Trent Altman

Autism Light #331 is Trent Altman.

Trent Altman is 35 years old and lives in Louisville, Kentucky. Trent Altman is an abstract, expressionistic artist who has autism. Trent has gained international attention for his outstanding talent in art. His work in art is enabling Trent Altman to earn money and support himself. Trent Altman is an Autism Light for how work is helping spread autism awareness and providing inspiring art for people to enjoy.

2012 United Nations Award: Trent Altman's painting Abstract Garden II was chosen to be on a special United Nations postage stamp in a series in honor of World Autism Awarness Day 2012. He was one of two artists with autism selected from the United States and one of eight artists selected from around the world. 1 million of the stamps were printed by the United Nations Postal Administration (Trent's Studio Website).

Genius of Autism Honoree: In 2012 Trent Altman was one of the New York City McCarton Foundation Award Honorees at the 2nd Annual Genius of Autism event on October 22, 2012. Another artist with autism being honored at the 2012 event was Stephen Wiltshire, who was Autism Light #36. Dr. Jacquelyn Marquette, Trent's mother, wrote a blog post for the Art of Autism on his experiences at the event (The Art of Autism, March 27, 2013).

The following is a news story by WHAS11 on Trent Altman's art. In addition to being an artist Trent Altman has made the amazing transition to living independently with supports.


Trent's Studio: Trent Altman's work has been used by non profits, churches, autism conferences and universities such as the University of Louisville. For more information on Trent's honors and awards with his art visit his website called Trent's Studio at http://www.trentsstudio.com. His website has detailed information about his art.

The following is a news story that Kentucky Life did on Trent Altman in 2013.


Social Media: You can follow Trent Altman at the following social media areas.

• Trent Altman's YouTube Channel
• Trent Altman's Twitter @Trentsstudio
• Facebook Page for Trent Altman
• LinkedIn Page for Trent Altman

Special thanks to Trent Altman for being an Autism Light. Trent's artwork has a profound beauty to it and is an inspiration to those who follow the achievements of some individuals with autism.  We look forward to hearing more exciting things about Trent and his artwork in the future. For more information on artists with autism visit the Autism Light Art page.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Natalie Palumbo

Autism Light #324 is Natalie Palumbo.

Natalie Palumbo is 19 years old, and a college student at Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida. Her home is in Columbia, South Carolina. Her older brother Anthony has low-verbal autism. As a sibling of an individual with autism, Natalie takes very seriously a responsibility to care for her brother over his lifespan and she is a natural advocate for autism. Natalie currently serves as the sibling voice for the Age of Autism web newspaper. Her relationship with Anthony is an inspiration to other autism siblings and families. Natalie Palumbo is an Autism Light for the difference she is making in the life of her brother who has autism and how her creative art and writing encourages the greater autism community.

Artist: Natalie just successfully completed her first semester at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida with an A average. She hopes to work in visual effects in film and animation. Natalie became interested in art at an early age, because drawing helped her cope with the isolation imposed by autism and was the only way she could communicate with her brother. Some of her artistic achievements already include:

• In 5th grade she was recommended to competitive fine arts programs.
• Natalie won several regional, state, and national awards for traditional, digital, and mixed media pieces.
• In 9th grade, she won the Nevitt award for “Most Outstanding Art Student” after completing all four years of Tri-District Arts Consortium in Lexington County.
• In 11th grade, she created an art piece called “NOT Born This Way”, which featured her brother Anthony in a significant way. She expressed her concern for the growing numbers of people diagnosed with autism, and how society is unprepared to deal with this increase. This concern was the subject of her senior thesis.
• Her PSA for Age of Autism took 1st Place in the PSA Category at the Notre Dame High School National Film Festival in the Spring of 2013.

Here is the Public Service Announcement that Natalie Palumbo created on autism awareness for Age of Autism in the Notre Dame High School National Film Festival.


Here is a news story done on Natalie Palumbo and her relationship with her brother in October of 2012.


Natalie Palumbo offered this perspective to Autism Light on finding a cure for autism.

Growing up, those who thought of autism only as a verbal condition criticized me for wanting a cure for my brother. They actually asked me,
“If you love your brother so much, why do you want a cure?”

