RSS Feed for This PostCurrent Article

Last night’s major Emmy winner on Paulie’s radio show tonight

By Paulie Abeles on August 30, 2010 at 2:31 PM in Current Affairs

paulie-s1LAST NIGHT YOU SAW HER on stage at the Emmy’s when the movie of her life (now in DVD, titled “Temple Grandin“), based on her book, won several awards. Few would disagree that Temple Grandin, Ph.D. — tonight’s guest on Paulie Abeles’ radio show at 9:00 p.m. ET — has revolutionized the American meat packing industry for the better. But how did an autistic child (whose parents were counseled to institutionalize her) understand so intuitively how to make the handling of animals more humane? It looks like the media are also asking questions too:

From Entertainment Weekly’s story today, “‘Temple Grandin’ wins big at Emmys. But who is she?“:

Who is Temple Grandin? Her name was called out seven times at last night’s Emmy Awards, where the rancher-attired Grandin herself was “a palpable presence,” in the L.A. Times‘ words, “at one point, rising and excitedly swinging her hand lasso style from the audience.” Grandin was there, of course, as part of the HBO movie named after her, in which she was played by the Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie-winning Claire Danes.

There’s more below the fold, including more from the Entertainment Weekly story and a photo of Temple Grandin hugging actress Claire Danes at the Emmys last night. (Claire Danes won last evening’s “Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Miniseries” for her portrayal of Temple Grandin.) ALSO BELOW: HBO’S VIDEOS OF THE MAKING OF “TEMPLE GRANDIN.”

Please tune in TONIGHT, August 30, 2010 at 9pm (ET) to No Quarter Radio’s
Sins of Omission with Paulie Abeles for an interview with bestselling author, and agricultural phenom Temple Grandin about her new memoir:

Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition:
My Life with Autism

With incredible insight, and understanding, author Temple Grandin describes her life as an autistic savant and how her unique neurological wiring has created both challenges and opportunities from which we all can learn.

Don’t miss it!

Sins of Omission with Paulie Abeles is on NoQuarter Radio

Mondays at 9:00pm (ET).

Paulie’s weekly show is aimed at giving listeners insight into the topics of the day beyond the nightly news. To listen to more of Paulie’s recent shows, use our instructions in the far right column for how to retrieve all NoQuarter radio shows via iTunes.

HERE’s MORE from the EW story:

Born in 1947, Grandin was diagnosed as autistic at a young age due to her inability to speak or function socially like other children. As an adult, Grandin became a renowned public advocate for those born on the autistic spectrum. Her high-functioning autism ultimately allowed her to earn a doctorate in animal science, become a university professor, and pen an autobiography about her experiences. She has also made notable contributions to the ethical treatment of livestock. Grandin, who believes that her autism helps gives her insight into the feelings of farm creatures, famously designed more humane corrals for cows headed for slaughter.

Grandin has been the subject of several film treatments before HBO’s award-winning movie, including a BBC documentary (“The Woman Who Thinks Like A Cow”) and an episode of director Errol Morris’ First Person. (Click through to the jump to see clips from both of those shows.)

In our review this February, EW’s Jennifer Armstrong said HBO’s Temple Grandin “put[s] us right inside the mind of its subject” and praised Danes for “transcend[ing] a standard awards-bait performance.” According to Deadline Hollywood, Danes said after the Emmys last night that she “never worked harder on a performance.” …

Read all: “‘Temple Grandin’ wins big at Emmys. But who is she?”

Check out hundreds of additional stories on Temple’s big wins last night.

HBO’S VIDEOS — the making of the movie + what the critics are saying:

  • Bronwyn

    I am very excited about hearing Paulie’s show tonight after watching part of the Emmys last night and seeing that very fit, very large woman lumber up those steps to the stage to share in the Emmys that the movie on her life won.

    Have any of you seen  the movie, or read her book?

  • jbjd

    For selfish reasons, I urge all of you to follow these links to learn more about Dr. Grandin, and to listen to the radio interview.  My beloved son is autistic, also high functioning.  And the more people who ‘get’ that being autistic does not mean, he is stupid, or lazy, or incapable of strong emotional attachments, the better and more fulfilled will his life become.  (I must say, he is also extremely good looking and good natured, so that he attracts people and is perhaps more sociable than otherwise we would expect.  His friends have come to accept his pecxadilloes and help him to conform his behavior accordingly.)

  • jbjd

    For selfish reasons, I urge all of you to follow these links to learn more about Dr. Grandin, and to listen to the radio interview.  My beloved son is autistic, also high functioning.  And the more people who ‘get’ that being autistic does not mean, he is stupid, or lazy, or incapable of strong emotional attachments, the better and more fulfilled will his life become.  (I must say, he is also extremely good looking and good natured, so that he attracts people and is perhaps more sociable than otherwise we would expect.  His friends have come to accept his pecxadilloes and help him to conform his behavior to situational expectations.)

  • arabella trefoil

    I have a severely autistic brother. He lives in a wonderful group home. Every Saturday I take him to visit my mother. I spend all day with my brother and my Mom. My brother can communicate in a limited way, but he has a wicked sense of humor. He loves to tease me. He is very, very, intelligent. It’s a shame that he is so autistic that he can’t function in “normal society.” Still, he has a great life. The State of New York takes excellent care of him. He goes to Day Hab. He participates in music, art and horseback riding. He is an excellent bowler and has lots of trophies!

    Temple Grandin’s books are wonderful. She provides important insights into how autists see the world. I think she has written at least four books.

    It so happens that Temple Grandin is speaking at my university next week for Convocation! I am excited about hearing her speak.

    I have not yet read Grandin’s mother’s book, but Grandin’s mother was creative and persistent in her efforts to raise a daughter she was told to institutionalize. My parents were told to institutionalize my brother (this was back in the 1960′s.) They chose to keep him at home while attending special education classes until he became too hard to manage. (We were nine siblings in all, so what a household it was!)

    I’m so grateful that I know and love my brother. He is dear to me in ways I cannot describe.

    I am so happy that Grandin is getting the recognition she deserves. A bit of sunshine in world that lately seems so dark.

    Never underestimate anyone.

  • jbjd

    Until my son’s diagnosis – I knew something was amiss – I would not let him fall behind.  I talked to him ALL THE TIME; read to him; and kept him by my side.  (I put him in a backset with his books when he was little and carried him from room to room with me,)  I taught him math by pretending the sidewalk was a number line; and the geography of Africa by turning his body parts into countries. (His chest was Chad). But the more I ‘caught him up,’ the harder was the diagnosis!  Finally, I made the ‘experts’ listen; and once they did, the diagnosis became so clear.  Now that his challenge had a name, everything else suddenly fit, and could be accommodated.

    at writes, “I’m so grateful that I know and love my brother. He is dear to me in ways I cannot describe.”  I think I know how you feel.  Do report back after hearing Dr. Grandin speak.

  • jbjd

    Until my son’s diagnosis – I knew something was amiss – I would not let him fall behind.  I talked to him ALL THE TIME; read to him; and kept him by my side.  (I put him in a backset with his books when he was little and carried him from room to room with me.)  I taught him math by pretending the sidewalk was a number line; and the geography of Africa by turning his body parts into countries. (His chest was Chad.) But the more I ‘caught him up,’ the harder was the diagnosis!  Finally, I made the ‘experts’ listen; and once they did, the diagnosis became so clear.  Now that his challenge had a name, everything else suddenly fit, and could be accommodated.  
     
    at writes, “I’m so grateful that I know and love my brother. He is dear to me in ways I cannot describe.”  I think I know how you feel.  Do report back after hearing Dr. Grandin speak.

  • wodiej cracker dawg

    I have an autistic nephew but he cannot function independently and certainly not without meds. His Mom has him in special classes and he does pretty well but he will never be able to live on his own. 

    Further, I don’t know why in the world anyone would assume that most people think autistic people are stupid or lazy.  I think the overwhelming majority of people can discern the difference between that and someone who is developmentally disabled.

  • arabella trefoil

    That is my brother’s situation as well. He needs medication and constant supervision. He needs a lot of structure. Many autists do not like change. Back in the bad old days, when Freud ruled, austism was supposedly caused by “refrigerator mothers” that is cold rejecting mothers. My poor mother suffered greatly having to undergo psychotherapy. My parent both had to undergo counseling, not to help them deal with their son, but to find out how and why they produced a “defective” child.

