Temple Grandin

My name is Temple Grandin. I'm not like other people. I think in pictures and I connect them. - There she is! - Temple! It's hot! Come on, dear. You're holding up the other passengers! I can see the heat! - Temple! - Sandy, over here. Do people live here? The wolf is growling and the man with the shotgun says to Illya Kuryakin, "Would you like for me to open the gate?" I'm sorry, Temple, you lost me. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The Gazebo in the Maze. The wolf is growling and the man with the shotgun says to Illya Kuryakin, "Would you like for me to open the gate?" "Would you like for me to open the gate?" You okay? - Aunt Ann, what is this place? - Just holding pens. You don't have those on the East Coast, huh? Is this where they slaughter them? Yes, it is. "Would you like for me to open the gate?" "Would you like for me to open the gate?" Yes. Yes, please. Open the gate, please, Temple. - Would you like for me to open that gate? - Yes! That's it! Come on, Temple. Temple? Come on, git! There they are. Temple made it okay. - Say hi to your Uncle Mike. - Hi, Temple. I just been telling Billy here all about our summer visitor. - Are you a cowboy? - Excuse my niece. That's not how we greet people, Temple. You know better than that. Hello, I'm Temple. It's very nice to meet you. Hello, I'm Temple. It's very nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, too. Ma'am. Thanks for this. I'll replace it tomorrow. Yeah. No rush. I got spares. Do you get The Man from U.N.C.L.E.? Let me show you your room. These okay here? And I put all my science fiction books there. - How do I know this is my room? - Because we say so. It's your room. Okay? Okay. So, Temple, you excited about college? That's something. - Thank you. - I can't eat that. I have colitis. I get it from nervousness. - I eat pudding and Jell-O. - I know. Your mom said. So you didn't answer Mike's question. Are you excited about going to college? I want to stay in high school. I like my science teacher. Dr. Carlock's very smart and he's been to college. So I don't understand why I have to move to learn what he probably already knows. The dessert spoons and teaspoons go in different sections. I did that. You know, your uncle can't tell them apart. And sometimes I can't either. They're different. Yes, they are. I think it's time for bed, young lady. We get up with the rooster around here. - You got everything? - This is my room. Yes, it is. - So, good night. - I don't want you to do that. I'm sorry. I forgot. No hugs. Good night then. - Hello? - Did I wake you? - Of course not. - Who is it? It's Ann! Guess what I found balled up in the bottom of Temple's closet? A lovely summer frock she didn't want? It's taken me an age to iron it. I'll mail it in the morning. If you couldn't get her to pack it, I'm not sure I can get her to wear it. The other one came off the minute she arrived. How is she? - She's good. - Tell me. She... She got tense when Mike mentioned college, but... No, but then she calmed down and she went off to bed just fine. Stop worrying. Temple's my job for the summer. Worry about the others. I'm sure she's gonna have a great time. You do remember, though, something's gonna set her off. Temple? Temple! Temple, I could really use a hand here! So any idea what your major might be? Science, probably psychology. You don't have to decide just yet, do you? - It's better than boarding school. - That's great. - Lots of choices... - Danny's looking at you. See? He can see all around without moving his head. - So how do you know where he's looking? - His ears. He points his ears where he's looking. See? He's looking at you. And he's looking at those cowboys. See? Now I've got his attention. Now he's looking at me. You're right. How'd you figure that out? - There you go! - What are they doing? What is this thing? It holds her still so Billy can inoculate her. What happened to it? It calmed down. They just like it. It gentles them. Stand still and they'll come to you. Won't harm you. Just curious. Can't help themselves. Are you worried about keeping up with the other students? - No. I'm not stupid. - I didn't say you were. - Is it moving away from home? - Hold it straighter. Why don't you want to go to college? People. I don't understand people. At least the people at school know I don't understand them - and some of them are my friends anyway. - What don't you understand? Girls get all goofy over boys. They talk about silly pop groups and clothes and say things like, "Why are you so grumpy?" when I'm happy. And I say, "I'm happy." And they say, "Well, you don't look happy." And I say, "Can't you see I'm thinking? And can't you see I'm sad?" And I don't know what they're talking about. What do you look like when you're happy? Like this. No. That's not what you looked like when you were telling me about The Man from U.N.C.L.E. You looked like this. That's funny looking. Happy. And that's you angry. Happy. I'm happy in that one. I'd say more satisfied. Satisfied. Maria, can you give me a hand here? Temple! Temple! Close it on me. - Temple, let's get you out of... - Close it on me! - Don't be silly! - Please! Close the sides. Close the sides. Please! Harder! More! Did you see Temple's handiwork at the gate? Isn't that the darndest thing? Hi. - Hi, darling. - Hi. All these years Ann's been bugging me, like I could ever come up with that! Is that it? Is that what Temple's been using? Yes, it is. I know, it looks horrible, but it helps her. I'll go find Temple. Temple! That's mine. That's Temple's. She's had a great summer. You won't believe the things she's fixed. - She's wonderful with the cattle. - Yeah. I... I appreciate that. I should warn you, she has her mind set on staying. That's not an option. Ann. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to attack you, especially when you've been so generous all summer. Temple? Temple? Temple. Temple! How was your trip, Mother? You made good time. It was long. Thank you for asking. You ready for college? I think I'd rather stay here. We've talked about this. Sweetheart, you're gonna be fine. No one expected it. It's nothing short of a miracle. It's a miracle! Temple, this way. - Can I get that for you? - Thank you. - I don't have a roommate. - No, no, no. Your roommate is coming in another couple of weeks. Remember? Everyone else has a roommate! Well, then, why don't you just think of it as a chance to settle in, sweetheart? - Think I'll go back home! - Temple. I know that this is strange and new, - but you're going to be all right. - I don't want to stay here! Try and stay calm. It's all right. Try and calm down, all right? I'm going to give you a moment to yourself. - What's wrong? - Is she all right? Interested in playing with other children? No, not really. Plays with toys, dolls? She loves to rip things. And no speech yet at the age of... Four. She's four. No, not yet. - I'm sure it's just a phase, but... - Your child is clearly autistic. - Autistic. I'm... I'm not familiar... - She's an infantile schizophrenic. Infantile... So... So when would she grow out of it? I mean, what's the next step for... We generally recommend an institution. For how long? I'm not sure I would like that. I really... I... I wouldn't want to miss her first words. She probably will never speak. And I'm afraid there is no course of treatment. I'm talking about institutionalization. But... I mean, she... She was a perfectly normal baby and then later she changed. So I need to know how, why. I'm not sure you'd... Perhaps if you had your husband call me. My husband is a very busy man and I graduated from Harvard, - so why don't you try me? - I'm sorry. It's been suggested that it may be a lack of bonding with the mother, that at a crucial phase, the mother was cold, aloof, when the child most needed physical affection. But that is not what happened. We have another child and she is not like this, and I did not do anything different. Temple rejects me. I... I want to hug her and she won't let me. I'm supposed to have done this. Well, then, I can undo it. - You just tell me what to do. - As I said, I recommend institutionalization. Here's a list of facilities that we recommend. Dog. Dog. Temple. Dog. Temple. Cat. Cat. Temple, try. Mommy. Mommy. I know you can hear me. All right. I think Mommy needs a five-minute break. Okay? Okay. No. I don't want to study French. I want to learn science. Read the page, please. Read it. And what did it say? You... You learned it? I just looked at it. Then I have the page in my mind and can read off the page. I see pictures and connect them. Hey, save me a seat! Let me see. Come out here. - John, I got one for you. - Coming through. Watch out! I only eat Jell-O and yogurt! I only... I only eat Jell-O and yogurt! You see her? Excuse me? I'm your roommate. What are you doing? It's a machine I just made. It feels like a hug. Do you want a hug? It feels really good. So when you got in your machine, did it make you feel like a cow? No, I didn't feel like a cow. But it gave you pleasure. It made me feel good, gentle. - The hug made you feel good. - Yes. - But you don't like to be touched by people. - No. Do you like to touch yourself? Touching myself's okay. But when the squeeze machine touches you, - it feels better? - Yes. It gives you release? Yes, there is release. - But I need it! - Let's take it down. - I built it! It's mine! - What's all the noise? - Wait! Stop it! - Pervert. - Got it? Okay. - Yeah, I got it. Twenty three hours, 59 minutes and four, three, two, one. Zero hour, Mr. Solo! Hey! What are you doing? Stop! I said stop! She says she's not going back after spring break unless she can take it with her. - Are you still there? - Yes. And I really don't think it's a good idea. It works for her. It's everything we've been struggling to get away from. They were perfectly clear. No devices in her room. Could there be a better way to mark her as a weirdo and an oddball? Just let us try, okay? So that's it. Okay! It makes me gentle. She's a different person after just 15 minutes. A different person? How can you explain that? I can't explain why the machine works, but I know it's not sexual. As Temple says, it calms her. Look, all this does is to convince me that we're not equipped to deal with Ms. Grandin's needs. It makes her a better student. She's able to concentrate, to interact with others more easily... This isn't very scientific. - There is no empirical evidence... - I can do an experiment. I can... I can see how it works on other people. I can measure heart rates. I think it'll work on everyone. Let's talk frankly. I'm not sure you can get anything from being at Franklin Pierce. Listen to what she's saying. She wants to do her own science experiment, something you can evaluate in her psychology course. I have a pen and a clipboard. Time. Do you feel, A, claustrophobic, B, constricted, C, no different, D, comfortable, E, relaxed? - What was the one before last? - D, comfortable. - Yes, I'm quite comfortable. - Okay. C, no different. A, claustrophobic! I guess I feel relaxed. Very relaxed. Oh, my God. "F" for "Freak." Hello? Hampshire Country School? I need to speak to Dr. Carlock! Dr. Carlock? Yes. Please hold. - You're doing great. - I'm going. Here, piggy, piggy, piggy. - You're such a good boy. - Please, here, take this. I'll take these. Welcome. Excuse the mess. We just had a staff meeting. Good. They're here. Temple Grandin, I would like you to meet Mr. Hodges. He is our mathematics teacher. Temple, come here. Hello, I'm Temple. It's very nice to meet you. This is Mademoiselle Davide. She is our French teacher. Hello, I'm Temple, very nice to meet you. Hi, I'm Dr. Carlock. I teach science. - Are you a scientist? - Temple. Hello, I'm Temple, it's very nice to meet you. Are you a scientist? I used to work for NASA. Temple's very