Temple Grandin, an author, academic and advocate known for her work on autism and animal behavior, will speak at The University of Alabama in Huntsville next week.

Grandin will present “Autism: The Way I See It – Advice from the Most Famous Person in the World with Autism” on Thursday, Oct. 8, at Charger Union Theater, 4705 Holmes Ave. N.W., on the campus of UAH.

The event is co-hosted by the Regional Autism Network (RAN) at UAH, Autism Support of Alabama and Future Horizons. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the speaker at 6:30. A question-and-answer session and book signing will follow the talk. Tickets are $64.95 in advance or $74.95 at the door. Order tickets online at fhautism.com, or call 817-277-0727.

For Sarah Bailey, the UAH RAN program director, Grandin is a personal hero.

“One of my first assignments at UAH was preparing the departmental bulletin and message boards before the start of the semester. I chose to display parts of this quote from Dr. Grandin: ‘I don’t want my thoughts to die with me; I want to have done something. I’m not interested in power or piles of money. I want to leave something behind. I want to make a positive contribution – know that my life has meaning.’

“Having started my journey on campus inspired by her words, I could not be more thrilled to welcome her to our university in person and to share this evening with the residents of North Alabama.”

An acclaimed academic, inventor and ethologist, Grandin was one of the first autistic people to write about her personal experiences with autism. She is a faculty member in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University and has offered advice on animal behavior as a consultant to the livestock industry.

She is the author of numerous books, including “Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism,” “Navigating Autism: 9 Mindsets for Helping Kids on the Spectrum,” “The Outdoor Scientist – The Wonder of Observing the Natural World,” “Livestock Handling and Transport” and “Developing Talents.”

Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world included Grandin in its “Heroes” category in 2010. A film about her life, “Temple Grandin” (2010), won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe award.

More details about Grandin’s work are available on her website: templegrandin.com.

RAN at UAH is located in the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences, Department of Curriculum & Instruction. For more information about RAN’s programs and services, email uahran@uah.edu or call 256-824-5700.