    Thank goodness my parents were smart and tough. They looked at alternatives. They defied the experts and found their own ways of dealing with my brother, and with all of his siblings. Many marriages and siblings suffered tremendously because of lack of understanding of what autism is.

    When my brother grew too old, large, and strong for my mother to manage at home, we were lucky to find a wonderful day program for him and a group home in the same town as my mother. Now a days there are many medications that can help profoundly autistic people. Sometimes autists have behaviour problems that are tough to manage. A combination of behaviour modification and the right meds work wonders.

    My mom sometimes asks if they can “medicate my brother more” because when he visits her he gets into mischief. Ironically, overmedicating a patient (any patient) is illegal. It’s a form of physical restraint. So they give my brother the minimum medication necessary.

    My sibs and I laugh about this because we had to really pressure my Mom (who had just undergone major surgery) to put my brother in a group home. My mom claimed “They’ll drug him up! He’ll be a zombie!” We find it funny that now she thinks a little more medication would be a good thing, at least when he visits her.

    Well, it’s funny to us. Maybe you guys don’t think it’s funny. You have to keep a sense of humor to deal with the stuff life throws at you.

  • jbjd

    wodiej wrote, “I don’t know why in the world anyone would assume that most people think autistic people are stupid or lazy.”  Because I am the mother of a child who to all outward appearances is “normal” and so, when he acts in a way that is contrary to expectations and, based on empirical evidence, it has been my experience, MOST PEOPLE THINK HE IS STUPID OR LAZY.  Even current teachers, unaware he is on an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), first assume any deficits between achievement and perceived ability are attributable to these factors and not an anomaly of the brain.  Either that or, they are stereotyping him because he is black.  Pick your poison. 

  • jbjd

    wodiej wrote, “I don’t know why in the world anyone would assume that most people think autistic people are stupid or lazy.”  Because I am the mother of a child who to all outward appearances is “normal” and not developmentally disabled.  As a result, when he acts in a way that is contrary to expectations; it has been my experience, MOST PEOPLE THINK HE IS STUPID OR LAZY.  Even current teachers, unaware he is on an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), first assume any deficits between achievement and perceived ability are attributable to these factors and not an anomaly of the brain.  (He has no Aide.) Either that or, they are stereotyping him because he is black.  Pick your poison.  

  • jbjd

    wodiej wrote, “I don’t know why in the world anyone would assume that most people think autistic people are stupid or lazy.”  Because of empirical evidence, that’s why. I am the mother of a child who to all outward appearances is “normal” and not developmentally disabled.  People unfamiliar with the symptoms of autism would not know he is autistic.  As a result, when he acts in a way that is contrary to expectations; it has been my experience, MOST PEOPLE THINK HE IS STUPID OR LAZY.  Even current teachers, unaware he is on an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), first assume any deficits between achievement and perceived ability are attributable to these factors and not an anomaly of the brain.  (He has no Aide.) (Either that or, they are stereotyping him because he is black.  Pick your poison.)   

  • Linda Anselmi

    Missed the Emmys.  But glad Grandin got attention.

    Her Animals in Translation - is an interesting read.  If you can deal with a detail discussion of slaughter houses.  She helped design a more humane process for animal slaughter.  Not a good read for vegans.  But might convert some meat eaters. Very enlightening on how Autistics perceive, think and react and it’s similarities to animal perceptions, reactions etc… Not that they are alike in intelligence, but having heighten awareness to sights, sounds and touch. 

    A very enlightening and engaging fictional book about a young autistic boy - 
    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon


    <img src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41AVVhtHugL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_OU01_SL90_.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”/>

  • Linda Anselmi

    Missed the Emmys.  But glad Grandin got attention.  
     
    Her Animals in Translation - is an interesting read.  If you can deal with a detail discussion of slaughter houses.  She helped design a more humane process for animal slaughter.  Not a good read for vegans.  But might convert some meat eaters.  Very enlightening on how Autistics perceive, think and react and it’s similarities to animal perceptions, reactions etc… Not that they are alike in intelligence, but having heighten awareness to sights, sounds and touch.   
     
    A very enlightening and engaging fictional book about a young autistic boy  
    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon