The Downingtown Area School District will host Dr. Temple Grandin – the trailblazing professor, author, advocate, and scientist – on Friday, May 21, as she presents awards to the winners of DASD’s Creative Connections Contest.

Dr. Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. As a child, she could not speak and presented symptoms often related to autism. After years of intensive speech therapy and a host of encouraging teachers and mentors, she not only learned to speak but also earned worldwide respect and recognition for her work with livestock and her advocacy for autism understanding and acceptance.

Dr. Grandin has been featured on national television shows, has multiple New York Times bestsellers, and was portrayed by Claire Danes in an HBO movie entitled Temple Grandin. Further, more than half of the cattle in the U.S. utilize facilities designed by Dr. Grandin.

“Dr. Grandin is one of the most well-respected experts in the world in the fields of both autism and animal behavior, and it is a true honor to welcome her to our event,” said Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director Justin Brown.

Each month and as a part of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, the school district celebrates many of our nation’s month-long observances through social media posts and in-classroom activities.

“April was Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month, with social media posts highlighting the work of our autistic support teachers, as well as the first Creative Connections Contest,” said Brown.

The contest encouraged staff, students, and community members to combine their “unique talents and ideas to help us celebrate and honor our diverse community,” according to Brown.

Submissions could include a short video, poster, short story, poem, art project, or any other creative activity that focused on autism acceptance.

The Creative Connections Contest for Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month received 10 submissions, including student and parent videos, art, poetry, and personal stories. Winners of the $50 cash prizes donated by K-Moon Photography included:

• the Stulak family
• Brandywine Wallace Elementary School third-grader Aiden Lombardi-Nunez
• Downingtown Middle School seventh-grader Gianna Parada
• Downingtown West High School junior Anushka Levaku

All participants will receive a certificate of participation that will be presented by Dr. Grandin during the May 21 event. The event will take place online and will begin at 7 PM. All community members are invited to attend the ceremony. Registration is required.