interested in science. I'd like to meet Belka and Strelka. They're the first dogs to come back from space alive. That's right. - In Sputnik 5, August 20th, 1960. - Sputnik 5, August 20th, 1960. We're changing schools mid-term because Temple's been expelled. I'm sorry, why was she expelled, again? Hitting another child with a book. There's no excuse, but I will say this in her defense. I have never seen her strike unless she's been provoked. And other children have taunted and bullied her constantly. They make fun of her because she doesn't understand their jokes. She spins to comfort herself. She talks fast, often too fast, and she talks repetitively, and then the children called her a tape recorder. Then she'll go into a panic attack, and then they make fun of that, too. Excuse me. When was she diagnosed autistic? She was four, but I sometimes wonder if that's correct. Why do you say that? You've seen her, she's bright. We have a lot of experience with children with special needs, and emotional problems, neuro-behavioral issues that we've made a number... - I think that because of... - I'm so sorry. I really have wasted your time. I just can't do this to her. Mrs. Grandin. Mrs. Grandin. Mrs. Grandin! Mrs. Grandin, please! Can I speak with you for a moment, please? Mrs. Grandin, you don't strike me as the sort of person who would abuse their child or deny them love and care... I... Now, you wait. I have done everything that I can for Temple and if it isn't good enough, then it just isn't good enough. But you cannot even begin to imagine the chaos, the upheavals, the tantrums and the pain. Her pain. You seem to be acting as if you have done something wrong, when it's obvious you've done everything right. I think she's terrific. I know it's difficult when, as parents, we want our children to be everything we hoped for them to be and, if they're not, we think it's our fault and... And that there's never ever anybody out there who understands what we're going through. It makes you feel alone, right? Mrs. Grandin, I'm not an admissions person. I just teach science, but I feel that this school might be the right place for your daughter. I'd love to have her here. The doctors wanted me to institutionalize her and... I don't know. Just dumping her at a boarding school, it just feels like another way to give her up. But it's... It's not. It's just the first step in getting her out into the world. And I know you saw the children making fun of her - and you want to protect her. - Yeah, of course I do. Yeah, what parent doesn't want to? But at some point, she's going to hit life head on. And trust me, we know how different she is. Different, not less. Different, but not less. You watch. You'll... You'll make friends and you're gonna ride horses. - Okay? - Okay. Okay. What are you doing in with Chestnut? No one is to go near that horse! Can he be my horse? He likes being hugged. I want to ride him. You'll ride. Just not Chestnut. Why are there so many fish in France? French fish! French fish! Excellent work, Temple. Really excellent work. - French fish! - French fish! - French fish! - French fish! Hey! What happened here? - She hit him for no reason! - Temple. Come on, let's go. - And he's done it before! - Stop. Stop. Temple, stop. Temple, Tim will be punished for what he did, but you cannot hit people. You understand that? Good. And to really get that through to you, you will not ride for two weeks. - But that's not fair! - Two weeks. No, no. There's... There's nothing there. And he's been like this for three hours? I don't think there's anything anybody could have done. I'll send the boy around with the truck. Can you do it? I'll take care of it, Dad. Temple? Where do they go? I don't know. Heaven, maybe. Somewhere. Temple, when animals and people die, they stay with us in our minds. We can still see them. So I think it would be best not to remember Chestnut like this. Okay? I see Chestnut the day I arrived. I see grooming Chestnut. I see a picture of a horse just like Chestnut in a book. We passed a Chestnut horse on route 119 near a feed store. There was one on a calendar at Aunt Ann's, there was one in Life magazine - opposite the page of Mr. Kennedy... - Okay. Okay. Can you bring everything you've seen to your mind? Sure. Even if it were an everyday object, like, say, shoes? I see all the shoes I've worn, my mother's and other people I've met. And you have three pairs, one needs a new heel. And I see the newspaper ads and TV ads and... Can't you? - This girl has an amazing mind. - Try teaching her math. - Her algebra's hopeless. - Or French. - "Why are there so many fish in France?" - I want to show you something. She thinks in pictures. That's why she does so well when she can see the things that are being discussed. Like biology. Or... Or shop. Those are concrete things. But language or algebra? - It's just gibberish to her. - What's that? Do you want to see your "French fish"? "The eels ate." "Eel ate." French is full of "Eels." And this is what she sees. She's an amazing visual thinker. - Let me work with her. - Fine. We have five minutes left. Who wants to see a movie? - Yeah! - All right. - J.D., will you do the projector? - Okay. All right. Now everybody watch very carefully because this one is all about optical illusions. It comes as a distinct shock to most people when they realize how limited and how inaccurate the human senses really are. In this house, faces at the window seem to come in assorted sizes, don't they? That looks like Mr. Povey, doesn't it? But there's nothing wrong with the faces. It's those windows and what they're doing to your brain. All right, here we go. A small one and a tall one. Let's see if we can even things out a bit. - How do they do that? - Sit down! All right, please. Temple, sit down, please. J.D. That is the question, isn't it? "How did they do that?" Well, that's this week's assignment. I want one page, at least. - A full page? - All right, two? - No, no, no, no. - All right, one page. Okay. - They mess with the perspective! - That's right, Temple. And it was a room built with distorted perspective. - But how? - Well, do you think you could figure it out? Maybe if you visualized it? And if you build one, I'll give you extra credit. Yeah, okay. Hey! Weirdo! Does she have to chalk the walls? Look at her. - I can't do it! - I think you can, Temple. But I can't! I know, I know. I shouldn't shout. But measuring perspective didn't work! Hey, Leigh, these are the specifications you need. Success, Temple? No! Give me a clue, please! You have to think of all the features in the room, the walls, the floors, the ceilings, the doors. Got it! You've already gone through this, right? You saw... Well, you can tell that that's how she painted it. This is what she was working on the other day. I want to go through this. It's a strange optical illusion. Well, as you can see, the horses are the exact same size. And here is the room. Temple, congratulations. I think this deserves a round of applause. I think it deserves a celebration. Yeah! Five, four, three, two, one. Now, here's a question. If I wind this up and then let go, why doesn't the propeller stay still and the body of the plane spin around? That's simple. The resistance of the wings. - That's absolutely right. - And watch this. With no wings and just one plane of resistance, - you have a helicopter! - You're absolutely right. Temple. You have a very special mind, you know that? You see the world in ways that others can't, and that's quite an advantage. And you know something? If you weren't such a goof and you developed this talent, you could easily go on to college. What would I do at college? Well, with your mind, anything you wanted to. Pick a subject. Cows. Do they have colleges with cows? Yes, they do. And horses and pigs and goats and sheep and... Yeah, it's called animal husbandry. - Animal husbandry. - Yeah, and it deals with the care of animals. Really, anything you wanted. You could study people, psychology. I'd get to understand people? Well, that's the idea. I'll stay here. Temple, think of it as a door. A door that's going to open up onto a whole new world for you and all you need to do is decide to go through it. - Miss Grandin? - First off, I talked to my old teacher Dr. Carlock. And he said I should stress that it wasn't that I hadn't done the work, because I had, but I'd collected way too much data and backed it up with far too many citations, that I needed extra time just to make it coherent. But if you look at these results, you'll see that it's not just me, but in fact, a majority of people who become calmer when using my machine. And that really makes a clear case for me keeping it. And I should get a good grade. - Did your... - Certainly more than a pass. Did your previous teacher, Dr. Carlock, suggest the good grade? No, that's me. Leave it with me. This is very important work! You used a control group? They were tested resting, seated, and most of them got bored. Page four. This is excellent. And I think it will be a good grade. So I keep my machine. In that case, I'll stay. I would imagine your new roommate will want a say in whether you keep the machine. That's my squeeze machine. - Do I have to move it? - No. But don't ever move it and then I'll always know where it is. Okay. It's almost time for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. They play it in the rec room. Do you want to watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E.? You can't watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E. I do. I'd love to watch it. - Will you show me where it is? - Yeah, sure. Now Illya Kuryakin's trying to open the door, but it's locked. And now the floor's sliding under the room. There's a big drop to lots of spikes! That's the other kids in the room hissing. - Do you like Star Trek, too? - Yes. - Who's your favorite? - Mr. Spock. We have a lot in common. Maybe we can watch it on the radio. - They broadcast it for the blind. - They do? Let's watch it on the radio. You're quieter now. Is that because you're in your squeeze machine? I was just getting out. - Is my voice that different? - It is to me. Remember, I see you through your voice. Do you remember a lot of voices? Of course. But I remember the sounds of places, too. We're the same, only you have sounds and I have pictures. I'm off to class. I have French class. I hate it. That's why I'm in my squeeze machine. Your squeeze machine doesn't bother me. - Okay? - I know. Okay. Good luck. Thank you. Excuse me, is this seat taken? No. I've always wanted to understand the gentleness that other people feel by being hugged by their mothers. And now I've made a machine that lets me do that. It feels like a wire gets reconnected. Like something gets repaired. If it wasn't for my machine, I wouldn't be standing here today. Instead I'd be hiding in my room or spinning in circles to calm myself, or hitting someone. When I was younger, I closed myself off from people. I didn't even speak until I was four. There's a highfalutin name for this condition. Autism. But because of my machine, I'm able to know the kindness and love that have been given to me to reach this point in my life. Today more than ever, I realize I have not walked alone. And I thank not only my teachers, but my friends and family as well. As in the words of the song from Carousel. When you walk through a storm Hold your head up high And don't be afraid of the dark At the end of a storm is a golden sky And a sweet silver song of a lark Walk on through the wind Walk on through the rain Though your dreams be tossed and blown Walk on, walk on With hope in your heart And you'll never walk alone You'll never walk alone This is my door. It opens to another world. Arizona State students, gather around. All right. Come on, everybody. Come on down this way. Here we go. All right, come on in. Here we go. Here we go. Everybody, come on. Let's go. All right, come on in closer now. Gather around so you can hear. All right, class, listen up. This is Don Michaels. He runs the feedlot. Thanks, Professor. All right, what we got here at any one time is about 50, 52,000 head of cattle. Now, they gotta weigh 650 pounds to get in here. During the three or four months they spend here, they'll put on another 400 pounds before they move into the big house for slaughtering. Well, while they're here fattening up, we got to keep them healthy. So one of the first things we do when they come in off the range is put them through a dip, get rid of any bugs. - Excuse me there, buddy. You okay? - That's a girl. Miss Grandin. Miss, are you with us, here? - I was listening to the cattle. - Oh, yeah? Why are some mooing more loudly than others? I never heard so much mooing! Honey, I've been around cattle all my working life. About all I can tell you is that, just like the female of the species, cattle love to yammer and gossip or sulk. It's always just one thing or the other. - But like I was saying... - Well, there must be a reason. They're saying something. Well, I reckon you could get Dr. Dolittle on out here. He probably could tell you. While missy here is listening to what the cattle are saying to each other, why don't you boys step over here with me and see a dip in action? Now, the biggest problem you got with a dip vat is that cattle can swim all right unless they tip on over. Then them babies'll drown real fast on you unless you get a hold of them and haul them out. Get up there. Go! Well, there you go! See, this is what I was telling you. Jesus! Come on, boys. Earn your money! Hold them up over there! Hold them up! Come on, boys. We're gonna lose that baby. Roy! Roy, get a rope on this heifer and drag it out! Okay. Okay. Well, there you go. You'll see inside. It'll take more than that to kill a cow. - Get up! Get up! - Do you lose many? Well, we got to run 300 of them through here in an hour. I guess in a week, we'll lose one or two maybe. We're doing pretty good. Dolittle, how you holding up? Too much for you? They like to walk in circles. Well, what do you know, boys? Cattle like to walk in circles! Dang, give that girl a prize. It calms them down. They walk in circles away from the handlers. Maybe you ought to wait out here when we go inside. Go! Then when we have it in the cage, it just takes one knock to the head. So, Dolittle, what do you think? - Where does it go? - Meat processing. No, where does it go? It was here, and now it's meat. Where did it go? Professor, I think maybe your young lady here ought to consider another line of work. Mooing? You want to do research and write your master's on mooing? Curves. Cattle like curves. They don't moo at curves. Miss Grandin, when we accepted you, we were impressed you had excelled at your previous school. A master's thesis on mooing strikes me as a lowering of the bar and I, for one, will not be the first person to give you an easy ride because of your autism. - Come up with something... - Cattle are prey animals. My autism allows me to understand prey animals well. I can visualize the flight zones of cattle. A handler outside the flight zone can keep an animal circling in a calm and orderly manner. But stepping into the flight zone panics the cattle, and they change from soft moos to loud mooing. Like, prey animals don't make noises that will draw attention to them unless they're trying to warn other members of the herd. So they're warning each other they're going to be slaughtered? No. No. No, sir. The loud mooing is the same whether they're gonna be dipped, driven around a hard corner or taken to slaughter. I mean, they have no idea what's gonna happen to them... - I'm glad we agree on that. ...but they're spooked. And spooked cattle don't act straight. They get bruised, scraped, drowned, and that all costs money. And it takes a good half hour to calm a herd and that costs money, too. It's not a good way to run a stockyard. Well, I believe what's good for cattle is also good for business. Well, get the yard to sign off on it. - You mean Don. - That's who's in charge. Sorry, ma'am. No women on the lot. My name is Temple Grandin. I'm a grad student at Arizona State... That's the rules, ma'am. I'm a grad student at Arizona State and I was here last week. Complaints from cowboys' wives. They just don't want no women on the yard. I'm just doing my job. Ma'am, you're holding up the line. You're going to have to turn around and take it on off the lot. If you please. Don't come back. John Richmond, press, Ranchman magazine. Go on in. It's a door. It's another door. Thanks, ma'am. Take care. - Good morning. - Go on in. - Morning. - Go on in. - Hi, Sanch. - Hey. Hey, there. Good to have you back, son. Seems like a long time since you worked out here. Yeah, it does. - What is this, a Purple Heart? - Yeah, it is. We're real proud of you. Gee, Sanch, you didn't get all these just digging latrines. - No, sir. I was in Khe Sanh. - Good for you. Excuse me, sir. I need you to sign off on my master's thesis. - How'd you get in here? - They just waved me in. - What are you gonna research? - Agitation in cattle. Would that be mooing? You believe that crap? Since cattle are prey animals, loud mooing is a sign of... No way. Come on, Sanch, let's get some coffee. Say, did you bring back one of them little China gals with you? No, they wouldn't let me bring back one on the airplane none. You girls got the coffee ready in here? - We got a man that's thirsty. - Come on in! Do you have another entrance? - Pardon? - Do you have another entrance? No, ma'am. Do you have any Jell-O or yogurt? In the cooler. Right behind you, darling. By eating the weaker and slower ones, lions keep the antelope population strong and in proper proportion to all other animals. Light. Shadow. Reflections on puddle. I've eaten bulls' testicles! Ate