The Art Of Autism

Editor Jill Mullin is the recipient of the inaugural Felix in Art Award, presented by Extreme Kids & Crew "Drawing Autism highlights an 'area where individuals with autism can have great abilities.'...Jill Mullin, a clinical therapist, explores the recurring themes in art made by people with autism." --New York Times Book Review One of Brain Picking's Best Art, Design, and Photography Books of 2014 "This book is a testament to the power of art to reveal the inner world of people living with ASD." --Publishers Weekly "A jaw-droppingly beautiful book." --Library Journal Included in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's "96 Books For Your Summer Reading List" under "7 Visually Appealing Books" "Drawing Autism is not just a book about autism and art--it's a book about being human and expressing selfhood in all its beautiful, messy, complex forms. Add Drawing Autism to your wish list, tell your friends about it, and show it to your kids on the spectrum." --Autism/Asperger's Digest "Mullin, a behavior analyst, brings together fascinating works by 40 artists on the spectrum with their answers to her questions about their process." --The Boston Globe "Editor Jill Mullin has collected artwork from a host of painters and other graphic artists who are all somewhere on the spectrum. The fascinating and often lovely reprints in Drawing Autism help provide another perspective on the capabilities of people with autism." --Time Out New York "Mullin's clinical background in Applied Behavior Analysis, combined with more than a decade helping individuals with ASD, serve her well as the book's curator." --The Portland Phoenix " Editor Jill Mullin] has put together a beautiful and stimulating exhibition-in-a-book." --Story Circle Book Reviews "Drawing Autism is absolutely wonderful in its entirety." --Brain Pickings "Jill Mullin embraces the full range and spectrum of autism and artistic expression...Rich and varied images." --BookTrib "This book is like a key to opening doors across educational and medical landscapes. But perhaps even more importantly, the fact that many of the artists are able to explain what they were feeling at the time of their drawings will surely help this book find solid footing among parents, caregivers, and extended family members who have, up to this point, struggled to understand the inner workings of their precious loved one's autistic mind." --New York Journal of Books "A book of astonishing beauty." --BOOKS (France) "What is the actual experience of living with autism in a deep-felt sense, beyond the social stereotypes and headline-worthy superskills? Drawing Autism, a celebration of the artistry and self-expression found in artwork by people diagnosed with autism, explores just that. The stunning volume features works by more fifty international contributors, from children to established artists, that illustrate the rich multiplicity of the condition." --The Atlantic Over the last decade autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has become an international topic of conversation, knowing no racial, ethnic, or social barriers. Behavior analyst and educator Jill Mullin has assembled a staggering array of work from established artists like Gregory Blackstock and Jessica Park to the unknown but no less talented. Their creations, coupled with artist interviews, comprise a fascinating and compelling book that serves to educate and inspire anyone who knows someone diagnosed with ASD. Mullin's introduction and the foreword by best-selling author Temple Grandin provide an overview of autism and advocate for nurturing the talents, artistic and otherwise, of autistic individuals.

The early years are the most critical period of learning for a child with autism. Therapeutic art-making can be a useful tool to tap into their imaginations and help them to express their thoughts and feelings. Art as an Early Intervention Tool for Children with Autism includes practical advice on helping a child move beyond scribbling, organizing the child's environment for maximum comfort and relaxation, and providing physical and sensory support. This book is packed with tips and suggestions for how to provide art therapy for children with autism — covering topics such as the basic materials required, safety issues, how to set up a workspace, and ideas for managing difficult behavior. The author writes from a professional and personal perspective — Nicole Martin is a qualified art therapist specializing in working with children with autism, and she also has a brother with autism. Perfect for busy parents and as a practical reference for professionals such as psychologists, teachers, occupational therapists, sensory integration therapists and anyone working with a child on the autism spectrum.

Voted "Teacher of the Year" by The Autism Society of America, Toni Flowers has more than twenty years of experience teaching individuals with autism. She believes all children benefit from art because it encourages creativity. As a result, children with autism may find a form of expression when they've been handicapped by delayed and/or disturbed language skills and/or abnormal sensory responses. Reaching the Child with Autism through Art offers teachers and parents specific tools and "plans" in four mediums: college, painting, play and sculpture.

Spectrum gals, ever wished you had a handbook to help navigate the confusing world of teenage girlhood? Look no further! Aspie-in-the-know, Jennifer Cook O'Toole provides just that with her inspirational guide to life for teenage girls with Asperger syndrome. Drawing on her own, real-life experiences rather than preaching from textbooks, she covers everything you need (and want!) to know, from body shapes and love interests to bullying, friendships and how to discover and celebrate your unique, beautiful self. With illustrations by an Aspie teen and inspirational quotes from well-known, female Aspie voices, including Temple Grandin, Rudy Simone, Robyn Steward, and Haley Moss, Sisterhood of the Spectrum is your perfect companion on the "yellow brick road" to womanhood. It will leave you empowered, informed and excited to be different.

