with the world. And there are countless apps to help develop communication and social skills. For example, 12-year-old Annalisa Urena developed an app to help children with autism called Creative Mind. Her goal was to help kids express their emotions in everyday conversations. 

Her Yellow Brick Road

Temple didn’t notice how hot it was outside. Really hot. She was spending the summer after her junior year of high school at her Aunt Anna’s cattle ranch in Arizona. It had quickly became her favorite place in the whole world. She sat in the blazing sun, fixated on the cattle “squeeze chute” before her.

A squeeze chute is a metal box with moveable sides. It’s used to keep cows calm and safe while they were vaccinated. After a cow is brought into the squeeze chute, a ranch hand closes the gate and then slowly presses the walls until they put gentle, yet deep pressure on the cow’s sides. Temple watched it all and was mesmerized by how the cow calmed down immediately.

Temple Grandin in Cattle Squeeze (US Patent Office)

Temple wondered — could it do the same for her? She wanted to try it. So she convinced her Aunt Anna to let her try it. Temple climbed into the squeeze chute while her Aunt Anna had the controls. Anna squeezed the sides until Temple said it was enough deep pressure. Then Temple sat there for about 10 minutes. She felt her body resist at first, then give in. Her nervous system was finally calm. What a new and wonderful feeling!

When Temple returned in the fall for her senior year of high school, she was still fixated on the squeeze chute. Her science teacher, Mr. Carlock, helped turn that fixation into something constructive. He used Temple’s fixation to motivate her to study science and psychology, as well as encourage her to find scientific research about sensory input and stimulation.

Then, Mr. Carlock helped Temple build her own “Hug Machine.” They made it from plywood and foam, and it provided comforting pressure to the entire body. The key, however, was for Temple to have total control over it — she needed to find the right pressure that was calming but yet stop if it became to intense.

Temple’s Hug Machine (Therafin Corporation)

Temple’s Hug Machine was a completely new idea and a little controversial. In fact, her mother didn’t like the idea of it. And the school psychologist wanted her to stop using it. But Temple couldn’t stop using the Hug Machine because it helped her. She finally felt at home in her own skin. Even the cat noticed the change in Temple and stopped running away from her.

Temple’s interest in her Hug Machine continued in college. In fact, it’s part of the reason that she decided to study psychology — she needed to understand why the Hug Machine was so helpful for her. And she wanted to prove that the benefit was real, and that it might help other people as well. So she designed a research experiment and found 40 college students to give the Hug Machine a try. She found that 62% of the students found the Hug Machine to be relaxing for about 10-15 minutes (after that, it made them anxious and they wanted to get out).

Temple used her Hug Machine for many years. Then it broke and she never fixed it. By then, Temple didn’t feel like she needed it anymore — she was more accepting of physical touch and better able to express her feelings.

Today, the science behind Temple’s Hug Machine has become widely accepted. And it is the basis of many deep pressure therapies therapies for people with autism — weighted blankets; squeeze vests; deep tissue stimulation from foam rollers or other inputs are just a few.

Brains, Heart & Courage 

Temple was born in 1947, before much was known about autism. She had many of the classic symptoms, however — she didn’t speak until she was about 4 years old; she preferred to be alone; she avoided human touch; she was sensitive to noise; she could be hyperactive; and she tended to fixate on specific toys.

When Temple was three years old, her parents brought her to a neurologist. He suggested speech therapy and sent them on their way. Her mom thought she needed more, however, and took matters into her own hands. Besides speech therapy, she sought alternative methods to further Temple’s development, and taught Temple how to read using phonics.

Temple attended a private elementary school, which provided the individual attention that she needed. School was hard, however — she had a speech impediment; couldn’t relate to other children; and expressed herself through temper tantrums. As a result, she was constantly teased and bullied. And junior high school was more of the same.

When Temple reached adolescence, she started to struggle with severe anxiety and panic attacks. She was constantly on edge, probably due to overstimulation. It got so bad that she became physically ill. During this time, Temple found that vestibular stimulation and intense pressure helped — in the form of a carnival ride. One summer, she went on the “Rotor,” a spinning barrel ride (similar to Disney’s Mad Tea Cup ride). Temple found the intense stimulation to be comforting, which helped her better understand her condition and develop some self-calming techniques.

Temple Grandin (US Patent Office)

Temple’s mom searched far and wide for a high school that would help Temple to manage her disability and reach her full potential. And she found an unconventional boarding school in Vermont that specialized in gifted children — Mountain Country School. The school sat on almost 2,000 acres of land, with a dairy barn and horse stables.

Mountain Country School was small, with only 32 students. Temple preferred spending time with the animals rather than her classmates. Her favorite activity was horseback riding (she could relate to animals better than people). School continued to be difficult for her. In fact, she nearly failed her freshman year. But then Temple met a science teacher named Mr. Carlock, whose influence changed her life.

Glinda’s Gallery

Just the Facts

• Mary Temple Grandin was born on August 29, 1947 in Boston and grew up with three siblings. During her childhood, she received speech therapy for many years and struggled in school. She attended high school at Mountain Country School, a private boarding school for gifted children in Vermont. 
• Temple earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Franklin Pierce College; Masters degree in animal science from Arizona State University; and a PhD in Animal Science from the University of Illinois.
• Temple has designed facilities for livestock that are used all around the world. Especially the curved chute and racing systems. She has also created an objective scoring system for assessing the handling of livestock during slaughter — most large corporations use it to improve animal welfare. 
• Over the years, Temple has shared her experience with autism and become recognized as an expert. Her openness about her condition has helped thousands of people develop a better understanding of autism.
• Temple has written over 400 articles in both scientific journals and livestock periodicals as well as more than 5 books, including: Emergence: Labeled Autistic; The Autistic Brain; Animals in Translation; Animals Make Us Human; Calling All Minds; and Thinking in Pictures. 
• Temple has earned a number of awards over the years, including:  
• Time’s Most Important People of the Year in 2010 
  • 2004 Proggy Award by PETA
  • Double Helix Medal in 2011
  • Inducted into Women’s Hall of Fame in 2017
  • Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers in 2009 & American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2018
  • Honorary fellow of the Society for Technical Communication in 2015 
  • Honorary degrees from Carnegie Mellon University; McGill University in Canada, & Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences 
• A movie was made about Temple’s live — “Temple Grandin” was released by HBO in 2010 and won 7 Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. 

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