As a child, Temple Grandin had extraordinary memory and
visualization skills. But she was socially awkward and
hypersensitive to noise and other sensory stimuli. As an adult,
she used her skills to gain insight into the minds of cattle.
She is now among the world's preeminent designers of humane
livestock facilities and an associate professor of animal
science at Colorado State University. Grandin is also one of the
most accomplished adults with autism. Diagnosed with brain
damage at age 2, she learned decades later her condition is
Asperger's Syndrome, a form of high-functioning autism. A
leading advocate for two causes -- animal welfare and autism --
Grandin represents a new wave of workers: autistic adults.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in
every 1,000 Americans has some form of autism. Precise estimates
are difficult, because autism is a continuum for which no clear
test exists. The Right Jobs But understanding of the disorder
has grown in recent years, and more and more people