Although I am not given to hero worship, I make an exception concerning Temple Grandin, who refused to let the world grind her up with its disdain of nature’s special creatures. Temple’s triumph over autism, a diagnosis of infant schizophrenia when she was born, and other adversities may have defeated many others if similarly afflicted. In prevailing, Temple earned superstar status long ago. However, this is a milepost year. Her life story entered the realm of made-for-TV movies giving it high visibility in the age of visual consumption — digital and otherwise.

I met Temple in 1992 while covering the AMI show in Orlando, Fla. I was new to the industry and, admittedly, felt a bit overwhelmed by all the technical information I needed to not only consume but also to understand. I wish I could report that Temple aided me in that pursuit early on, but that was not the case. The information she imparted was way over my head — but thankfully not for long. I was awed by this imposing woman when I learned of her status as an animal-welfare pioneer during my visits to various slaughter plants and feedlots showcasing her sophisticated designs and systems. The plant managers and other industry executives who guided me through those facilities spoke about Temple with no less admiration than was her due. I could, however, imagine the gender bias she encountered in the early days that was reported in her movie. Another admirable quality is how Temple found a way to circumvent prejudice and bias.

It is hard to change what is not understood. However, anybody who sees “Temple Grandin,” the 103-minute HBO film starring Claire Danes, can no longer claim ignorance concerning autism or the revolutionary practices regarding the humane handling of livestock, thanks to Temple’s extraordinary contributions on both fronts.

The movie, which won seven Emmys in 2010 out of 15 nominations, was featured recently at my local library’s Friday films series. Based on her book “Thinking in Pictures,” the movie is a moving account of Temple’s life. It also is an enlightening account of how her autism impacted her family, especially her mother who dedicated her own life to improving Temple’s chance in society despite a hopeless medical prognosis early on. If not for her mother’s steadfast approach to educating her daughter, Temple might have been institutionalized for life.

What a blessing she is, for not only is Temple a person of high-functioning autism, but she has no peers with greater understanding of the nature of cattle in her capacity as a livestock expert. These two characteristics make her strange and misunderstood, to be sure. Add the fact that she chose to share her talents in a profession that did not welcome women and she gains points in the exceptional human being category.

I enjoyed the movie, although I knew much about Temple’s life beforehand. I suspected that others in the audience were not aware of her connection to the meat industry given the fact that the movie was promoted an “an engaging portrait of an autistic young woman,” who rates among “America’s most remarkable success stories.” No doubt they came expecting to chiefly learn about life as a victim of autism. Indeed, Temple’s story provided a laundry list of the cruelty, fear and hatred she endured in her life due to autism. As is often the case, man’s inhumanity is manifested in such destructive forces for whatever reasons — mostly imagined.

The good news is the movie cleared up certain misunderstandings concerning meat-industry practices. Ann Buxbaum, of suburban Chicago, was one of them. She said before the movie everything she heard about meat-industry practices made her believe that animals lived in inhumane conditions. She rated the movie as excellent because it gave her answers for people who question the practice of “killing and eating animals.”

What Temple has done as a role model for those afflicted with autism and for the meat industry defies explanation. Given a chance, I wonder what she could do to resolve other societal ills. Just a thought.