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.

Day 54

Thursday, November 11, 2010
Happy Veterans Day!




Grandpa, U.S. Army 1950-1952 Korean War
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Day 53



Today was Kelt's cross country banquet. He was one of the two seniors that got 4 varsity
letters and was awarded Most Inspirational! He had a great season and we're so proud of him.
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Day 52


Kelt took this photo on our way back from Eastern Washington, 2010, ink jet print
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Day 51




Some examples of Kelton's art from his drawing class.
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Day 50!


Kelt got this keychain for Christmas last year from Kenzi.
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Day 49


Ever since Kelt was a freshmen in high school, my family and I have been concerned about his 13-year plan. He wanted to go to college, but we didn't know if that would be possible. We wanted to find an option that went beyond the public school transition program for students 18 to 21. Such programs primarily emphasize employment, whereas we wanted a program that incorporated academics, employment, and independent life skills. After researching the possibilities we found 16 post-secondary options for people with developmental disabilities across the country:

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Day 48


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Day 47



Some people with autism have a bad reaction to gluten and casein, which mostly includes wheat and dairy products. In some cases these proteins can disrupt one's system when they are not digested properly. Some believe that this is a myth, but it seems to help Kelton's daily routine. The gluten and casein free diet helps Kelt listen, focus, stay in one spot for a longer period of time, and not be as obsessive; a small slip-up can cause a noticeable change.
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Day 46


People with autism have processing difficulties, which can cause unique responses to sensory stimuli from any of the five senses. In Kelt's case, he can't wear jeans because he doesn't like the way they feel and has a heightened sense of smell.

This keychain is from the 2009 Bodies exhibit that Kelt saw in Las Vegas with his wrestling team.
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Day 45


football halftime show: senior night
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