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Dr. Temple Grandin didn’t talk until she was 3 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. She tells her story of “groping her way from the far side of darkness” in her book Emergence: Labeled Autistic, a book that stunned the world because, until its publication, most professionals and parents assumed that an autism diagnosis was virtually a death sentence to achievement or productivity in life. She eventually found a mentor, who recognized her interests and abilities.

Dr. Grandin developed her talents into a successful career as a livestock-handling equipment designer, one of very few in the world. She has now designed the facilities in which half the cattle are handled in the United States, consulting for firms such as Burger King, McDonald’s, Swift and others.

Her fascinating life, with all its challenges and successes, has been brought to the screen in the recent award-winning HBO movie Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes. She 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 also been written about in many national publications, including Time Magazine, People Magazine, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report and New York Times.

Dr. Grandin’s visit is a fundraising event sponsored by the EIU Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, the EIU Center for the Humanities, and the Doudna Fine Arts Center. Proceeds will provide initial funding for an autism center at EIU.