MARY TEMPLE GRANDIN (born August 29, 1947) is an American doctor of animal science, a professor at Colorado State University, a best-selling author, an autistic activist, and a consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior. She also created the hug box, a device to calm those on the autism spectrum. The subject of an award-winning, 2010 biographical film, Temple Grandin, she also was listed in the Time 100 list of the one hundred most influential people in the world in the Heroes category. (...) Grandin became well-known after being described by Oliver Sacks in the title narrative of his book An Anthropologist on Mars (1995), for which he won a Polk Award; the title is derived from Grandins description of how she feels around neurotypical people. She first spoke in public about autism in the mid-1980s, at the request of Ruth C. Sullivan, one of the founders of the Autism Society of America. Sullivan writes: I first met Temple in the mid-1980s [at the] annual [ASA] conference. Standing on the periphery of the group was a tall young woman who was obviously interested in the discussions. She seemed shy and pleasant, but mostly she just listened. I learned her name was Temple Grandin. It wasnt until later in the week that I realized she was someone with autism. I approached her and asked if shed be willing to speak at the next years [ASA] conference. She agreed. The next year Temple first addressed an [ASA] audience. People were standing at least three deep. The audience couldnt get enough of her. Here, for the first time, was someone who could tell us from her own experience, what it was like to be extremely sound sensitive (like being tied to the rail and the trains coming). She was asked many questions: Why does my son do so much spinning? Why does he hold his hands to his ears? Why doesnt he look at me? She spoke from her own experience, and her insight was impressive. There were tears in more than one set of eyes that day. Temple quickly became a much sought-after speaker in the autism community. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Grandin
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 13:29:33 +0000