Temple Grandin, an internationally acclaimed animal science expert and advocate for autistic populations, was diagnosed with autism in 1949 at age 2 and did not speak until the age of 4, after receiving extensive speech therapy. Social interactions remained difficult throughout her years of formal education, during which she endured ridicule and ostracism. Grandin holds a doctoral degree in animal science and has authored numerous books and articles about animal welfare and the impact of autism on her life and others. She first spoke publicly about autism in the 1980s, at the request of one of the founders of the Autism Society of America. In 2010, HBO released an Emmy Award winning film on Grandin’s life, Temple Grandin.