Temple Grandin, PhD, Kate Duffy, MSc
presented by
Leading Edge Seminars, Inc
Location Metro Toronto Convention Centre John Bassett Theatre (255 Front Street West) What would our society look like if businesses, colleges, and universities were designed to harness the often remarkable skills and talents of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? International autism advocate Dr. Temple Grandin will discuss the conditions needed to create meaningful work for people with Asperger’s Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism (HFA). Dr. Grandin was one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2010. She will share her unique journey as a gifted woman with autism who is now a doctor of animal science and an internationally known designer of livestock-handling facilities when she is not writing a best-selling book or presenting to sold-out crowds worldwide. Dr. Grandin will emphasize how her abilities were nurtured from an early age, and discuss real-life strategies and supports that helped her become an extraordinary success and an inspiration to others. Her morning presentation (which will be followed by a Q-and-A session) will also give an overview of how people with ASD function in the world, and provide insight into how to decipher ASD behaviours in neurophysiological terms so that these behaviours can be contextualized. In the afternoon, Kate Duffy (who co-wrote Developing Talents with Dr. Grandin) will present strategies to help prepare young people with special needs for success in the workplace, whether they are employed by someone or choose to be entrepreneurs. With commentary from Dr. Grandin, Kate will focus on methods to identify and cultivate talents and interests that might lead to satisfying work or a viable small business as well as practical career planning and job search techniques. This workshop will be relevant for guidance counsellors, social workers, psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, teachers and educational support workers from secondary to tertiary levels, employers, program leaders and developers, policy makers, and human resource professionals. Meaningful work guarantees a return on the public investments that pay for the support services offered in our public schools and community programs. This presentation will lay the groundwork for a future in which more individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome and HFA have a better chance to fully realize their talents. You will learn — How to identify and nurture special talents in young people with ASD
Ways of learning work skills at a young age
About the neurophysiological context of behaviour associated with ASD
How to design a career plan based on the individual’s strengths and talents
About career-planning resources available through libraries and the Internet A limited number of scholarships and parent-rate seats are available;
please apply to Angela at angela(at)leadingedgeseminars(dot)org for special rates. A portion of proceeds from this event will be donated to Unity for Autism. About the Presenters: Temple Grandin, PhD, lectures to professionals and parents internationally on her experiences as a person with High-Functioning Autism. She is a doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior. She is best-selling author of 7 books including Developing Talents and The Way I See It. Articles and interviews have appeared in the New York Times, People, and Time, and on National Public Radio, “20/20”, “The View”, and the BBC. In 2010, her life story was captured in the Emmy award-winning film, Temple Grandin. Kate Duffy, MSc, is the co-author with Temple Grandin of Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism. She has taught writing and small business classes at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City for 21 years while raising two sons with sensory integration disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome. Kate provides training in student-centred learning strategies. Her business, Developing Talents, helps people on the autism spectrum find jobs.
website: http://leadingedgeseminars.org/ | 
