Temple Grandin Comes to Autism Conference at Sheraton in Towson on Friday

“Temple Grandin Gives Insight into Autism and Sensory Processing”

By Debra Wallace

As parents, educators, therapists and community leaders it is always imperative that each of us do everything possible to help our children, teens and adults with autism.

So this means seizing the opportunity to learn hands-on techniques from leaders in the autism community, and there is clearly no one better to learn from than author, educator and inspiring speaker, Dr. Temple Grandin.

On Friday, September 30, Dr. Grandin, one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World,” will be the key-note speaker at the Future Horizons Autism Conference being held at the Sheraton Baltimore North in Towson, MD.

Dr. Grandin is coming to Towson, Maryland, to discuss one of the most misunderstood problems for people on the autism spectrum, the behavior most often related to “sensory issues” and thinking differently.

If there is one overall message for children with autism and other special needs, as well as typical children, Dr. Grandin said it involves perseverance and persistence.

“You’ve got to work for it. You have to work really hard, work on the things that you’re good at doing,” she advised. “The other thing is that you’ve got to do is recognize a door when the opportunity comes up.”

Dr. Grandin recently recalled a girl she knew many years ago who had an opportunity to go to a top school on a scholarship but she lacked confidence and she turned it down. “Well, you just don’t do that. You walk through that door. That’s something I figured out very early in my career. Those kinds of opportunities are all over the place; but some people just don’t see them.”

An engaging speaker and autism advocate, as well as an empowering woman who has changed the world of autism, Dr. Grandin is known to positively alter the perspectives of the participants of her conferences, and help them care for their students or loved ones with autism and other special needs with greater understanding.

Along with two other specialists, Grandin, will address challenges she faced and offer no-nonsense ideas on how others with autism or sensory issues can overcome these obstacles and improve the quality of their lives.

Sensory dysfunction is far more pervasive than most people realize – far greater than the number of children diagnosed with autism. Today, one in six children has sensory issues that are sufficiently difficult that they affect their ability to concentrate and learn, which often creates behavior problems that impair social interaction, communication and learning.

Dr. Grandin became involved in the autism community after being asked to speak, and she combined her personal experiences with scientific research. “What I try to do is give people really good information that they can go out and use.”

Dr. Grandin will be joined by two women who are working tirelessly to improve the lives of children with autism and their families. Noted Occupational Therapist and educator Cara Koscinski, and Paula Aquilla, a respected author and OT.

Koscinski is the author of “The Special Needs SCHOOL Survival Guide” and is well known as “The Pocket Occupational Therapist.” She has appeared on CBS on Anderson Cooper Live and has been published in numerous magazines, including the “Autism Asperger’s Digest”

Aquilla, also an OT, founded the “Yes, I Can! Integrated Nursery School, the Yes, I Can! Summer Camp,” and the “I Love My Baby Program” in Toronto. She is also the founding executive director of Giant Steps in Toronto, an innovative program of intense therapies, academics, and support services for children on the autism spectrum.

The conference is for parents, individuals with autism, caregivers, educators, therapists, and the greater community. Continuing Education credits are also offered. To register for Friday’s Future Horizons Autism Conference, go to www.templegrandin.com, www.fhautism.com, or call 800-489-0727.