The world can be a very harsh place, especially for children with disabilities. They tend to have difficulty adjusting to new people and new things. They usually require special education and careful care at all times. They can get depressed very easily and tend to shut down when this happens. Temple Grandin was born on August 29, 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts. Her mother, Eustacia Cutler, thought she was a normal child until she realized something was wrong with Temple. At the age of four Eustacia took Temple to a doctor to find out why she didn't speak and why she hated affection. The doctor immediately knew what was wrong with Temple. She was diagnosed with autism, which is a "mental condition, present since early childhood, characterized by difficulties in communicating and relating to other people and in the use of language and abstract concepts". Temple's mother was confused about how and why this happened and wanted to find a way to fix her daughter. The doctor informed Eustacia that there was an old story that stated that "children who develop autism are usually due to a lack of affection from their mothers." Temple's mother was simply devastated that she could have caused Temple's autism, and she wanted to do anything to help Temple become the best she could be. Eustacia stayed home with Temple and used the flashcards every day until Temple finally spoke. As Temple grew up, her mother knew it was time to see the world for herself. Eustacia decided to send Temple to middle school and she really liked it. He became very passionate about science and the genetic composition of everything. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Although Temple loved school, she hated her classmates. They teased and bullied her and she didn't take it kindly. Temple had a huge attitude and didn't know how to handle her anger in a nice way. She vented her anger in a mean way by punching, biting and scratching people who teased her. As a result, Temple was suspended from many schools. Eustacia was considering several schools but was running out of options until she came across a boarding school she wasn't sure about because she didn't want to leave Temple. They visited the school and when Temple entered the science lab she fell in love with it and was really amazed by all the equipment. Temple wasn't the only one who impressed him. The science teacher was amazed by Temple's scientific knowledge and wanted to know more about her. Eustacia knew this place would be a good fit for Temple and it was. After many labs and experiments, Temple's science teacher still wasn't sure how Temple was so different from everyone else but still so smart. He wanted to know how she understood things so easily and why she was able to overcome every obstacle he put in her way, until one day he asked her what she sees when she thinks. She told him "when I think I see the pictures" and that's when she discovered that Temple was indeed very different from everyone else. He was a visual learner, saw everything as pictures in his mind, and could sketch, draw, and memorize things as if they were simple. Temple got smarter and smarter every day. As summer approached and Temple's time as a high school student was almost over, her science teacher realized she needed to go to college to succeed. He asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up and Temple said she wanted to work with animals. Meanwhile, Temple went to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle on their small ranch. Temple didn't want to stay at the ranch, but his!
tags