On August 29, five Emmy Awards were given to an HBO movie chronicling the life of Dr. Temple Grandin, an agricultural designer and accomplished author who has autism.
One Emmy went to Claire Danes, who won Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for playing Grandin. Emmys also went to the supporting actors Julia Ormond and David Strathairn, and to director Mick Jackson. The movie won Outstanding Made-for-TV Movie as well.
Grandin was diagnosed with autism in 1950, after not speaking until she was three-and-a-half years old. Since then, she has been a public advocate for people with autism.
Grandin has a doctorate in animal science and works as a professor at Colorado State University. She has contributed to the field of ethical treatment of animals, designing facilities for cattle all over the nation.
Grandin is an honorary board member for the Autism Society, and sits on the organization’s volunteer advisory group, the Panel of Professional Advisors. She is the author of the bestselling books Animals Make us Human, Animals in Translation, Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports from My Life with Autism.
Amanda Glensky of the Autism Society released a statement congratulating Danes and Grandin, calling Grandin, “The most accomplished and well-known adult with autism in the world.”
Greg Braxton of the Los Angeles Times wrote, “Attired in red and black rodeo gear, Grandin herself became a palpable presence at the ceremony, at one point, rising and excitedly swinging her hand lasso style from the audience.”
In addition to the movie with her name, Grandin was the subject of the BBC documentary “The Woman Who Thinks Like A Cow,” and an episode of “First Person” with director Errol Morris. She has been featured on television shows including ABC’s “Primetime Live,” NBC’s “Today Show,” “Larry King Live,” “The View,” “48 Hours” and “20/20.”
Grandin has also appeared in publications such as People magazine, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, The New York Times and Time magazine, where she was recently listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
This article was published in the October 2010 issue of Able News.
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