They did not understand how Anthony’s low-verbal autism made him vulnerable to danger, and how lack of communication limits his life. Anthony will need lifetime care. I feel it’s important to identify the cause of autism to prevent it as well as treat it. Some people with autism are gifted and verbal, but only represent about 30% of the spectrum. I responded to criticism by saying…  

“If you can argue against a cure, you don’t need one. For those without a voice, we can never stop fighting for a cure. We cannot neglect the many for the exceptional gifts of the few.”

Age of Autism: The Age of Autism is a Daily Newspaper on the Autism Epidemic that is Edited by Dan Olmsted, Kim Stagliano, and Mark Blaxill. Natalie Palumbo serves as the Sibling Voice for Age of Autism. Her writing on this daily web newspaper on autism is having a significant impact. You can access the over 20 posts she has written through her page on Age of Autism.  Some of her favorite posts include:

• Autism and Medication Hell
• The Autism Doesn't Care
• Ant and Nat Snow Dance by Natalie Palumbo (Links to a book Natalie self-published in high school).

Autism Light asked Natalie how her relationship with a brother with autism impacts her life and she said this:

Anthony keeps me young. He is immune to the world’s negativity. It
is a blessing and a curse for me. Anthony is unaware when people
are intolerant, so I hurt for the both of us. It does comfort me that he
is unaware of people’s ability to be cruel. I can escape into his world
where our childhood is never-ending. He still thinks of me as 6 and
him as 9. Anthony acknowledges that I’m in college, but his interaction
with me remains frozen in time. Anthony speaks in chunk phrases from
his echolalia. He will repeat a phrase, and change certain words to
suit his message. This is how he copes with having no conversational
speech. This results in funny phrasing that we call “Anthonyisms”. I
started a Tumblr at the suggestion of one of my friends who enjoyed the
Anthonyisms as my Facebook statuses. Anthony inspires my art. He is
highly visual to compensate for being low verbal. I focus on whatever
captures Anthony’s attention. I try to see the world through Anthony’s eyes.

Social Media: You can follow Natalie Palumbo's work on the following social media areas.

• Natalie Palumbo's Age of Autism Page 
• Natalie Palumbo's YouTube Channel
• Natalie Palumbo's Vimeo Site
• Natalie Palumbo's Tumblr Blog (Featuring "Anthonyisms" from Natalie's Facebook statuses)
• Natalie Palumbo's Deviantart Page

Here is a video of Natalie and Anthony dancing to a light hearted song together.


Being Anthony’s only sibling, Natalie anticipates being his caregiver one day when her parents are no longer able. Special thanks to Natalie Palumbo for being an Autism Light as a sibling voice for autism. Her thoughts challenge the autism community to listen to autism siblings to make sense of the puzzle of autism. We look forward to continuing to hear about the great things Natalie will do in the future to raise awareness for autism.

If you enjoyed this post you may wish to read about the other Autism Lights with the label Siblings. These people share the special perspective in their story of having a sibling with autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photos of Natalie Palumbo with her brother Anthony in this post were used with permission of Natalie Palumbo.

Garrett Giauque

Autism Light #289 is Garrett Giauque.

Garrett Giauque is a 13 year old boy with autism from Salt Lake City, Utah.  An amazing talent for drawing has surfaced in Garrett. Garrett Giauque is an Autism Light for the way his talent at drawing is serving as an inspiration to the autism community.

When asked to describe himself, Garrett said, "Well Garrett's a different man and Garrett's a surviving guy, surviving autistic kid. Trying to survive this life and world (Source)."

Mormon Faith and Autism: In August, 2011, Garrett's mother April, who also has two other children with autism, wrote an article called, "Garrett Was God's Child First" which appeared in the Ensign, a publication of the Mormon Church. The article is very helpful in showing how faith, in this case Garrett's mother's Mormon faith, gives a perspective on autism. April Giauque writes in the article about what she has learned from Garrett:

What I have learned from Garrett and our other children who fall within the autism spectrum is that they are children first and people with autism second. I imagine that it is much the same way that our Heavenly Father sees all of us: we are His children first, and we have trials and experiences second. Our children want love, attention, help, success, and praise. They want their pain to be eased, and they want to feel hope. They enjoy life differently than many people do, yet their needs and wants are similar to those of most everyone  (Source)."

Autism Contributes to Garrett's Artistic Ability: Garrett's mother, April said, "The ability that autism has given him in the sense of how to focus, how to look at detail, how to create things. That is going to be his gift back to the world."

Future Plans: While 13 is young to have one's future planned out, Garrett's mother foresees that he might have a career someday working in a museum and drawing animals (Source).

