Hug Machine Essay

Great Essays
Considered the most influential Autism speaker and humane animal treatment activist in the world, Dr. Temple Grandin has changed the face of slaughter house designs and functions immensely throughout the United States. …show more content…
The squeeze chute would administer pressure to the cattle and Grandin found that this almost immediately calmed the cattle down enough to be branded or vaccinated. Thinking of her own hypersensitivity, Grandin wondered if similar pressure like that of the squeeze chute might calm her Autistic sensitivities. She quickly discovered that human hugs and humans holding her provided her with extreme discomfort and did nothing to calm her down. At the age of 18, Temple created her own working prototype of a “hug machine”. She conducted several tests on herself and concluded that it provided exactly the amount of pressure she needed to be comforted. The original “hug machine” was constructed by two padded wooden boards hinged together to form a V-shape. The person using the machine lies down between the boards with a control lever in hand. By moving the lever, the user adjusts the pressure put on the wooden boards by an air cylinder system. When the boards have enough pressure upon them, the user is squeezed between them, applying the comforting feeling. This machine has provided a soothing relief to Grandin ever since, still using it today. At the time, Temple’s psychologists saw this as a bad idea and tried to rid her of the machine. But Mr. Carlock, her science teacher, proposed that Temple study the effects of the …show more content…
Grandin has had a worldwide influence on the designs of livestock handling facilities and Autistic children and people. She gives many lectures a year, discussing her findings on Autism and also her research of animal behavior and facility design. She has worked at Colorado State University for over 20 years, teaching animal sciences and classes on the engineering of livestock handling facilities. Her “hug machine” has been manufactured and sold to autistic families and treatment centers, which has been proven to have a definite calming effect on autistic children and even adults. Due to her influential work, Dr. Grandin has been the recipient of almost 50 prestigious awards, most notably having five honorary doctorates in her name and being named one of the 2010 TIME 100 consisting of the most influential people in the world of 2010. She has written over 400 articles and published seven books, including two New York Times Bestsellers, “Animals in Translation” and ‘’Animals Make Us Human”. Dr.Grandin’s influence has reached autistic families across the world and humane animal treatment facilities everywhere. She currently resides in Colorado teaching classes at Colorado State University. She is not married and never plans to marry or have children, for her autism keeps her from having any sort of social life. Dr. Grandin once said “If I could snap my fingers and get rid of my autism, I wouldn’t,” going on to explain that autism has become her entire life and has helped

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Wendy Chung, a human geneticist utilizes the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos to better explain what autism is. Chung is a certified clinical geneticist who has a PhD in molecular genetics. She graduated with an MD from Cornell University and a PhD from The Rockefeller University. On March of the year 2014 Chung spoke in a Ted Talk conference over autism, Autism- what we know (and what we don’t know yet). Chung and her team of expertise lecture the audience concerning this order.…

    • 1164 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Introduction “The image often evoked to describe autism is that of a beautiful child in a glass shell.” (Schopler, E., Mesibov, G., 1995) For decades many parents have clung to this notion, of hoping that one day a means might be found to break the invisible barrier. Thus far, no cure has been found. Perhaps the time has come for the image to be shattered. Perhaps the time has come to concentrate, rather, on understanding the minds of the autistic.…

    • 1827 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Temple Grandin has become widely known for her advocacy of autism and throughout the book describes medications, new treatment, and advice for teaching and mentoring those with autism. However, treatment can be controversial, overwhelming for a family and provide a false hope for a total cure. Grandin explains that there are many new drug treatments that can be helpful for those with autism, especially for problems that occur after puberty. However, she explains many medical professionals do not know how to prescribe them properly. She believes the proper use of medications is part of a good autism program but that it cannot be a substitute for the proper educational or social programs.1 There have been treatment fads and wild claims about…

    • 307 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    An audience whom may be parents of children with autism, or anyone who may know someone with autism and is trying to become educated over autism to better understand this spectrum. She tells us that her and her team of expertise “realize that there was not simply one gene of autism. In fact, the current estimates are that there are 200 to 400 different genes that can cause autism” (Chung). Which she lets her audience know that this is the reason why “we see such a broad spectrum in terms of its effects” (Chung). Even though all the new technologies that can offer a tremendous amount of opportunities for them to be able to impact the individuals, that there is still a long way to go.…

    • 1373 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lennie Small Murder

    • 991 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Gigi Jordan, pharmaceutical millionaire, did what she could. Gigi was the mother of a small boy by the name of Jude. For the first few years of Jude’s life, he was both happy and healthy. But around the age of three, he started showing signs of autism. It’s even quoted that “the Boy suddenly began to regress and reverted back to crawling” and “Lost his curiosity and became all but mute” (Rosenberg 1).…

    • 991 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    What Is Cystic Fibrosis?

