WILLCOX — Premier Alliances, Inc. partnered with the Willcox Historic Theater for the latest installment of the its Reel to Real program on Friday, hosting University of Arizona Associate Professor Dr. TJ Glahn for a discussion on autism following a free screening of the biography of famed autism advocate Temple Grandin.

Attendees from as far as Sierra Vista came out for the event, which saw Dr. Glahn give a brief lecture following the screening of the film, as well as taking questions from the audience.
The event offered members of the community to be exposed to the life story of Grandin, a world-renown autism advocate and innovator in the area of humane livestock treatment.

The 2010 film, Temple Grandin, follows her life as she attends high school and college, and develops techniques for humane cattle treatment and slaughter that would soon be adopted across the country, all while focusing on the ways these efforts intersect with her life as someone with autism.

After the screening, Dr. Glahn spoke about how the understanding of autism has evolved in the many years since Temple Grandin’s life in the 70s and 80s, from early and incorrect notions like the infamous “refrigerator mother” theory, to modern research into genetics as a potential contributing factor.

Attendees also learned, among other things, that in the last couple of decades, autism diagnoses have increased dramatically, to more than 1 in 60, an increase not thought to be due to improved testing or detection methods, according to Dr. Glahn who also runs Fun and Functional Behavioral Services in Tucson.

This event was part of an ongoing effort by Premier Alliances to create unique and inclusive opportunities to start discussions in our communities around disability issues. We look forward to creating more engaging and educational outreach efforts with our local partners in the future.