There is an archived news story by KSL.com-Utah by Peter Rosen on Garrett Giauque that you can read at this link.

Special thanks to Garrett Giauque for being an Autism Light. We look forward to hearing amazing things about how his talent develops in the future. For more information on artists with autism visit the Autism Light Art page.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Iris Halmshaw

Autism Light #285 is Iris Halmshaw.

Iris Grace Halmshaw is a 3 year old from Market Horborough, England who is nonverbal and has autism. Iris also is an artist who creates awe-inspiring paintings. Iris Halmshaw is an Autism Light for giving to the world her gift of art and for demonstrating the exceptional artistic talent that some people with autism have.

Here is a MSN news story on Iris Halmshaw and her painting.



Peter-Jon Halmshaw, Iris' father, told the Leceister Mercury that "When she started doing art therapy we thought it was amazing, but we're her parents so we think everything she does is amazing. But lots of other people started saying it was great. It went beserk from there (Source)."

Arabella Carter-Johnson, Iris' mother, said, "Her autism has created a style of painting which I have never seen in a child of her age. She has an understanding of colours and how they interact with each other (Source)."

The National Autistic Society shared this tweet describing the work of 3 year old Iris Halmshaw.

Her work evokes the likes of Monet and Jackson Pollock. Iris Halmshaw (3) continues to amaze with her #artistic skill http://t.co/mcoi52GUD5
— Nat Autistic Society (@Autism) July 4, 2013

Some of the prints of her paintings have sold for several hundred dollars and are available to the public through her website at irisgracepainting.com. Iris Halmshaw's family is planning an art show in the future where they will sell originals of some of her paintings to raise funds for her ongoing autism therapy.

Social Media: You can follow the growth of Iris Halmshaw and her artwork on the following social media areas.

• Facebook - Iris Grace Painting
• Twitter @IrisPainting
• YouTube Channel of Arabella Carter-Johnson (Iris' Mother)

Special thanks to Iris Halmshaw for being an Autism Light. Your artwork is an inspiration the autism community and those that appreciate art. We look forward to hearing more exciting things about Iris and her artwork in the future. For more information on artists with autism visit the Autism Light Art page.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Special Update: Iris Grace Halmshaw's autism therapy cat is Thula who was named Autism Light #358.

Richard Wawro

Autism Light #226 is Richard Wawro.

Richard Wawro was a legally blind Scottish artist who had autism and is known as a savant for his amazing memory that he used to enhance an equally outstanding ability as an artist. Richard Wawro was born in 1952 and died on February 22, 2006 from cancer. You may read Richard Wawro's Obituary for more details of his life and death. His work was revered by the United Kingdom, including treasured by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Richard Wawro is an autism light for his positive representation of amazing abilities some people with autism have. He will be added posthumously to the Autism Light Memorial Roll.

Richard Wawro's Wikipedia page shares additional things about his life.  According to his Wikipedia page:

Wawro was the son of Tadeusz and Olive Wawro; his father was a Polish military officer and civil engineer who had settled as a librarian in Fife, and his mother a Scottish schoolteacher. He was diagnosed as "moderately to severely retarded" at the age of three, a condition later recognised as autism.  He did not learn to speak before the age of 11 and required eye surgery to remove cataracts, which left him with sufficiently poor eyesight to be classed as legally blind (Source).

The following is a video about the amazing work of Richard Wawro with excerpts from a feature called With Eyes Wide Open that was produced by Dr. Laurence A. Becker.



One of the positive elements in Richard Wawro's life was his parents unconditional love. In a sense they were the unsung Autism Light so that Richard could be a light also.

For Richard art was his life and his love. He took pride in his talent and loved to share it. At the completion of each picture Richard would take it to his father for approval and then received appropriate and deserved compliments, followed by a mini-celebration in which he and his father raised joined hands in a sort of present-day high-five. He and his father shared an unmistakeable enthusiasm and appreciation for each other. Richard's mother, who also loved and appreciated him unconditionally, died in 1979 but in spite of their closeness, Richard's work did not stop. Richard's father died in 2002 (Source).

A memorial website page is maintained for Richard Wawro at www.wawro.net. From this page one may also order prints of his orginal work. According to his memorial website Richard, "earned widespread acclaim for his detailed drawings created with the unusual medium of wax oil crayons. With these he produced exceedingly detailed, dramatic images of intense depth and colour (Source)."