    • 1546 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Chest physical therapy (CPT) is also known as chest clapping or percussion. The patient may sit or lie on his/her stomach while this is taking place. It involves the repetition of pounding on the chest and back with the hands so that it will loosen the mucus located in the lungs and allow the patient to cough it up. Some people do find that CPT is difficult or uncomfortable so many devices have been developed to help lessen the impact it might have, such as; an inflatable therapy vest which uses high-frequency airwaves to force mucus deep in the lungs upward, an electric chest clapper (also known as a mechanical percussor), a small, handheld device that causes vibrations which dislodge the mucus, and a mask that also causes vibrations which help break the mucus loose from the airway walls. Aerobic exercise causes deep breathing, which can also help loosen the mucus in a patient's lungs.…

    • 1546 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Therefore, I have dedicated numerous assignments, research tutorials and reviews, and volunteerism experience to autism spectrum disorder. I have gained knowledge about the potential neuroanatomical basis of the disorder, the current and upcoming therapeutic techniques, and potential pharmacological treatments. My fascination with and personal connection to this disorder are the reasons why Nazareth College is my primary choice for graduate school, as I wish to purse the autism concentration made available to your students. The principle reason that my experience with Luke has solidified my career choice is because of the joy I now see in him that simply was not there before. The improvements in social interaction skills are not merely that—these are skills that changed his entire life.…

    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Autism Chapter 12 Summary

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In chapter 12 I will be discussing the autism spectrum disorders. With screening and advancements diagnosis and intervention their hopes and dreams that can't be filled. As most people will witness the autism spectrum is from very small to large. ASD was identified by Johns Hopkins a psychiatrist Leo Kanner. Is the is not a laughing matter these individuals have a very hard life and challenges that will continue through the lifespan.…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Temple Grandin has changed many thing about slaughter systems. Temple Grandin designed the idea of curved crowd pens. She also designed center track conveyor restraint system which provides any benefits to the cattle industry. Temple Grandin helped design curved crowd pens. By using the idea of a curved cattle pen you eliminate many problems.…

    • 388 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Technology, constantly evolving, seems to be a major topic of conversation because of the noticeable effects technology has on its users and the ways they communicate with one another. Judith Newman, one of many authors to write about technology, highlights a few of the positive effects of technology on people’s interactions with each other in her article, “To Siri, with Love,” which was published in The New York Times (628). However, Newman fails to focus on the adverse effects technology can have on people’s interactions with others. The Dean should take both sides into consideration when analyzing technology’s impact but should specifically focus on the negative impacts because of the importance of communication in the Army. Cadets at the…

    • 1267 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Autism Spectrum Australia

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a “lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder” distinguished by “difficulties in social interaction, communication, restricted and repetitive interests and behaviours, and sensory sensitivities” (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2015). Autism Spectrum Australia (2015) explains that the word ‘spectrum’ reflects “the range of challenges that people with autism may experience”, which means that some people with autism may be able to live relatively typical lives, in comparison to others with autism who may have more difficulties and require continuous additional support for living (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2015). Behaviours of people with ASD often include temper tantrums, body movements like hand flapping and spinning,…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Persuasive Essay On Autism

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The rate of autism is a growing problem in today’s society. There has been a lot of controversy over whether or not the rate has gone up because of technology. Some believe that yes, better detection and technology has led to a better diagnosis and other’s believe that no, children who are now being diagnosed with autism wouldn’t have been labeled autistic in the past. People with autism mainly show three different symptoms; the inability to interact socially, problems communicating what they want, and limited interests. In the range of eighteen months and thirty-six months old, children with autism suddenly ignore other people, act strangely, and lose language and social skills they had previously learned.…

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Autism Research

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Autism is one of the most common yet misunderstood disorders of the modern age. Most Americans do not have a clear understanding of possible causes, what Autism actually is nor possible cures or treatments of this disorder. As autism effects 1 out of every 68 children born in the US annually, there is a large group of individuals whose lives have been touched by this ailment. Despite the large numbers of children and family’s crossing paths with this disorder, it is still not very clearly understood by the average person. An incredibly important step towards the better understanding of this disorder is having the basic facts available for the common man, presented in a way that is easy to understand and able to be parceled out in small components.…

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Temple Grandin Summary

    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lastly, I have realized that autism causes a very isolated state of mind, autism in itself means “aloneness.” According to the article, many of these people have no, (or very little) truly deep feelings, but rather a continuous emotional indifference. Temple Grandin herself said that she…

    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This might just be a tip of the iceberg of the everyday life that an autistic child is going through. I never had a chance to be genuine empathetic to them until I interned at Qingcongquan, one of China’s leading institute for autistic children. My first days at the institute were challenging, puzzling, and all-encompassing. These children require special guidance with social interactions in forming relationships. They showed very different behaviors in how they tried to make sense of an overwhelming world.…

    • 694 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays