Temple Grandin — a tireless speaker, prolific author, and distinguished professor of animal science at Colorado State University — is often circled by students on the Fort Collins campus. She is flagged down by fans at the airport. And she is surrounded by admirers at agriculture conferences and gatherings for families of children with autism.
She is a pioneer in food-animal welfare who has achieved global distinction with insights attained from her own autism. Chief among them is her ability — gained through visual thinking — to understand livestock behavior and to design effective and humane handling systems used by suppliers of some of the world’s largest food purveyors.
“Who would have ever predicted that an autistic woman would come along and transform how we handle our animals? I think that’s why she is such a great hope for families in the autism community,” said Janet Riley, one of Grandin’s friends and colleagues. “She’s a rock star.”…