<p>A trailblazer in autism advocacy and a world-renowned animal behaviorist, Temple Grandin shares her insights on embracing and learning differences, and how animal behavior can help us solve human problems.</p><p>Temple Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and has a successful career consulting on both livestock handling equipment design and animal welfare. Her life story was made into the Emmy-winning HBO movie <em>Temple Grandin</em>, starring Claire Danes. </p><p>As a child, Temple was labeled as having brain damage due to her different mental development and special needs. Her mother worked to create a safe and encouraging space for her daughter, along with teachers and special needs experts. Grandin’s mother concluded that her daughter was autistic, although she was not formally diagnosed until well into adulthood. Today, via books, speeches, and her website, Grandin helps the world better understand autism. </p><p>When Temple was in high school, she spent time at an aunt’s cattle ranch and forged what would be a lifetime connection with bovines. The experience inspired her to create the “hug box,” also referred to as a squeeze box, that has become instrumental in helping people with autism as a stress-relieving device. She was inspired by how cattle were calmed down in a squeeze chute using pressure. For decades, Temple has worked to make livestock handling more humane, implementing welfare animal programs for businesses such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and Whole Foods. </p>
World-Famous Animal Scientist, Autism Self-Advocate, Author of <i>Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism</i>
<ul><li><strong>Helping Different Kinds of Minds Solve Problems</strong></li><li>There are three basic ways that people think differently when solving problems: Photo-realistic/visual thinking, pattern mathematical, and word-verbal thinking. When projects are being designed, people with different ways of thinking have complementary skills. Bestselling author, autism advocate, and animal science professor Dr. Temple Grandin explains that the world needs all kinds of minds, and she shares strategies for educators to help students develop their strengths into good careers.</li><li><strong>The Loving Push</strong></li><li>Parents, teachers, therapists, and anyone who cares about a child or teen on the autism spectrum need this essential roadmap to prepare our youth for being successful adults in today’s world. Bestselling author, autism advocate, and animal science professor Dr. Temple Grandin spells out which steps you can take to restore your child’s hope and motivation—and what you must avoid—in order to help them find a path to a successful, meaningful life. </li><li><strong>The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism & Asperger's</strong></li><li>Dr. Temple Grandin gets down to the REAL issues of autism, the ones parents, teachers, and individuals on the spectrum face every day. Temple offers helpful do’s and don’ts, practical strategies, and try-it-now tips, all based on her “insider” perspective and a great deal of research.</li><li><strong>Animals Make Us Human</strong></li><li>To understand animals, you have to get away from words. The animal world is a sensory based world. Their memories are detailed pictures, sounds, smell, and other sensory impressions. This talk will help you understand animals, but it will also give you insights into solving problems.</li></ul>