An urgent, funny, shocking, and impassioned memoir by the winner of the Spectrum Art Prize 2018, How To Be Autistic presents the rarely shown point of view of someone living with autism. Poe's voice is confident, moving and often funny, as she reveals to us a very personal account of autism, mental illness, gender and sexual identity. As we follow Charlotte's journey through school and college, we become as awestruck by her extraordinary passion for life as by the enormous privations that she must undergo to live it. From food and fandom, to body modification and comic conventions, Charlotte's experiences through the torments of schooldays and young adulthood leave us with a riot of conflicting emotions: horror, empathy, despair, laugh-out-loud amusement and, most of all, respect.

Psychodynamic Art Therapy Practice with People on the Autistic Spectrum offers a valuable counterbalance to the phenomenological, cognitive and behavioural theories that currently prevail in the wider field of practice and research. The result of a decade of work by a group of highly experienced art therapists, this book presents eight frank and compelling accounts of art therapy with either adults or children with autism, supported by a discussion of the relevant theory. The book begins with an overview of the theoretical context and the subsequent chapters give varied accounts of practitioners’ experiences structured in a loose developmental arc, reflecting issues that may arise in different settings and at various stages of therapy. Each is followed by an afterword which describes the author’s reflections in the light of their subsequent knowledge and experience. The conclusion brings together some of the common threads arising from their encounters and considers how these might be relevant to current and continuing art therapy practice in the field of autism. Psychodynamic Art Therapy Practice with People on the Autistic Spectrum is a thoughtful consideration of where art therapy meets autism and the particular challenges that arise in the encounter between the autistic client and the therapist. Presenting honest reflections arising from lived encounters and highlighting general principles and experiences, this book aims to orient other practitioners who work with people on the autistic spectrum, in particular art therapists and art therapy trainees.

Featuring 100 exciting hands-on easily reproducible art projects including visual examples, illustrations, and one-step directions; so that all lessons can be taught successfully with no previous art experience necessary. This one-of-a-kind comprehensive how-to-guide is an unparalleled resource for both teachers and parents who wish to promote independence through the effective intervention of art to those with ASD. An overview of its contents includes: Basic Facts About ASD provides the necessary information about the multiple types of autism and the typical disabilities associated with each, while drawing awareness to the prevalence of this disorder. Schematic Art Developmental Stages includes descriptions and illustrations so that students work can be easily evaluated assessing their current status. Foundational Instructional Elements contains insights into teaching art to those with ASD including building life skills, multidisciplinary connections, and current comparative art therapy practices. Review of Literature is an outline of the historical development of art education emphasizing its importance throughout history. Successful Art Model Programs reviews examples of effective curriculum showing arts positive impact on student achievement. The Elements and Principles of Design provides a multitude of visual examples and extensive definitions in a concise manner for easy understanding of these foundational concepts inherent to any quality art program. Building an Art Cabinet offers descriptions, techniques, and vocabulary in a detailed overview of the vast array of medium types and supplies, including suggestions as to what essentials to stock. Planning an Art Curriculum contains all of the necessary step-by-step components to begin writing an art curriculum, preparing the classroom, and implementing classroom rules and safety procedures. Individual Developmental Concerns features ways to obtain student-centered information enabling you to understand students strengths, weaknesses, learning styles, and sensitivities. Designing a Curriculum addresses requirements that should be taught, implemented, and incorporated within curriculum design, including core subjects, in order to improve student disabilities. Effective Teaching Strategies gives practical suggestions for helping students excel throughout the art process and within the curriculum. Behavior Management Techniques lists formal support plan suggestions and modifications, reward systems, and mediation impulse control ideas. Implementing a Curriculum helps you identify lesson selection and unit construction through samples, in order to implement long and short term goals, including an easy to fill out objectives form. Evaluation Procedures suggests multiple means of assessment in a variety of formats including a rubric scoring guide. Instructor and Parental Participation contains additional information for the Art Educator, Special Education Teacher, and Home Schooled Parent.

Living beyond Asperger's Matthew Kenslow was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which is within the autistic spectrum, when he was six years old. He shares its common symptoms, such as lacking social and conversational skills, and having poor eye contact with others. In school he had difficulty with certain subjects, but others (like math and science) came easily to him. He has the ability to remember a myriad of facts and the events in his life-some he would rather forget! Juggling the Issues: Living With Asperger's Syndrome is a collection of short stories from his life. He describes many of the issues that those with autism and Asperger's face each day. He also talks about some of the positive aspects of having Asperger's as well. What is life like living with Asperger's? Matthew describes it as having "an enhancer" plugged into his brain, which accelerates his thoughts and even his emotions. "Asperger's will deepen everything's significance, causing us to take things to a more intense level," he confides. If you want to better understand those living with Asperger's, you need to read this book. The insights Kenslow shares come from his deep experience of living with it and making the most of life's opportunities.