Autism Light honors the memory of Richard Wawro and hopes that the story of his life will be an encouragement to others. His influence extended throughout the United Kingdom and to other parts of the world. For more information on artists with autism visit the Autism Light Art page.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher

Autism Lights #217 are Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher.

  

Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thrasher are from Central Vermont. They both have autism.  They were two of the first people with autism in the State of Vermont to communicate effectively by typing. They are autism advocates who starred in the 2012 Documentary Wretches & Jabberers. Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thrasher are Autism Lights because of their efforts in autism advocacy to show the world the intelligence of nonverbal individuals who have autism.

Documentary: Gerardine Wurzburg was the Director of the Documentary Wretches & Jabberers which follows the journey of Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thrasher around the State of Vermont and to visit their friends and fellow autism advocates Chammi in Sri Lanka, Naoki Higashida in Japan, and Henna and Antti in Finland. Assisted by their supporters Pascal Cheng and Harvey Lavoy, Larry and Tracy also were able to travel in this advocacy project and along the way to also speak at autism conferences in Japan and Finland. Here is the trailer to Wretches & Jabberers. 

Larry Bissonnette: Larry Bissonnette is an artist and advocate from Milton, Vermont. He learned to communicate with others by typing at age 34 in 1991.  In the Documentary he says some profound things such as, "Autism is not abnormality of brain, but abnormality of experience."  His website shares this tribute about Larry Bissonnette's skill as an artist.

His work is in the permanent collection of the Musée de l'Art Brut, Lausanne, Switzerland and in many private collections. His work was most recently featured in the Hobart William and Smith Disability and the Arts Festival in April, 2010. He is both the subject and writer of an award winning film about his life, called, My Classic Life as an Artist: A Portrait of Larry Bissonnette (2005) (Source).

Be sure and check out Larry's blog.

Tracy Thresher: Tracy Thresher is an autism advocate from Barre, Vermont. He learned to communicate with others by typing at age 23 in 1990. In the Documentary he is shown visiting a Vermont State Senator. Tracy says some profound things in the film such as, "We are the perfect example of intelligence working out itself in a different way." His website shares this tribute about Tracy Thresher's work as an autism advocate.

He has presented at local, statewide, and national workshops and conferences. He has consulted with local schools, is a member of the Vermont Statewide Standing Committee and has worked for the Green Mountain Self-Advocates in Montpelier, Vermont. In Vermont, he mentors teenagers and adults. Most recently, Tracy has consulted at Syracuse University as a lead trainer (Source).

Be sure and check out Tracy's blog.

Movie Availability: The movie Wretches & Jabberers is available to watch on Demand services such as Hulu.com or Netflix on Demand.  It may also be purchased through iTunes or on DVD.

Social Media: You can follow Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher at the following social media pages for their Documentary.

• Twitter@JabberBoxdoc
• Facebook

Special thanks to Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher for being Autism Lights. Their expression and autism advocacy gives an important window into the intelligence of people with autism. Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher also hold the distinction of being the first Autism Lights from the State of Vermont.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Jeremy Sicile-Kira

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Autism Light Classic
Updated on May 21, 2015. 

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Autism Light #200 is Jeremy Sicile-Kira.

Jeremy and his dog Handsome

Jeremy Sicile-Kira is a 26 year old artist from San Diego, California. Jeremy has autism and is nonverbal. At birth Jeremy was diagnosed as severely autistic and mentally handicapped, but as he learned to communicate nonverbally he demonstrated to his educators how much he had learned and was able to learn.  He is the co-author of the book A Life Full With Autism (Macmillan, 2012). Jeremy Sicile-Kira is an Autism Light because of how his life, writings, and art have served to inspire others with autism and all those that love someone with autism and want to see them have A LIFE FULL WITH AUTISM. His amazing life bears some wonderful similarities to that of Carly Fleischmann who was Autism Light #1.

EDUCATION

High School: Jeremy graduated from Torrey Pines High School (San Diego, California) in 2010 at the age of 21.  He had a 3.75 GPA and passed the California High School Exit Exam on his first attempt. Jeremy shared this advice for students with the Autism Light blog, "Try greatly listening to positive people who believe in both your capability and frankly your greatest dreams. Create short and long term educational goals."

The following video is from the 2010 graduation ceremony for Torrey Pines High School that featured Jeremy speaking through his assisted communication device. The event was covered by NBC and Fox.

College: After high school Jeremy Sicile-Kira went on to take some classes at Mira Costa College and did well in them. He withdrew from school in order to pursue his passion as an artist.

