Today was the wrestling award banquet.
Kelt got the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award for his team!
Kelt got the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award for his team!
Day 173
Piece #7, pom pomsThis is the 7th piece for our new project. We haven't written the artist statement yet or figured out the specifics, but want to work with a variety of materials, such as wax, glue, and clay, etc., to see what Kelt likes. I'm curious to observe his process and learn if sculpture is a medium that he enjoys. I'm also interested in his relationship with the different materials. So far he's enjoyed wrapping and tying the most.
The materials are also important because people with autism often have unique responses to sensory stimuli. Examples include high threshold for pain, oversensitivity to sounds or being touched, exaggerated reactions to light or odors, or fascination with certain stimuli, etc. Hypersensitivities and/or hyposensitivities vary depending on the individual; for people with autism the continuum can range from no reaction to responses in all five senses.
Day 171
I was looking through Lance Mannion’s tweets, a blogger who writes about art, culture, politics, and life and has a son with Asperger’s syndrome, because he attended a screening for the documentary Wretches and Jabberers. This documentary is about two men with autism, Larry and Tracy, who travel the world to promote autism, meet new people, and tell their stories. Larry and Tracy both have verbal skills, but mostly communicate with type. I followed Mannion’s tweets because he made comments and observations about the screening and the Q&A session afterwards.
I found this particular tweet to be interesting because I felt like it related to Kelt’s education. By the end of middle school most self-contained classrooms start to deemphasize academics and begin focusing on life and transition skills. These skills are necessary for every young person, but don’t typically become a priority until a later age. When Kelt was in middle school we started to realize that students with high-functioning autism don’t always fit into the typical special education curriculum. They have the ability to learn, but have a different learning style and require more one-on-one help. They also need more help with communication, sometimes through sign language or an alternative system, which was the case for Tracy. He had the capacity to learn, but simply didn’t have a way to communicate. Luckily the mysteries of autism and communication are being solved and more alternative and augmentative communication devices are being created and used.
Day 169
I was going through this book and came
across a characteristic that reminded me of Kelt:
across a characteristic that reminded me of Kelt:
"When I am not drawn in by another person's choice of topic, I often start thinking of things that I am more interested in and don't hear anything they say" (2).
In terms of social interaction this is one of his biggest problems. You can immediately tell when he loses interest because his eyes start to wander, interrupts with a new topic, or sometimes just walks away. Besides communication this tendency also affects his learning and is the main reason why he can't go to a traditional college. Even though he loves history and spends hours researching he'd be bored as a history major because he's only interested in certain topics. He'd also have a hard time completing two years of general education requirements, such as math, science, and English, because he wouldn't have the drive to finish the coursework. Unfortunately bachelor degrees aren't this specific; if they were, just like wrestling, he'd be one of the best.
Day 168
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Kelt got this keychain today from our grandparents
Kelt got this keychain today from our grandparents
who just got back from California. Now he has 5,864.
Day 167
This is one of them. Now he has 5,863.
Self-Portrait, oil pastel and collageKelt's art teacher also asked him to submit a drawing for the Washington State Annual Superintendent's High School Art Show! Only a small group of students were selected. He chose this one.
Day 165
Kelt got two more keychains in the mail today from my friend Amanda! Here is a drawing of 1/2. Now he has 5,841. We also finished another sculpture piece:
Piece #6, shoe lacesThis is the 6th piece for our new project. We haven't written the artist statement yet or figured out the specifics, but want to work with a variety of materials, such as wax, glue, and clay, etc., to see what Kelt likes. I'm curious to observe his process and learn if sculpture is a medium that he enjoys. I'm also interested in his relationship with the different materials. So far he's enjoyed wrapping and tying the most.
The materials are also important because people with autism often have unique responses to sensory stimuli. Examples include high threshold for pain, oversensitivity to sounds or being touched, exaggerated reactions to light or odors, or fascination with certain stimuli, etc. Hypersensitivities and/or hyposensitivities vary depending on the individual; for people with autism the continuum can range from no reaction to responses in all five senses.
This material was inspired by artist Judith Scott.
Photograph by Leon Borensztein for the book One is Adam One is Superman
Borensztein showing Scott her picture in the book"Judith Scott was a fiber artist who was isolated from outside influences because of the severe impact of deafness and Down syndrome. She was very independent and self-directed. Crafting armatures of bamboo slats or other discarded materials, she wrapped these forms with lengths of knotted cloth or yarn. Her sculptures reflect little cultural input and are highly individualistic, expressing Judith's own personal vision." -Excerpt from One is Adam One is Superman: The Outsider Artists of Creative Growth
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