them in my aunt's ranch. Regularly! This is a waste! Hey! You gotta remember to drink out here. Well, I have data on things that make them balk, like shadows, reflections on water, a chain glinting in the sun. - Is that right? - They won't walk into shaded areas. They need to see where they're going. I've lots of important information on all this and I need Mr. Michaels to sign off on it. Don? Don don't sign nothing. - I need Mr. Michaels to sign... - You're not hearing me right. Don don't sign nothing. I sign everything around here. His signature, but I do the signing. I'm not even sure if Don can write. Say, if you're interested in cattle and how cattle act, you shouldn't just hang around feedlots. You should be out on ranches, auctions, rodeos, that sort of thing. Got the big steer here. 1,000 pounds. Let's see what she got here. 20, 25, - Twenty five, 75, 25... - He looks mean. Twenty five. 75, 30, 30, 30, 30. Sold him. Pat 17. Lookit, here's mama here. Now, 75. 25, 25, 25. Sold him. Pat 21. Pat 21. The Arizona Ranchman. We got real estate. We got... Yeah, it's a good magazine. I'd like you to take a look at it. Help you out with all kinds of cattle questions. See you back here in about five minutes, okay? Excuse... It's all doors to new worlds. Excuse me, sir? Sir? I'm very pleased to meet you. I'm Temple Grandin, a Bachelor of Science, doing my master's here at Arizona State, currently studying in Scottsdale Feed Yards, and I was wondering if I could interest the Arizona Farmer-Ranchman periodical on a thesis I'm writing on control systems and cattle and why some work better than others and how they can tell the difference. How'd you get on with old Don Michaels over at Scottsdale? I told him I've eaten bull testicles, sir. Well, I will read anything you send in, Miss Grandin. In fact, here, take my card. You address it directly to me. Thank you, sir. Thank you! It's open. Sir, Scottsdale Feedlot signed off on my cattle agitation study. Smells like half the herd signed it first. - No, sir. Cattle can't do that. - And I don't need the magazine. I'm a subscriber. Well, I just wanted to make sure you saw my article on mooing as a guide to cattle agitation. Full thesis is still at the typist, but you should have it by Friday. Temple? - Let's go sing near the fire. - No, Ralf. Merry Christmas! Temple! Well, Master of Science. - Master of Science in Animal Science. - Fantastic. I'll bet you're glad to be back East. - I like the West. - So do I, but it isn't home, is it? What will you do with your master's? Your mother mentioned teaching maybe. Great new school over West Medford way. I have a lot more research to do and things to write. So... That's right, you've been published. You remember Scott? - Scott? - Scott? Scotty, over here. - I'll be right back. - He's our oldest boy. New York Magazine's taken a piece of his. You remember Scott? He used to spit in my Jell-O. I'm sure he didn't. Temple, tell Scott about your writing. I published two articles in the Arizona Farmer-Ranchman. - The Arizona... - The Arizona Farmer-Ranchman. One was on good moos and bad moos. The other was on head restraints in cattle chutes and killing pens. They're really badly designed. Just terrible systems. Just... It's lovely to see you, Temple. - Bye. - Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas! I need my squeeze machine! I hate parties. There are too many people and no one listens to me. And they keep giving each other looks and I don't know what they mean. They're just uncomfortable. People don't want to hear all those details about cattle. Well, I do. I wanna be with cattle. Sweetheart, I don't want you to avoid people. - They make me feel bad. - Then ignore them. You are the only Master of Science in the room. And I am so proud of you. Temple, look at me. Look at me. Do you know how people tell each other things with their eyes? This is me telling you that I love you and I respect you. I will never learn how to do that. I know. Hey! Damn it! You are not allowed in here. - I'm doing research for an article... - No, ma'am. We put up with you sneaking in here when you was at Arizona State, but you're done with that. No college, no insurance coverage, no access. There are many other articles I would like to write for you. Firstly, how cattle can be introduced into dip vats on their own accord. - Secondly... - Hold on, Miss Grandin. Firstly, your articles have been greatly appreciated. I got a lot of calls. Folks think you talk sense. Secondly, I told you I would read anything that you write. And, thirdly, young lady, you need another set of clothes - when you come into town on business. - I need to be an accredited press person. - Can I get a press pass? - You asking for a staff job? I ain't got but four staff, and two of them are bookkeeping and distribution. No, I don't wanna work here. I wanna be with cattle, so I need a pass. Well, we can do that. But like I said... Mary-Anne? Get in here. Sir? How's that working for you, Miss Grandin? It doesn't itch. I like it a lot. That's my rank. They'll be able to see that. Hey, what... Damn it! Use it, Temple. You stink. - Thank you. - Temple? Miss Temple Grandin? I'm Ted Gilbert, from John Wayne's Red River Feedlot. Hello, I'm very pleased to meet you. Hell, I've been reading your stuff. How'd you like to put it into practice? See, I lost my designer and I need a new cattle dip. Can you do it? It's pretty simple, but I got to present plans in five days. Sure! This is very clever. How did you come up with this? I just see things and put them together. - So how long will it take you to... - And all this? That's to lead the cattle in. They're happy to follow a curve 'cause they think they're going back - to where they came from. - Lf you say so. I do. So how long will it take you to do it? Well, I have two or three more before this. - But I need it by tomorrow! - Everybody needs it tomorrow. I won't work any