Meeting Dr. Temple Grandin

Hey, folks!

In December 2016 I was honored to meet Dr. Temple Grandin, an expert in Autism and Animal Science.  I attended a conference held by Future Horizons, Inc., in Tampa, Florida. Speakers included Dr. Temple Grandin who talked about Autism and her sensory-based world, Eustacia Cutler (Temple's mother) who talked about what it was like raising Temple, and Dr. Jed Baker who entertainingly talked about managing frustration and anxiety.

Meeting Dr. Temple Grandin

I have so much admiration and respect for Temple, not only for sharing her insights into Autism, but also for her research and design advancements in the livestock industry. I grew up on a cropping, sheep and cattle farm (a.k.a. "ranch" for my American readers) in Australia, and I know of a farming family who are successfully using Temple's cattle handling system on their farm in central N.S.W. Australia.

If you are a parent/guardian of a child with Autism, or a professional working with children who have Autism, I would highly recommended attending a Temple Grandin conference or reading one of her books. I am currently reading "The Autistic Brain" by Temple Grandin and Richard Panek (my signed copy!). Another book I would recommend to those who care for a non-verbal child on the Spectrum is "How Can I Talk if My Lips Don't Move?" by Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay.

Overall, the conference and these books are highly informative and resourceful, and I am looking forward to carrying over some of the pertinent skills and information learnt to improve my treatment approaches and therapy outcomes.

Have a great week!

Maree