TALENTS

Artist: Jeremy has become an artist and is beginning to make a living doing what he loves to do. A portfolio of his artwork is available on his website. On May 17, 2015, Jeremy wrote on his @Jeremyisms Twitter page:  "Truly painting and art gives me great hope for my future and nicely the future of the world."

Author: Jeremy Sicile-Kira and his mother Chantal wrote the book A Full Life with Autism together.  The book was released on March 27, 2012.  In A Full Life with Autism Jeremy and his mother Chantal address the seldom discussed issues related to young people with autism transitioning into adulthood. Jeremy's website describes the book like this:

Jeremy’s first book, A Full Life with Autism, is a guide for helping our children on the spectrum lead meaningful and independent lives as they reach adulthood. In the next five years, hundreds of thousands of children with autism spectrum disorder will reach adulthood. And while diagnosis and treatment for children has improved in recent years, parents want to know: What happens to my child when I am no longer able to care for or assist him?

There has been praise for Jeremy's book from respected leaders across the autism community. Dr. Temple Grandin who was Autism Light #38 wrote the Forward.  Dr. Stephen Edelson who was Autism Light #52 said, "A Full Life with Autism is a must-read book for parents and professionals in the autism field (Jeremy's Vision Website)." You can order this important autism book from Amazon or read more about it at Jeremy's Vision.

Advice for Parents: Jeremy has this advice to share with parents from his book, A Full Life with Autism (Macmillan 2012): "Believe in yourself. Do not doubt that you are the expert on your son or daughter. You have done your best so far, and you can be their guiding light for their future."

Autism Research Institute Youth Representative: Jeremy has been appointed as Autism Research Institute's Youth Representative to the United Nations. He also serves as the California Youth Leader for the Autistic Global Initiative, a project of the Autism Research Institute.

CHANTAL SICILE-KIRA (JEREMY'S MOTHER)

Jeremy's mother Chantal Sicile-Kira, who is a popular autism blogger and operates Autism College, said the following about him in an email to Autism Light in June, 2012.

It has not been easy to raise Jeremy, to advocate for him. But it has been much harder for Jeremy.  Imagine not being able to speak or to have challenges with motor planning and initiation - necessary for every day life. And he is learning to advocate for himself, and for others like him. Jeremy inspires me because he wants to use his writing skills to help others and to make the world a better place--Chantal Sicile-Kira.

How Autism Uniquely Impacts Jeremy:  Jeremy's mother Chantal Sicile-Kira discovered that he has synesthesia, which means he associates colors with emotions. To learn more about how synesthesia impacts Jeremy read the The Huffington Post article that his mother Chantal Sicile-Kira wrote on July 25, 2013. In addition, Jeremy Sicile-Kira has wrote an important piece on his website on autism. He explains how his body is effected by sensory processing difficulties.

JEREMY TODAY

Jeremy Sicile-Kira gave this update to Autism Light on what is taking place in his life in 2015, 3 years after the original post was done on his life. Jeremy says, 

Truly my life has changed very truly for the better. I justly live now pleasantly in my own apartment with a roommate. I have great support staff. Really my life changed when nicely my mom discovered I had synesthesia. My mother inspired me to dearly paint the portraits I was painting in my dreams. Truly this has made a huge difference in my life. Now I paint at my art studio in my city (San Diego) in an art co-op where I was accepted for my talent. I love to paint and people are happy to get their personalized painting based on their colors. This is how I am beginning to earn a living.

Living in an apartment with a roommate means I have to do more chores but I have the opportunity to go out more and see people that I know in the neighborhood.  I volunteer twice a week setting up the beach to help the lifeguards and I meet people greatly there.  I go to local pubs and there are the same people from the beach. Usually I just like to hang out but my beautiful support staff help me believe in my ability to communicate with my newfound friends.   

Nicely truly people all people need to be accepted for their different abilities (Jeremy Sicile-Kira)

ONLINE PRESENCE

Website: Jeremy Sicile-Kira has his own website at www.jeremysvision.com. Jeremy says this about his website on the homepage--"I have a paintbrush, a keyboard and autism. Jeremy's Vision is my view of the world expressed through my painting, writing, and advocacy."

One of Jeremy's poignant statements on autism in his life is the following:

"Autism is an important influence in my life. The hardest part is not being able to talk. God must have been out of voices when he made me.--Jeremy Sicile-Kira."

