April is autism awareness month and with that comes the state wide yearly conference. I always go as an exhibitor with information about our schools to talk to parents about options if their children are not getting their needs met in their local schools. It is always enjoyable to get out and meet with parents and other professionals and talk about what we do and how we can help.
Dr. Temple Grandin was one of the guest speakers this year. She is considered one of the most famous people with Autism. Although she holds a PhD in animal science and is a professor at Colorado University, she is a prominent author and speaker on the topic of Autism. She is living proof that children born with Autism can lead a productive and successful life. She is the inventor of the "squeezing machine" developed because she realized she needed deep pressure to help her deal with sensory issues related to autism.
Recently, Claire Danes played her in the HBO movie bearing her name. I haven't seen it yet, but I heard it was fantastic and I have it on my Netflix list as it will be released in Aug. 2010.
I have read her books, the most well known,"Thinking in Pictures," and also read her mother's book, "A Thorn in my Pocket." Temple's mother, Eustcia Cutler literally saved her daughter's life with early interventions, in a time when most children diagnosed with autism were sent to institutions. Both books are great reads.
So yesterday was the first time I had the opportunity to hear Temple speak. She was wonderful and she offered so many important strategies that will help children and adults with autism in the public schools and at home. We are lucky where I work we have a small class sizes and have been instituting many of the things Temple was recommending, but in the mainstream there is much work needed to be done! And children are staying more in the mainstream because of this horrible economy!
Getting up on a Saturday for work ain't easy, but once at the conference the day flew by and I experienced the usual conference high that I get when I spend the day talking to the public and also getting lots of good feedback about the work we are doing at our school.
For more information about Temple Grandin, here is the link:
www.templegrandin.com
Dr. Temple Grandin was one of the guest speakers this year. She is considered one of the most famous people with Autism. Although she holds a PhD in animal science and is a professor at Colorado University, she is a prominent author and speaker on the topic of Autism. She is living proof that children born with Autism can lead a productive and successful life. She is the inventor of the "squeezing machine" developed because she realized she needed deep pressure to help her deal with sensory issues related to autism.
Recently, Claire Danes played her in the HBO movie bearing her name. I haven't seen it yet, but I heard it was fantastic and I have it on my Netflix list as it will be released in Aug. 2010.
I have read her books, the most well known,"Thinking in Pictures," and also read her mother's book, "A Thorn in my Pocket." Temple's mother, Eustcia Cutler literally saved her daughter's life with early interventions, in a time when most children diagnosed with autism were sent to institutions. Both books are great reads.
So yesterday was the first time I had the opportunity to hear Temple speak. She was wonderful and she offered so many important strategies that will help children and adults with autism in the public schools and at home. We are lucky where I work we have a small class sizes and have been instituting many of the things Temple was recommending, but in the mainstream there is much work needed to be done! And children are staying more in the mainstream because of this horrible economy!
Getting up on a Saturday for work ain't easy, but once at the conference the day flew by and I experienced the usual conference high that I get when I spend the day talking to the public and also getting lots of good feedback about the work we are doing at our school.
For more information about Temple Grandin, here is the link:
www.templegrandin.com
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2 comments:
Have already seen the Temple Grandin movie on HBO. It was great.
Hi Lena!
I imagine getting up to work on a Saturday is tough -- but can just imagine how energizing your work was. Autism is a phenomenally interesting subject for me -- specifically the fact that there are so many 'degrees' of autism.
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