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When Temple Grandin was diagnosed with autism at age three, a doctor recommended she be placed in an institution. Instead, Grandin grew up to be a world-renowned expert on the handling of livestock and arguably the most famous person with autism in the world.

Eustacia Cutler is the mother of four children. Her oldest child is Temple Grandin, who is known as the most  successful person with autism in the world today. Eustacia is a graduate of Harvard. She has been a band singer at the Pierre Hotel, New York City, performed and written for theater and cabaret, and written documentaries on disabilities for major television networks. Her current book, "A Thorn in My Pocket" describes raising Temple in the conservative world of the 1950’s. Eustacia was one of the first to tread new territory as she overcame the difficulties of "challenging the system." Like every parent, she wanted the best for her child. She understands the myth, reality, angst, and guilt a family experiences in society. She is where you will be in the future: looking back on the things you did to help your child.  When the “system” is not meeting the needs of your child, you must be creative and design your own program. Piece by piece, you and your child can develop a meaningful, interrelated reality. Eustacia will inspire you to reach beyond your current resources and make it work for you and your child.

Last fall when we heard that Temple Grandin could possibly be in Montana for spring 2014, we jumped at the chance to have her present northern Montana.  With all the discussions in the meat industry right now about humane treatment of food animals we thought this would be a perfect opportunity for Marias River Livestock Association (MRLA) to provide important education to not just our members but the general public through the Gentle Hand Livestock Conference, June 27 & 28, 2014, Shelby, Montana.   

Temple Grandin, diagnosed with autism as a child, talks about how her mind works -- sharing her ability to "think in pictures," which helps her solve problems that neurotypical brains might miss. She makes the case that the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of smart geeky kids.

Click here to register for this event What: Dr. Grandin didn't talk until she was three and a half years old, communicating her frustration instead by screaming, peeping, and humming. In 1950, she was diagnosed with autism and her parents were told she should be institutionalized. www.templegrandin.com/ If you have seen the HBO movie "Temple Grandin" you know how important Eustacia Cutler, Dr. Grandin's mother, was to her success. Come and hear her first-hand account of raising Temple Grandin at a time when Autism barely had a name. As part of the conference, Ms. Cutler will be the featured guest at an evening reception for parents of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder. In addition to keynote presentations, multiple breakouts sessions each day will feature a choice of educational, medical, adolescent/adult, and family support strands. Lighting the Way welcomes family members, educators, social workers, childcare providers, support professionals and other community members to attend the event. CEUs and college credit hours will be available. A pre-conference session is scheduled for June 8th. Dr. Barry Grossman and Dr. Ruth Aspy, founders of the Ziggurat Model, A Framework for Designing Comprehensive Interventions for Individuals With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome, will present a day-long workshop. Full conference information and on-line registration available at: www.augie.edu/autism When: June 9 and 10, 2011 Where: Sioux Falls Register: A limited number of stipends are available to help SD families with a member with an autism spectrum disorder attend the conference.   Please contact SD Parent Connection at 1-800-640-4553 or sdpc@sdparent.org to request a stipend.

Salon spoke to Grandin over the phone about the newest autism numbers, the problem with autism awareness — and what the government can do to help parents with kids on the spectrum.

Special educators need to look at what a child can do instead of what he/she cannot do. There needs to be more emphasis on building up and expanding the skills a child is good at. Too often people get locked into a label such as dyslexia, ADHD, or autism, and they cannot see beyond the label. Kids that get a label often have uneven skills. They may be talented in one area and have a real deficiency in another.

If you know and love anyone with autism or on the autism spectrum, you are going to want to keep reading. In my case I have quite a few friends with children on the spectrum and I have a beautiful daughter who is too. I am blessed with three fantastic children all different and special in their own way, I love them each beyond words.

Check out these seven great TED talks.

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds

Stephen Volan: Approaching Autism Theatrically

“Lucy” is a powerful play about life with autism.  Written by Canadian playwright Damien Atkins and directed by David Stradley at the Delaware Theatre Company, this is not a “feel good” story, rather it challenges us. Lucy is a teenager with autism who does not seem destined to “recover” or grow up to be the next Temple Grandin.