Social Media: You can follow Jeremy on the following social media areas.

• Facebook Page for Jeremy's Vision
• Twitter @Jeremyisms. 

The following is a recent posting on @Jeremyisms on Twitter.

pic.twitter.com/72H0RDBYD0

— Jeremy Sicile-Kira (@Jeremyisms) April 26, 2015

Special thanks for Jeremy Sicile-Kira for being an Autism Light. His progress and development is an inspiration to the autism community. His dynamic maturity gives hope to parents who have children who are the most severely impacted by their autism. We expect to hear a lot from Jeremy in the future as he develops his work as an artist and continues to be an autism advocate. If you wish to keep track of Jeremy's life you can sign up on his website (www.jeremysvision.com) to receive his Email newsletter.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Photo: The photo of Jeremy in this post was used with permission.

Thomas Russell

Autism Light #191 is Thomas Russell. 

 

Thomas Russell is from Laurel, Montana. He is a 23 year old artist who has autism. When asked what it is like living with autism, Thomas replied, "It's not that different than living everyday normal life (Source)."  Thomas Russell is an Autism Light for his excellence as an artist with autism.

Thomas Russell graduated from Laurell High School. He is the son of Charles and Brenda Russell. He works in his family lawn care business and part-time at Subway. However, his true love and gift lies in being an artist.

Here is a sample of one of the amazing pieces of artwork that Thomas Russell did. This portrayal of the Autism Awareness ribbon will be sold to raise support for autism awareness and will continue to raise awareness when it is displayed by the eventual owner. It will also be added to the Autism Light Art Page.

Thomas Russell gave this advice to kids with autism, "Don't let anyone stop you from following your dreams."

Thomas Russell is very blessed to have his siblings Alex and Tara Russell and Anna Meadows in his life. Thomas's life motivated his sister Anna Meadows to become a special education teacher and she currently works with elementary students. Anna Meadows did a video project called "The Heart of Autism" for one her graduate classes on her brother's life that can be viewed on this link of his Facebook page.

Perhaps the best way to understand someone is to ask their mother. Thomas' mother Brenda Russell said, "Thomas is one of the coolest people I've ever met. He has an awareness--almost like an extra sense. He's the most compassionate kid I know. He will do whatever he can to help anybody (Source)."

To view Thomas Russell's work online you can visit his website at www.thomasrussell000.blogspot.com or his Facebook page. There was also an article done recently by The Laurel Outlook about his work called Living with Autism.

Special thanks to Thomas Russell for being an Autism Light. He truly has a gift to communicate through his art. We expect to hear great things in the future about his artwork.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.


Photo: The photos in this post were used with permission of Thomas Russell and his sister Anna Meadows.

Joshua Banks

Autism Light #162 is Joshua Banks. 

Joshua Banks was raised in Jupiter, Florida and now lives in Jensen Beach, Florida. He is an artist who also has autism. Joshua Banks is an Autism Light for the way he expresses his amazing gifts through a special art form which is done with markers.

Joshua Banks has been described as, "A 24-year old young man with autism who enjoys music, gymnastics, hiking and horseback riding but doesn't speak, he discovered this art form when his mom packed some markers to channel his abundant energy during evacuation from a hurricane (Source)." Joshua is nonverbal and is working on using an iPod Touch to aid his communication with others. He also uses gestures and some vocalizations.

His parents wrote that, "It always seems that art provides Josh a focal point to his day and to his physical space, it's a visible expression of his joyful personality. His parents prefer that he be recognized for his abilities, which include a joyful means of expressing himself and transcending multiple challenges."

Joshua was first encouraged to prepare for an exhibit by Texas art professor and international fine artist Mari Omori; several other artists have since admired the quality of his work.  Joshua uses markers to create his artwork. Here is a photo of one of his pieces.

Joshua's Art Show:

• Joshua has his work featured at an art show at the Lighthouse Art Center in Tequesta, Florida from June 4, 2012 through July 26, 2012. There will be a reception on June 21 from 5:30 to 7:00pm.

Joshua's Past Art Show:

• Joshua's first public art show was held at the Town of Jupiter Community Center in Florida. It was an inclusive art show featuring other artists as well. There was an opening reception from 6 to 8pm on Friday, March 23, 2012 and the art was displayed through April 27, 2012.

For further details on Joshua's art shows, please contact Vicki Silver at silvervicki@gmail.com.  For more information on Joshua Banks see this article written about him called Autistic Artist's Work Speaks For Him.

