Dr. Temple Grandin Talks About Handling Cattle And Living With Autism [AUDIO]

On Wednesday's edition of Lubbock's First News world-renowned livestock behaviorist Dr. Temple Grandin talked with Tom Collins and Laura Mac about her work with cattle and how she lived with autism.

Dr. Grandin will be speaking to Texas Tech agriculture students today about how to handle cattle. She developed a new way to handle cattle so that they remain calm throughout the slaughter process. Grandin said that calm cattle result in higher quality of meat, and that because cattle get spooked so easily, it is important to understand how animals think and how to calm them down.

"Cattle are scared of a lot of little things that we don't notice. In fact, a lot of cattle here in Texas are handled in a center-track restrainer system I designed. The three biggest plants have that equipment for the feed-lot cattle. And I always get asked, 'Are they scared of getting slaughtered?' No, they're more scared of a shadow or a chain hanging down or a reflection on a fence."

Dr. Grandin is also autistic and said that is it vital for parents of autistic children to help their kids develop their talents, whether it be art, music or reading. She added that parents need to encourage their children to speak up, and just letting them be quiet was one of the worst things a parent can do for an autistic child.

For more information on Temple Grandin and her work, check out her website at grandin.com.