By Sofia Mochon-Ciniglio Art education is a multifaceted and complicated endeavor. It involves the mastery of artistic and studio practice, yet also the maintenance of an integral mindset of patience, respect and (as I’ve come to realize in the course of my work with special needs children) boundari…

By Nils Skudra As a passionate fan of European history, I have a strong fascination with Napoleon Bonaparte, the brilliant and charismatic general who became dictator and then emperor of France in the period following the French Revolution. One of the most enigmatic figures in world history, Napole…

Art as a Language for Autism: Building Effective Therapeutic Relationships with Children and Adolescents (2023) Jane Ferris Richardson By Connie Gretsch MA Art Therapy, M Ed Art Integration, SLBP Special Education, Expressive Art and Special Educator Jane Ferris Richardson is an art therapist, play…

By Dennis Procopio “Dennis, please just get in the f***ing car.” This was my mother, pleading with her 9-year-old son to sit in a friend’s car which had crushed velvet seats. I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. It felt…. unbearable. As she herself was diagnosed with a laundry list of clinical diagnoses includ…

By Kaelynn Partlow I am 24 years old and I am diagnosed with “high-functioning autism.” There is a broad misconception in the autism community that so-called “high-functioning autism” means “easy autism.” And while it’s largely true that those of us labeled “high-functioning” tend to hav…

I feel tired, numb and tense. My head hurts and everything seems too much. By now I recognise these symptoms: I have stress! But what exactly is stress, how does it differ from healthy excitement and how can you make yourself resilient to stress? In this blog, I explain what I think stress is. I als…

I once was a girl with a dream to belong, to overcome, to change the story written for her. I once was that girl who couldn’t walk, couldn’t count, couldn’t win, couldn’t love, couldn’t fit in. By Martina L. Beattie I once knew a girl with red-brown hair to her back and hazel-gree…

The Art of Autism’s 2nd post for our 6th Annual Art and Poems for Peace. See first compilation here. Header image: April Tobin “Bird in Flight” Art and Poems for Peace is compiled by The Art of Autism and includes this message from the Youth Assembly, which will meet for an annual…

By Alice Farion It’s going to be ok. I’m going to be ok. It’s just 8 hours. I’m going to be normal. But I’m not. I am faking it, I am not ok. I am not normal. Everyday, I play an act. I have been an actress my whole life. I am a researcher too. Everyday, I observe other people, list facts, organise …

By Katherine Valdoria I have always had a hard time “owning” labels. You know when you’re taking a class or participating in a workshop and they sit you in a circle and ask you to say your name and “something interesting” about yourself, to break the ice? I hate that. I get overwhelmed with…

Practicing art helps me to come out of emotional pain of my past and reduces everyday stress. By Linish Balan Until the age of 28 I didn’t even draw a single flower properly. In childhood I never tried to draw anything by myself though I had a great fascination for visuals. In school days drawing c…

By Morgan Giosa What do I think of when I think of the phrase “outside the box”? I think of a desire – be it intentionally or not – to go against the grain in a creative process which might deviate from conventionally acceptable norms. I think of the painting technique my art…

Mozart and the Whale is a film adapted from Jerry Newport and Mary Newport’s autobiographical book Mozart and the Whale: An Asperger’s Love Tale. By Nils Skudra I first watched the 2005 film Mozart and the Whale several years ago and have since viewed it numerous times. I just saw it aga…

Cash prizes are provided by the Joe Mantegna Family The Art of Autism is seeking art with the themes of Inclusion, Disability, Education, and Acceptance for display at the 43rd Annual Disability Rights Legal Center FDR Dinner September 15, 2018. Submissions are to be sent to info@artautism.com by Au…