Clare Woods Academy to offer 'A Night With Temple Grandin' Nov. 19
As a part of its 50th anniversary celebration, Clare Woods Academy in Wheaton will host a two-day event with Temple Grandin, an animal science professor and author of the best-sellers "Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior" and "Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism."
"A Night With Temple Grandin" is co-sponsored by Wheaton College's new Faith and Disability Initiative. It will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, at Wheaton College's Edman Chapel, 401 E. Franklin.
The next day, Tuesday, Nov. 19, Grandin will be facilitating a master class for educators and practitioners. The class will meet from 10 a.m. to noon at Clare Woods Academy, 125 E. Seminary Ave., Wheaton. CEUs available.
Grandin, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, has been a pioneer in improving the handling and welfare of farm animals. Temple's achievements are remarkable because she was an autistic child.
At age 2, she had no speech and all the signs of severe autism. Many hours of speech therapy, and intensive teaching enabled Temple to learn speech. As a teenager, life was hard with constant teasing.
Mentoring by her high school science teacher and her aunt on her ranch in Arizona motivated Temple to study and pursue a career as a scientist and livestock equipment designer.
In 1975, she earned a master's degree in animal science at Arizona State University for her work on the behavior of cattle in different squeeze chutes. She earned a Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Illinois in 1989. She has done extensive work on the design of handling facilities. Half the cattle in the U.S. and Canada are handled in equipment Grandin has designed for meat plants. She also has been involved in developing animal welfare guidelines for the meat industry and consulting with companies on animal welfare.
Other books by are "Emergence: Labeled Autistic," "Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals," "Improving Animal Welfare: A Practical Approach," "The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger's," and "The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum." She also has a popular TED Talk.
Claire Danes, who portrayed Grandin in a 2010 HBO biographical film, said "I don't think I have ever been as inspired by any character that I have played. I was deeply moved by Temple's courage and her resourcefulness. She is really pioneering in both the world of autism and animal rights. She has encouraged an incredibly positive change in the world."
To see Temple Grandin at either event, register at blcinc.org/temple-grandin.
Clare Woods Academy is a nonpublic alternative day school providing a specialized educational environment in a therapeutic day school setting. They currently serve children and young adults, ages 5 to 21.
The programming addresses learning and behavior disabilities. Many of the students are also on the autism spectrum.
In addition to the education program, services include occupational therapy, speech/language and counseling. To learn more about Clare Woods Academy, visit www.blcinc.org or follow the school on Facebook.