AUTISM AUTHOR Temple Grandin

Autism author to speak at Training Event OCT. 7 IN HAGERSTOWN

written by LINDA HARKCOM

Temple Grandin will headline “Breaking the Cycle,” the sixth annual training event set for Oct. 7 at The Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown. Open to the community, it is hosted by Bester Community of Hope, a San Mar Initiative.

“Our annual training is an opportunity to bring the community together around shared ideas of what works for great outcomes for children, families and neighborhoods. Education in this format has the power to change hearts and minds,” Keith Fanjoy, chief executive officer of San Mar Family and Community Services, explained in an email.

Grandin is a professor, best-selling author, animal behaviorist and autism self-advocate, as well as an international speaker. She is the subject of the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning HBO lm, “Temple Grandin,” and was also one of Time magazine’s “100 most influential people.”

Grandin didn’t talk until she was 3 1/2 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 recounts “groping her way from the far side of darkness” in her book “Emergence: Labeled Autistic.” Until its publication, most professionals and parents assumed that an autism diagnosis was virtually a death sentence to achievement or productivity.

“Temple Grandin has an amazing story of resilience, overcoming a tremendous challenge through the help of a supportive community who built on her strengths and connected her to many opportunities to succeed. Everyone has strengths if we can simply focus on them, build upon them and ultimately use them to transform the future,” Fanjoy stated. ”While our event is not solely focused on families that have been impacted by developmental challenges, there is a universal message that when we work together, there is no barrier we can’t break through. It’s both a dose of hope and strategy.”

Other speakers at the event include the Rev. Nontombi Tutu and Sue Klebold.

Tutu experienced the challenges of growing up Black and female during apartheid in South Africa. Those experiences have been the foundation of her life as an activist for human rights and taught her that teaching and preaching hate and division injure everyone. Tutu is the third child of Archbishop Desmond and Nomalizo Leah Tutu. She was born in South Africa and lived in many communities and countries. The guiding principle of her business, Nozizwe Consulting, is to bring groups together to learn from and celebrate their differences and acknowledge their shared humanity. As part of her work, she has led “Truth and Reconciliation Workshops” for groups dealing with various types of conflict.

Klebold is the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two gunmen responsible for the Columbine High School shootings of April 20, 1999, in Littleton, Colo. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Klebold remained out of the public eye while struggling with grief and humiliation. Her search for understanding spanned 15 years, during which she volunteered for suicide-prevention organizations, questioned experts, talked with fellow survivors of loss, and examined the intersection beRev. Nontombi Tutu tween mental-health problems and violence. As a result of her exploration, Klebold became dedicated to mental-health awareness and intervention.

“Diverse audiences and speakers bring together nontraditional collaborators who ultimately walk away ready for tangible action, which at the end of the day is why we invest the time, effort and dollars each year to do this work,” Fanjoy explained. “So many people do amazing work in our community to help others, but it’s always about effort. It’s about finding Sue Klebold the most effective ways to make an impact together.”

“Breaking the Cycle,” is Oct. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at The Maryland Theatre. Tickets cost $39 per person and can be purchased at besterhope.org/event/breaking-the-cycle.

San Mar Family and Community Services is a 137-year-old, nationally recognized child-welfare organization headquartered in Washington County that operates three primary programs: Treatment Foster Care, the Jack E. Barr Outpatient Mental Health Center and the Bester Community of Hope initiative.