Art on the autism spectrum…

Will's kind of autism is different than what most people think of when they hear autism. He has a complete understanding of social skills, a great sense of humor, and tremendous empathy. Non-speaking autism is often misunderstood, because without spoken or written communication, the rest of us have to rely on their actions and behavior to get clues as to what is going on. So, when an individual with autism regularly does odd things, doesn’t respond when spoken to, and doesn’t follow simple directions, it is natural to assume they don't really understand what is said to them. Unfortunately, this has led to a general misconception that non-speakers have lower intelligence and are given the label, low functioning.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. As Will and many other non-speakers who have found communication have explained, they completely understand, but are trapped inside of a body they doesn’t cooperate with them. It reminds me of paralysis where an individual can command their body to move, but the paralyzed limb does nothing. Of course, it’s not really a true paralysis, but it’s the best way I can explain it. An example of this in the autism realm would be, an individual is asked to kick a ball - they understand the request and their brain sends signals to their feet and legs to move - but the signal doesn't get through or gets mixed up. So, what this looks like is the the individual doesn’t move at all or does something else entirely like start walking. In real life, the person with autism would be asked to do it again and again, after the same lack of response, an incorrect assumption would be made that there is no understanding. However, the problem is not in the understanding, but in the difficulty with motor movements and this is why autism is labeled a neurological disorder. This difficulty with motor movement and planning is called Apraxia. Apraxia can affect the ability to move the mouth to produce speech and also fine and gross motor movements in all areas of the body.

However, just like with a stroke patient, individuals with autism can retrain their bodies to function better, but it takes a ton of hard work and a lot of time. Improvement can be made with the right therapies, and one of the most life-changing for Will was RPM or Rapid Prompting Method. RPM is one of the newer therapies and not well understood, but Will is living proof of how well it works. Where other therapies had failed, and we tried EVERYTHING, RPM helped Will to develop full communication by learning to spell his thoughts and better control his motor movements. Will began RPM at 9 years of age and worked with an RPM clinic for 8 years full time. However, Will’s goal was to get a high school diploma, so luckily we found a school that specializes in teaching students who spell to communicate. S2C or Spelling 2 Communicate is a very similar methodology to RPM using the same tools and terminology. Both have helped Will to have the freedom of communication. He is now a Sophomore in high school and is excelling in all of his classes and on track to graduate with his diploma.

Will's art skill progressed the same way as learning any other motor skill - hard work and a very long time. It has taken him almost a decade to be able to do what he can today. He has worked so incredibly hard and I am so very proud of him! However, making art from a concept in his mind, involves so many more motor skills than where he is at right now, so I provide a framework for him to paint with a computer drawing. Will and I work together to create the design ideas and the finished art that is the basis for all of his greeting cards.

There are few individuals with Will's kind of autism that create art and I'm so incredibly proud to be his mom! Will has had many opportunities that other non-speakers have not had access to. We believe that all people deserve the right to learn communication and have an age-appropriate education, regardless of their ability to spesk. Will is a strong advocate for other non-speakers all across the country and is taking this battle for rights all the way to DC.

This business is now a dream come true, because "With a Will, there is a way!" - Mel (Will’s mom)