Special thanks to Joshua Banks and his parents for showing us a wonderful example of someone with autism expressing themselves through art. Joshua's talent shows the autism community that art is a positive way for someone with autism to express their joy.  We expect to hear great things about Joshua Banks' art in the future.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.


Photo: The photos in this post were used with permission of Vicki Silver.

Leonard Williams

Autism Light #120 is Leonard Williams.

Leonard Williams is from Riverton, Wyoming. He is 21 years old and has autism. Leonard Williams is an Autism Light because he operates a business called Autisticks, an art based business which brightens people's lives by offering handmade walking sticks.

The walking sticks that Autisticks sells are handcrafted. Leonard Williams selects them uniquely from nature, shapes them creatively, and puts the finishes touches on them.

More Information: For more information on Leonard Williams' life and business read the following articles online.

• Kelsey Dayton's article called Walking Sticks Provide Support For Autistic Man is an excellent article to learn more about Leonard's life growing up with autism and how Autisticks was started. The article has several photos of Leonard at work in his craft. 
• Leslie Stratmoen did a KVOW Radio Chit Chat with Leonard Williams that is available as an mp3 file.
• The Wyoming Arts blogger blog did a write up on Leonard Williams on January 3, 2012.  

Autisticks is just beginning as a business and seems to have a bright future. Hopefully someday these one of a kind sticks will be sold over the Internet, but because of their popularity they are presently being sold locally in the Riverton, Wyoming area and at art fairs. This means people blessed to have one of these sticks have the opportunity to also personally meet the artist Leonard Williams.

Special thanks to Leonard Williams for being an example of what an adult with autism can do to contribute to the world in such a creative and meaningful way. Leonard Williams is a light to the possibilities that emerge for people beyond limitations resulting from autism. Autism Light also recognizes the esteemed help that Leonard receives in this venture from his mother, Debra Williams.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Dylan Yates

Autism Light #96 is Dylan Yates.

Dylan Yates is a high school senior from Royal Oak, Michigan. Dylan has autism and has a special gift for art. Dylan Yates is an Autism Light because he displays outstanding artistic skills and is using this talent to give back to autism charities in his community.

Toothy the Dragon Rabbitt

Calendar:  Dylan Yates created a 2012 Calendar around a Dinosaur theme. The calendars are available for $14.00 and may be seen online at www.dylanyatesart.com/products.html.  Proceeds from the sale of this calendar will be divided between Dylan and the following two Autism charities in Dylan's community:

• Autism Connections of the Judson Center in Royal Oak, Michigan
• Oakland County Chapter of the Autism Society of America

Dylan's Interests: Dylan lives an active and full life. One of Dylan's favorite classes in high school is the Visual Imaging class. His mother Donna Yates shares that, "Dylan loves swimming, bowling, plays indoor soccer with a special needs group and can play the piano."

Dylan's Heroes: Temple Grandin (Autism Light #38) once gave helpful advice to Dylan's mother about the importance of finding one's strength and getting a mentor for that skill.  "None of this would be happening without the support of Dylan's teacher Anna Lukezich and Dylan's para-pro Deb Jablonski," says Donna Yates.

Media: Dylan Yates and his art talent was the subject of a news article by Judy Davids that was published in the Royal Oak Patch on November 15, 2011. 

For more information on Dylan Yates' art visit his website at www.dylanyatesart.com.  Special thanks to Dylan Yates for sharing his artistic skill with the world. Dylan truly has an amazing gift. We wish him continued success in his future.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.


Photo: The Photos in this post are used with the permission of Donna Yates.

Eytan Nisinzweig - Susan Nisinzweig

Autism Lights #76 are Eytan Nisinzweig and Susan Nisinzweig.

Eytan Nisinzweig and his mother Susan

Today we honor Eytan Nisinzweig and his mother Susan.  The Nisinzweig family is from Riverside, Connecticut. Eytan has autism and is gifted in art and music. Seeing this artistic talent Eytan's mother Susan created the business known as EytanArt.

• Eytan Nisinzweig is an autism light because of the ways in which he is using his art and music as inspiration to make a difference in the world as he lives with autism.  
• Susan Nisinzweig is an autism light for finding a creative way as a parent to take the necessary steps required to help her son with autism build a business that will increase his independence as well as change the world with positive messages.

