by Alex Baker
“I am different, not less.” – Temple Grandin
Dr. Temple Grandin has proven this quote again and again, using her influence and wit to become one of the most well-known and accomplished adults with autism in the world. Unable to speak until she was three, Grandin was diagnosed with autism in the early 1950’s. Throughout her career, she has written a slew of books encompassing autistic behavior, experience, and advice, and also animal rights and abilities. Grandin also has an successful career as a cattle handler, designing humane handling system for cattle-processing facilities and consulting with the meat industry for developing animal-welfare guidelines.
On February 19 and 20, Whitworth University will host Dr. Grandin in a series of lectures sponsored by the Whitworth Center for Gifted Education and the university’s special education department. Over her two day visit, Grandin will present three lectures. Some of the events have already sold out, and they are all sure to be very popular, so find more information on Whitworth’s site.
As the featured speaker at the Whitworth Gifted Education Institute, Grandin will present “The World Needs All Kinds of Minds” as a daylong institute for educators. Grandin will highlight the roles that educators can take to encourage learners who are cognitively advanced with strategies and practices that address the range of needs for these students.
Grandin will also share her personal story and insights into exceptional children on the evening of February 19th in her public lecture “Helping Different Kinds of Minds to be Successful.” Grandin will turn to topics to animals in her lecture “Understanding Animal Behavior” on February 20th, where she will expand on her years of experience and research into how animals think, act, and feel.
Temple Grandin works as a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She has written acclaimed novels such as Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism, Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior, and, The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum. For an expansive list of her books check out her GoodReads account here.
