This Life: The prism of autism

Temple Grandin's autism means she doesn't see the world as others do, but her condition gives her insights that elude the rest of the world, writes Susan Morrell.

Temple Grandin: 'I was in my 40s before I realised the full extent to how my thinking was different. I thought everybody thought in pictures.' Picture: Maura Hickey.

The world has always looked different through Temple Grandin's eyes. As a person who has autism, she sees things in greater detail than those without the condition. She thinks in pictures, not words.

Autism, however, hasn't stopped the 65-year-old from achieving a lot more than most. As an autism and animal welfare activist, she has published ten books and numerous scientific papers, holds a PhD in Animal Science and lectures at the University ...