Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Arts

Dr. Temple Grandin Brings Insights, Stories to Longmont Public Library

Correction: Registration for the event will start on Monday, August 7 th at 10 AM. LONGMONT, Colo. – When people first learn of Dr. Temple Grandin’s storied career, they often wonder what livestock handling has to do with autism.
Longmont Observer
image005

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

Correction: Registration for the event will start on Monday, August 7th at 10 AM.

LONGMONT, Colo. – When people first learn of Dr. Temple Grandin’s storied career, they often wonder what livestock handling has to do with autism.  The answer, says the CSU professor and worldwide autism advocate, is simple:  “Animals think like autistic humans.”  Dr. Temple Grandin is one of the first individuals on the autism spectrum to publicly share insights from her personal experience with autism.

Diagnosed at age two with “brain damage,” doctors recommended that Mary Temple Grandin be placed in an institution to live out her life.  Fortunately, Dr. Grandin had a mother who was strongly opposed to that recommendation, dedicated to helping her daughter succeed, and in possession of the financial security to promote that goal with special teachers and therapists from a very young age.  When Dr. Grandin was in her mid-teens, her mother completed a checklist of autistic symptoms and recognized that her daughter was likely on the autism spectrum, but a firm diagnosis was not obtained until Dr. Grandin was in her 40’s.

Nonetheless, Dr. Grandin became a spokeperson and face of autistic people from the time she was in her 30’s.  A speech at the annual Autism Society of America meeting in the mid-1980’s soon catapulted her into the status of an in-demand speaker on the subject of autism, and she was very willing to use her position to help people understand the experiences and lives of people with autism. Dr. Grandin will bring those unique perspectives and experiences to the Longmont Public Library on Tuesday, September 12, from 7 to 8 pm.  This incredible program will be held at the Longmont Museum and Cultural Center, 400 Quail Road in Longmont, in order to accommodate more attendees.

The author of 12 books and several hundred publications on topics ranging from autism to livestock handling, temperament, and fertility, as well as environmental enrichment and animal safety, Dr. Grandin is credited with remarkable impacts in the areas of both autism awareness and livestock handling.  Because of her work, she has also received numerous awards and honors, including her 2017 induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.  In 2016, she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2010, she was named in the “Hero” category of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.  Dr. Grandin holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in animal science, and a doctoral degree in animal science, as well as numerous honorary degrees. She has been the subject of many newspaper, magazine, and television profiles as well as an HBO biopic starring Claire Danes as Dr. Grandin, which was nominated for 15 Primetime Emmy Awards and won seven.

Tickets for this program are free, but advance registration is required and is likely to sell out. Register online beginning Tuesday, August 7 at 10 am athttp://bit.ly/LibPrograms.  No email address or internet service?  Call (303) 651-8472 to register by phone.  Tickets will be limited to four per registrant. Ticketholders must arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the program’s start or risk surrendering their tickets.

The Library typically has a 20-15% “no-show” rate for programs and will be offering first-come, first-served stand-by tickets the evening of this program.  Interested parties should arrive early and will be given a stand-by number.  Just prior to the program’s start, Library staff will determine how many no-shows there were and how many available seats resulted.  Stand-bys will be seated in order of their numbers.

Please note that this event will be held at the Longmont Museum and Cultural Center, 400 Quail Road, Longmont.

This program is part of the Longmont Public Library’s “Authors We Love” series. For more information and to learn about more upcoming author talks, visit: http://bit.ly/AuthorsWeLove.

Media Contacts and Library Program Partners:

This is a press release from the City of Longmont Public Library and is published by the Longmont Observer as a public service.