In 1998 my youngest brother, Kelton, was diagnosed with autism, a developmental disability that affects communication and social interaction. Autism currently affects 1/88 people in the United States. Kelton is a talented individual who runs cross-country and track, wrestles, plays the drums, loves history, and collects bobble heads and keychains.
This year Kelton decided to enroll in his first art class where he discovered his skill for drawing. His unorthodox style made me reconsider my artwork and examine the differences and similarities that exist between our perspectives. According to Paul Collins’ Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism, artists are four times more likely to have autism in their families. Considering the number of artists in my family, this statistic made me question the similarities that exist between Kelton and me. For this reason, we have decided to draw one of his 6,481 keychains a day for one year. These drawings will be as simple and uninhibited as possible. This project will explore our individual perspectives and examine the similarities that exist between us as artists.
I recently started reading this book to learn more about teenagers with autism. Jackson was only 13 when he wrote it! Here are some cartoons from the book:
"Asperger Syndrome comes under the umbrella of autism. That's quite a useful way to think of the autistic spectrum - as an umbrella with lots of people under it all in different places. The trouble with that analogy is that some people are being rained on a lot harder than others and that doesn't really happen with an umbrella" (20).
"For autism and Asperger Syndrome, people have a 'triad of impairments.' These impairments are in communication, social interaction and imagination. Repetitive behaviors, obsessions and sensory problems are also often part of the problem, though not always present. Mum told me that she once read somewhere that someone compared these problems with an equalizer and all people on the autistic spectrum have different levels for each problem" (21-22).
"I think Tony Attwood wrote about labels being signposts. Signposts usually point people in the right direction, so by not telling people about Asperger Syndrome, no direction is being given about how to help" (26).
"In some ways, gay people must have the same worries as those with Asperger Syndrome, when it comes to telling others that they are different from others" (38).
There are some great illustrations.
ReplyDeleteEspecially the equaliser.
(his sister Sarah drew them, as you might be able to see).
Read Multicoloured Mayhem too.
Thanks. I'll have to check that book out!
ReplyDelete