Animal behaviorist Temple Grandin, who designed more than one-third of all livestock-handling facilities in the U.S., explained the connection between cows and autism to a packed audience last night in Science Center A.
Grandin, who is professor of animal behavior at Colorado State University, said she attributes her success to her autism.
"I don't think in language; I think in pictures--like a videotape in your head," she said.
According to Grandin, this kind of "sensory thinking," used by many autistic people, is similar to that of cows and other animals. Using this method of thinking, she said, allows her to build better facilities.
For example, she said a Harvard psychologist showed her an experiment in which he asked people to imagine words like "dog," and then words like "impossible."
"Even for something like 'impossible,' I get a picture in my head," said Grandin. She said she imagined herself trying to jump on top of William James Hall from the sidewalk.
Grandin says she is similar to animals in other ways.
"I sort of have the nervous system of a prey species animal," she said. "I know what it's like to have a vigilant nervous system."
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