From Considered Weird to Considered Wonderful –Temple Grandin, PhD

In 1950, she was diagnosed with autism and her parents were told she should be institutionalized.

Sunday evening, March 28, 2010, The Coffee Klatch had a special evening session with the prominent author and speaker, Dr. Temple Grandin. This remarkable woman is among the few accomplished and well-known adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) having made a mark around the world. What an honor to have her accept The Coffee Klatch's (TCK)  invitation!

She speaks around the world on both Autism and cattle handling. She used her talents to design livestock-handling equipment which is being used by half of the cattle handling facilities in the United States. Dr. Grandin has worked as a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University.

Temple Grandin, PhD, is a very popular lecturer on Autism and Asperger's. If you want to attend one of her numerous speaking engagements throughout the United States, you must register early as many of her Autism Conferences are sold out early. Parents, teachers and individuals dealing with Autism and Asperger's love her books and rush to hear her conferences.

Her latest book is The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger's published in 2008 with a forward by Ruth Sullivan, the first elected president of the Autism Society of American. Also included is an exclusive interview between world-renowned psychologist Dr. Tony Attwood and Temple Grandin! This last book is a collection of short articles she’s written over the years for various publications.

Dr. Grandin cannot emphasize enough that a child with symptoms of ASD must receive Early Intervention Care. She even says, if parents cannot afford professionals for the many hours of intervention required each week, to enlist the help of grandparents. The child MUST receive this early help!

"I have read enough to know that there are still many parents, and yes, professionals too, who believe that 'once autistic, always autistic.' This dictum has meant sad and sorry lives for many children diagnosed, as I was in early life, as autistic. To these people, it is incomprehensible that the characteristics of autism can be modified and controlled. However, I feel strongly that I am living proof that they can" (from Emergence: Labeled Autistic).

Dr. Grandin is also the author of Thinking in Pictures, Animals in Translation, and Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships. Furthermore, HBO produced a full-length film Temple Grandin, which premiered on Saturday, February 6th,2010 on HBO.

Dr. Grandin has been featured on NPR (National Public Radio), major television programs, such as the BBC special "The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow", ABC's Primetime Live, The Today Show, Larry King Live, 48 Hours and 20/20. She has been written about in many national publications, such as Time magazine, People magazine, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, and New York Times.

You may hear Dr. Grandin at Autism conferences throughout the United States. Register quickly because some of Dr. Grandin’s speaking engagements are always sold out months before the event.

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Chantal Sicile-Kira ---Inspiration To All Special Needs Parents

Her name, Chantal, is the same as my daughter's. This stopped my web navigation at her site. The captivating content of her posts kept me there most of the evening. Her mission is "to empower parents and educators with the knowledge they need about autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including Asperger’s Syndrome (AS)."

At The Autism Advocate, she writes "Practical tips and musings on raising children and teens with autism" with interesting articles on sensory processing challenges, a topic of concern in our life.

The families of Special Needs children should be thankful that through her writing and speaking engagements, Chantal Sicile-Kira continues sharing her struggles and successes.

Career highlights of this remarkable mom:

*Award winning author, speaker, Autism expert and mom of two

* New book, her fourth, is 41 Things To Know About Autism (Turner, March 2010),

*Advocate for her autistic son, Jeremy, led to the Newsweek cover story “Growing up with Autism’

*Jeremy’s story featured in the MTV documentary ‘True Life’ series was the recipient of a 2008 Voice Award.

*Bilingual, Chantal has worked in North America and Europe

*Chantal’s first book, Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Complete Guide to Understanding Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and other ASD’s

*Her second book, Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum: A Parent’s Guide to the Cognitive, Social, Physical, and Transition Needs of Teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

*Third book, Autism Life Skills: From Communication and Safety to Self Esteem and More: 10 Essential Abilities Every Child Deserves and Needs to Learn (foreword by Temple Grandin, PhD) was published by Penguin (US) in October 2008, and Random House (UK) in May 2009. 

To contact: 

twitter: http://twitter.com/sicilekira

Web site http://www.chantalsicile-kira.com/

Blog  http://www.chantalsicile-kira.com/blog/

Do you have an autistic teen?
 Does your community have support services for autistic individuals when they no longer attend public school?