quicker with you watching. - Well, I wanna watch. - Okay. Hey, Temple? This here is Red Harris from Cattle magazine. Very nice to meet you, Mr. Harris. Yeah, Red, he can't make the grand opening tomorrow, so I thought we'd give him a sneak preview. So, Temple, will you put some cattle through your dip while I'm here? Okay. Hey, open the gate! So if the handlers walk slowly clockwise outside the chute, then the cow will walk counterclockwise through the chute. See? They'll just follow that curve. The cattle just keep calmly walking thinking they're going in circles and following their buddies. And they're happy to follow a curve because they think they're going back to where they came from. They're okay because it's grooved and they know they won't slip. So when they take the next step, their center of gravity makes them drop calmly into the dip and they just walk through the water. I don't usually tell people what I'm gonna write, but, Miss Grandin, this is a masterpiece. - Hey! - I don't like to do that. I'm sorry there, Temple. Now, look, I want you to be dressed in your best outfit tomorrow morning, okay? Okay. Just look at this thing. It'll take us forever to get them through here. J.D., I want you to get the torch and, Red, I want this out, this out. I want those panels lined up and we're gonna run them straight in. Come on, boys. You two come with me. - Grab the other end of this. - Now, hold on! Look at this! I mean, look at that! Who'd build something like that? Jess, get me some sheet steel. We're gonna slide these puppies in here. - Eric, where's that sheet steel? - Hurry up! Let's go. Get up. Put them over in that pile and get them out of here. She's here. Keep working, boys. I'll take care of her. Pick it up. Miss. Some dip you got here. Who put steel on that slope? Cattle can't walk on steel! That's designed so they'll walk slowly! Excuse me, little miss. We just had three head drown in here. That's your fault! You killed them 'cause of your stupidity! And why ain't they coming through the curved chute? That'd take us all day, little lady! Hey, that's my shirt! If it's smooth, they'll follow it! If there's stuff on it, they'll get scared! You can't hang things! - You wacko! - Put it all back the way it was! Temple, what's going on here? They killed three cattle because of their stupidity! They ruined it! Just a minute! - Cattle aren't dangerous! - Temple? And they're predictable. So it's not hard to design - a system that won't hurt them! - What are you doing in California? But the cowboys would rather prod them and scare them. - Did you drive all night? - I designed a dip vat at John Wayne Red River Feedlot based on the way cattle see and think and behave and the editor of Cattle magazine said it was a masterpiece, but the cowboys killed three cows in it! Three. In five minutes. Because they wouldn't follow my design! - Temple, would you like to sit down? - I can't protect the cattle... I'm just having a cup of tea. ...unless I design the whole system from the moment they enter to the moment they get slaughtered. Are you talking about a slaughterhouse? Well, of course they're gonna get slaughtered. Do you think we'd have cattle if people didn't eat them every day? They'd just be funny-looking animals in zoos. No, we raise them for us. That means we owe them some respect. Nature is cruel, but we don't have to be. I wouldn't want to have my guts ripped out by a lion. I'd much rather die in a slaughterhouse if it was done right! Well, it seems to me that you should be - the one who's to design... - We can easily do it in a way where they don't feel pain and they don't get scared. And their cortisol levels go through the roof! Okay. Did you hear what I said, Temple? I think you're the one - who should design the slaughterhouse. - Yeah, I'm going... I know a slaughterhouse that's a mess and I know exactly how to fix it. It's a door. It's another door. Can I help you? Hello, it's very nice to meet you. I'd like to tour your slaughterhouse. Excuse me? Hello, it's very nice to meet you. I'd like to tour your slaughterhouse. We don't do tours, ma'am. I designed a dip vat at John Wayne's Red River Feedlot that the editor of Cattle magazine said was a masterpiece... Security? Can I get security to the front office? Temple, I'm so sorry to leave this message on your answering machine, but I thought you'd want to know that your friend Dr. Carlock has died. - Well, I just saw him! - Apparently, he'd been sick for some time. You can call me anytime. Bye, sweetheart. I just saw him. What are they doing? They're paying their respects. It's a way of saying thank you and goodbye. I said goodbye when I saw him. And this is a final chance to say goodbye. Temple. Temple. Are you all right? I'm leaving now. Well, it isn't over yet. I said goodbye when I saw him. He's not there. I've got him in my mind. Do you know where they go? No. No, I don't. Okay. I'm gonna go now. Drive safely. There you are, ma'am. My, that's a pretty blouse. I hope you don't mind me saying so. Some people think I'm forward, but, you know, if I like something, I just come right out and just compliment them. It's nice to get a compliment, don't you think? Thank you. It's very nice to meet you. I'm Temple Grandin. Well, it's nice to meet you, too. I'm Betty. Well, then, there we are. Are you waiting to meet somebody or something? No, I have trouble with automatic doors sometimes when I'm nervous. I'm autistic. My son is artistic and he's got the same thing with airplanes. Come on. You just come along with me. All right. Come on. And... And I'll make sure that they stay open. All right? You are safe now. You're safe. - Thank you. - My pleasure. Are you a horsewoman? I mean, you know, your shirt? Well, I like horses, but I work with cattle. I designed a dip that Cattle magazine called brilliant. Oh, my golly, my husband read about you. He works over at Abbot. - Abbot slaughterhouse? - Yeah. You