EytanArt:  EytanArt features some of Eytan's orginal artistic designs. Susan Nisinzweig writes this about the origin of EytanArt.

About a year ago, I decided it was time to start sharing Eytan's delightful artwork with others.  An inspiration led me to pair his designs with messages about respecting differences, discovering similarities and about making a difference in the world.  I created a website and started a business called EytanArt™ whose "tag line" is Designs About Difference.  The 5 designs and messages that are currently on the site have been a big hit and there will be more to come.  The exciting thing is that these designs and messages are shifting attitudes around the country and around the globe each time someone wears an EytanArt t-shirt, hangs a poster in their classroom or office, mails a note card to someone they care about, etc. 

Eytan:  Eytan will be 26 on November 1, 2011 and he is very involved in his community.  Susan Nisinzweig again writes this about her son: 

In addition to Eytan's artwork, he also contributes to our community each week through his musical talent.  He volunteers at a nursing home weekly where he plays songs from the 30's through the 70's, as well as show tunes and some classical music.  He is hired by our school district to do weekly sing-along sessions with the preschool classes and he also hired monthly to do the same at a local church pre-school.  Because of this, Eytan is well known, appreciated and loved throughout our town.  Although Eytan doesn't fully understand the impact he is having on so many people,  he is happy, he does what he loves to do, and his life has real meaning and purpose.  To learn more about Eytan and to see clips of his piano playing visit www.EytanArt.com/about-eytan

Here is Eytan Nisinzweig singing and playing Elton John's "Your Song".  This is one of his favorite songs.

Susan:  Susan Nisinzweig is the founder of EytanArt and Eytan's mother. She is also the writer of the blog "On a Better Note" that is part of EytanArt's website.  Susan writes this about her blog:

I named the blog on the EytanArt website "On A Better Note", in an effort to counter-act all of the negativity that we so often see, hear and read in the media.  I use it as a platform to share life lessons, tips and information that has been  inspired by bringing up Eytan and that I believe would be useful to parents, teachers, therapists, and everyone else who lives with or works with children - with or without special needs.   

Susan Nisinzweig has also written an insightful article about how she started her business that is called "How I Did It" and is found on Maria Shiver.com.

Social Media:  You may follow EytanArt on these social media areas:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• EytanArt YouTube Channel

For more information on EytanArt visit their website at www.EytanArt.com. Special thanks to Susan Nisinzweig for the use of such helpful and detailed quotations to help us truly understand these Autism Lights. One of the unique things about this post today is that it is the first time that a mother and her adult son were honored together. Susan is representative of the many mothers who never stop loving and are there to provide an extra helping hand to their adult children with autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Photo: Photos in this post used with permission of Susan Nisinzweig.

Stephen Wiltshire

Autism Light #36 is Stephen Wiltshire.

Stephen Wiltshire is a wonderful artist born in 1974 in London, England.  He has an extraordinary gift to be able to draw cityscapes from memory. Stephen Wiltshire also has autism.  A motto he has on a mug he sells in his store is:

  "Do the best you can and never stop."

In 2006 Stephen Wiltshire was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to art.  ABC News made Stephen Wiltshire their Person of the Week on February 13, 2008.  When giving this honor they said, "His memorable artwork speaks volumes, even when he can not."

4 books have been published about Stephen Wiltshire's drawings.

1. Drawings (1987)
2. Cities (1989)
3. Floating Cities (1991)
4. Stephen Wiltshire's American Dream (1993)

The above four books are described in detail on the Books section of his Website, along with information on how to purchase them.

In 2009 the London News reported the following piece on the significance of Stephen Wiltshire opening his Art Gallery in London.

His most recent project was drawing a 250 foot work on the cityscape of New York City for the UBS Bank Campaign. The drawing currently hangs in the JFK Airport.

In addition, the YouTube video of the Beautiful Minds segment featuring him drawing the cityscape of Rome has received over 3 million page views.

For more information on Stephen Wiltshire visit the following Websites:

• Stephen Wiltshire's Webpage
• Stephen Wiltshire's Facebook Page
• Stephen Wiltshire's YouTube Channel
• Stephen Wiltshire's Wikipedia Page
• Follow Him on Twitter

Stephen Wiltshire is an Autism Light for sharing his wonderful artistic gift with the world and being an example to others who have autism like he has.  Thank you Stephen Wiltshire for being you and doing your best.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 


Photo: Photo in this post used with permission of The Stephen Wiltshire Gallery.