Best-selling author Temple Grandin spoke about her life experiences dealing with autism to a sold out concert hall, lecture hall and theater of 870 people in the Doudna Fine Arts Center Thursday.

Grandin, a professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University, was diagnosed with autism in 1950, but worked to adapt to her disability later becoming an advocate for people with the disability.

Grandin said she learned to cope with her disability through learning manners and learning through hands on activities. Two techniques she encouraged educators to use on children with autism.

Along with offering techniques, Grandin said she is more of a visually focused thinker—seeing her thoughts as movies.

“It wasn’t until I was in my 40s that I realized that not all people think that way,” Grandin said.

She also showed various brain scans she has received over the years and how each compared to someone who is not on the autism spectrum.

While presenting a brain scan she pointed out that the “pathways” in her brain are shaped differently compared to a non-autistic 50-year-old art professor.

“This doesn’t tell me anything a clinical diagnosis wouldn’t,” Grandin said. “I had problems getting my speech out and this just shows why.”

Grandin said it is important to not a let a person with autism completely focus on the disability.

“Autism is a part of who I am, but it is not who I am, I am a college professor,” Grandin said. “I don’t think it is good for a kid to get fixated with autism, yes it is how I think, but it is not my profession.”

The talk, which took place in the Dvorak Concert Hall, was all transmitted via closed circuit television to the Lecture Hall as well as the Black Box Theater, all located within the center.

With all three venues sold out, Dan Crews, the director of patron services at Dounda, said people were still calling to get seats to listen to Grandin.

“We sold out today but had people calling asking to be put on a waiting list, a few people ended up canceling so we were able to get a few more people in,” Crews said. “We called all of our staff and said ‘all hands on deck,’ everyone who could work tonight is here.”

Brittany Anderson, a second-year communication disorders and sciences graduate student, said she was blessed to be gifted a ticket in the Dvorak Concert hall and that seeing Grandin speak was “meant to be.”

“I look up to her so much, when I graduate I hope to work with kids on the autism spectrum and she is such an inspiration,” Anderson said. “I extended my graduate program to a second year because of transfer complications and I feel this is meant to be, extend graduate program, meet Temple Grandin.”

Anderson met Grandin when Grandin toured the Autism Center located on Eastern’s campus.

All of the proceeds from Thursday’s tickets sales will benefit the center.

Amy Wywialowski can be reached at 581-2812 or alwywialowski@eiu.edu.