heard of it? I wanna redesign it. I went there, but they wouldn't let me meet with them. But I have several ideas about how to make a new facility that will be much more humane and efficient. Well, I guess you just have to meet my husband then. How wonderful that we bumped into each other. - A door opened and I went through it. - Yes, you did. And I held it. This looks like an airport for cows. - Yeah. - Yeah. - Thank you. - I didn't mean that as a compliment. And conveyor belts for cattle? Do you have any idea what the cost is on this? And you've got solid walls and floors. We have those slatted for a reason. It's cheaper. I'm sorry, Miss Grandin. It's clear you just don't have the experience to design something like this. The walls are solid so the cattle won't be distracted by light or movement outside. - They balk at unexpected things. - I'm sure that's nice for the cattle, - but the cost, Miss... - How much money does it cost you to pay handlers to prod the cattle along and then hold them back when they stampede? How many times a day do your chutes stop because of pile-ups? How many cows break a leg and bring everything to a halt? With my system, there'd be none of that. There'd be a steady, calm flow. Well, that sounds great, but you don't have any idea of whether it'll work or not. But I do. I'm like Nikola Tesla or Thomas Edison. I know my system will work 'cause I've been through it a thousand times in my head. I can see a chute just as the cattle will because that's something my autism lets me do. I can walk through a plan in my mind, examining every beam and every rivet. I mean, you just see a plan, but I'm walking through the whole plant. Okay, the cattle go through a series of solid curves. And the floor is solid, too, grooved. The chute gets smaller, but the cattle won't mind. They don't... They don't see any danger. They think they're just getting into another truck. The stairway leads them gently upwards. The floor becomes a conveyor. A rest rises up to meet their chest so they're comfortably carried. They'll be very calm. Nature is cruel, but we don't have to be. We owe them some respect. I touched the first cow as it was being stunned. In a few seconds, it was gonna be just another piece of beef, but in that moment, it was still an individual. It was calm. And then it was gone. I became aware of how precious life was. And I thought about death and I felt close to God. I don't want my thoughts to die with me. I want to have done something. Thank you for inviting me. You're the one person I wanted here. Other people would have been overwhelmed by what they were seeing. It would have confused them. I knew that you would be the only one able to sense what was really going on, who could feel what I was trying to accomplish. I know there are a lot of things I can't understand, but I still want my life to have meaning. I don't know that I want to hear from any more experts. - That doesn't work! - We've been trying those things for years! Will you please let me finish? With intensive psychotherapy, an autistic child can be treated... But the Rimland report plainly shows that autism is not a psychological problem. - I am not familiar with the Rimland report. - Calm down. Calm down. Calm down, sweetie. Sweetie, calm down. Calm down. It would be better if you could get her to sit calmly. - You know, try to control her. - What are you talking about? But we were told self-stimming is good. It eventually calms them. Self-stimming is self- comforting. Self-stimulation, rocking, spinning, rolling on the floor, flapping the... Well, I think spinning is good. And rolling, too. Self-stimulation does seem to eventually calm the nervous system. It can be a way to compensate for not being held. And being held by another person is scary, but rolling or, or being held by surfaces produces the calming effect that ordinary children get from a hug. How old is your child? Well, I don't have children. No, I'm autistic. And I need the sensation of being hugged. And I've developed a machine that I get into and hugs me and I'm different afterwards. I'm more social. Well, I didn't speak until I was four and now I have a B.A. And a master's and I'm studying for my doctorate. - How did you learn to speak? - How's it possible? Please don't shout. Please don't... Most autistic people are very sensitive to sounds and colors. Over-stimulation hurts. You know, people talking too much at once, you know, can cause us to panic. How did you get cured? Well, I'm not cured. I'll always be autistic. My mother refused to believe that I wouldn't speak. And when I learned to speak, she made me go to school. And in school and at home, manners and rules were really important. They were pounded into me. I was lucky. All these things worked for me. Everyone worked hard to make sure that I was engaged. I mean, they knew I was different, but not less. You know, I had a gift. I could see the world in a new way. I could see details that other people were blind to. My mother pushed me to become self-sufficient. I worked summers at my aunt's ranch. I went to boarding school and college and those things... Those things were uncomfortable for me at first, but they helped me to open doors to new worlds. Excuse me, please, but we want to hear everything. - Yes. Please. - Yes. Please tell us. - Please, everything you can tell us. - Yes. Tell us, please. Are you a scientist? - French fish! - French fish! - You cannot hit people. - You think you can figure it out? - Five, four, three, two, one. - I have a pen and a clipboard. Think of it as a door. - It just takes one knock to the head. - I don't understand why people are cruel - for no reason! - You have a very special mind. You see the world in ways that others can't. Miss Grandin, this is a masterpiece. - A door opened and I went through it. - Yes, you did. And I held it. I'm Temple Grandin.

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