Temple Grandin: How autism helps to understand animals
We’re digging into the archives for this gem of a podcast! In 2015 the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Temple Grandin. We spoke about her life, her experience of autism, and passion for animal science.
Doctor Temple Grandin was diagnosed with autism as a child. She went on to pursue work in psychology and animal science. Listen here to learn more about her life, what led her to her career, and the work she does to improve animal welfare for livestock.
Dr. Temple Grandin
Grandin believes having autism gives her the ability to understand animals in a way most other people don’t.
“My cognitive style is more like how an animal is,” she says, explaining how she thinks more visually than most people.
As she grew up, she says she started learning how people around her looked at the world differently.
“When I was a teenager, I thought everybody thought in pictures the same way I did. I didn’t know that my thinking was different,” says Grandin.
This different kind of thinking led Grandin towards consulting the livestock industry. Her goal was to create the development of humane livestock holdings for cattle and other livestock.
More resources
Find out more about how animals can benefit mental health! Spread the word and help end the stigma around mental health.