Temple Grandin, noted animal scientist and autism advocate, to speak at WWU

Temple Grandin, a renowned animal scientist widely recognized as the world’s most successful person with autism, will give a free talk on the Western Washington University campus.

The question-and-answer discussion is scheduled from 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at Western’s Performing Arts Center, and is free and open to the public, the university said. The talk, titled “How Families and School Can Support Individuals with Autism,” does not require registration or a ticket, WWU said.

Those planning to attend should allow for extra time to find parking.

Grandin’s campus talk precedes a sold-out event at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Mount Baker Theatre.

Grandin’s notability is twofold. A designer of livestock-handling facilities, her methods to reduce animal stress are used so widely in the industry that nearly half of all cattle in the U.S. are handled in facilities she designed, according to Grandin’s website. She is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University.