Nationally known woman with autism to speak at Kaneland High

Temple Grandin was almost 4 years old before she learned to talk.

She lived in a world of her own, unable to interact with others, spending much of her time rocking.

"I was full-blown autistic," Grandin said today.

Her worried mother couldn't have known it then, but her silent, solitary little girl would grow up to write award-winning books, appear on "The Today Show," "20/20" and "Larry King Live" and even earn a doctorate in animal science.

"(Grandin) gives hope and inspiration to parents of people with autism," said occupational therapist Jeanni Bonine. "She really shows how much potential there is for kids and she almost lets you be in their world when you hear her speak."

Fox Valley residents will have the chance to do just that Saturday, when Grandin is the keynote speaker at an all-day workshop, "The Dynamic Child," in Maple Park.

The event, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kaneland High School, is designed for parents of children with various degrees of autism as well as for their teachers and other professionals.

Autism can run from mild cases of Asperger's syndrome to severe cases, Bonine said, with all levels of sensory sensitivity and social difficulties in between. There can be unexpected advantages of an autism diagnosis, too, and it is these that parents and therapists must tease out to help the autistic child become successful.

For Grandin, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, the hidden blessing was her visual mind.

"I think totally in pictures," she said. "I get pictures in my mind like Google for images."

As a designer of humane livestock-handling facilities that reduce stress on animals and improve productivity, Grandin considers this an advantage. "It enables me to test-run equipment in my head," she said.

Half the cattle handling facilities used in North America today originated in Grandin's picture-perfect imagination. Her carved chute and race systems are used all over the world.

She considers her visual thinking skills the very reason she is able to understand the needs of animals and authored the best-selling "Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior" and "Thinking in Pictures," among others.

"Animals don't think in language," Grandin said. "They think in pictures, they think in sounds, they think in touches, but they don't think in language."

Many other autistic people have found the same connection with animals, which is why "The Dynamic Child" workshop also features Bonine and Allen Weimer of Maple Park's Blazing Prairie Stars Barn.

Bonine will talk about the barn's hippotherapy, or horse therapy, program. Weimer, a licensed marriage and family therapist, will explain why horses work so well with challenged kids.

The horse's gentle gait is a tool that helps with sensory integrative needs, said Cathy Raack, CEO of Community Therapy Services, the St. Charles clinic sponsoring "The Dynamic Child." The horse also serves as a great metaphor for social skills, she said.

"The herd has its own dynamics," Raack said. "There are horses that are leaders, followers, horses that are picked on and chased, horses that are players. These roles are very much like the playground."

Socially challenged autistic children can learn about healthy interaction from their equine friends.

"This is very powerful; it's amazing," Raack said, adding that horses help children regulate their attention by shying away from excitable behavior.

The kids, she said, learn to calm down to maintain their connection with the horse.

"It's a perfect feedback mechanism in many, many ways," Raack said.

Other workshop speakers will include Dr. William Walsh of Pfeiffer Treatment Center in Warrenville, who will talk about biochemistry research in autism and new therapy options; Dr. John and Betsy Hicks of Pathways Medical Advocates in Delavan, Wis., speaking about holistic approaches and nutrition; and Dr. Timothy Wahlberg, a licensed clinical psychologist who also will address research and treatment strategies.

The $95 workshop includes lunch and continuing education credits are available for those who are interested. To register or for more details, call (630) 444-0077 or visit www.commtx.com.