The award-winning film “Temple Grandin” will be shown May 22 during a free autism program hosted by St. Mary’s Health Center Auxiliary to increase understanding of autism and its impact on children and families.

The program will begin at 1:30 p.m. at N.H. Scheppers Clydesdale Room, 2300 St. Mary’s Blvd. in Jefferson City. The film is based on a true story of an autistic woman who learned to channel her unique gifts into a successful career as a scientist, author and ground-breaking animal advocate.

In addition to the movie, the program will include remarks by state Rep. Dwight Scharnhorst, who sponsored the 2010 legislative bill providing insurance benefits for autistic children.

St. Mary’s Auxiliary is sponsoring the program as part of a statewide autism-education effort launched by the Missouri Association of Hospital Auxiliaries. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. There is no known single cause of autism, but it affects one in 150 children.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call (573) 635-3175 or (573) 680-0554.