The Pasitos program in Tijuana serves autistic children. The Art of Autism is highlighting some of the students who participated in the Finding Your Inner MozArt art contest sponsored by the Art of Autism and Mainly Mozart, a San Diego based nonprofit who connects music lovers to the genius of Mozar…

Dr. Grandin taught me that I did not need to blame, shame, or hate myself just because I was different. By Wendi E. Powers As an over-forty college graduate, I attributed my difficulties to complex childhood trauma. Although I was in therapy for PTSD and Dissociative Identity Disorder, I become dis…

By Kaelynn Partlow Often those of us on the autism spectrum do things that neurotypical people have difficulty understanding. To outsiders, autistic behavior can look “odd” or seem “not to make sense.” Sometimes a person’s behavior can even be frightening. It’s not uncommon for autistic…

Do art for yourself not for other people. An interview with artist Joseph Green How old are you? 25 How long have you been painting? Since I was little. I joined the Creativity Explored studio in 2012. How do you come up with your ideas for painting? Sometimes I use something in my head or sometime…

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…

I am an artist that likes to work within a range of media – collage, animation, video, painting, drawing, ceramics and music.   I use my art to express my feelings and emotions.  Sometimes I feel if I’m not doing creative things there is no point living anymore – if  I don’…

By Mahlia Amatina Every city is different from a neurodiverse point of view. And this can vary day-by-day, mood by mood, street by street. In this blog post, I’ll run over my observations on how I’m finding New York as a city to live in. From a sensory perspective, NYC, surprise surprise, is a very …

By Pamela Urfer A lot of people are put off by Jesus because they think of him as a stern taskmaster who is just waiting to whack us if we step out of line. This concept is particularly anxiety-making for neurodiverse people who are, by definition, always out of line. As a woman on the spectrum, I h…

By Ron Sandison On August 21st my second book Thought, Choice, Action was published. I spent over 1,200 hours researching and writing this book. I now have two traditionally published books and speak at over 70 events a year on autism including 20 plus educational conferences. In the process of wri…

By Jeremy Sicile-Kira  Truly I love music. I’m happy to say that an art gallery asked me to submit paintings for an exhibition about harmony and music. I chose to paint the two musicians and one symphony included in this blogpost because I enjoy their music. First I listened to their music, the…

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…

In honor of International Peace Day, the Art of Autism is posting a series of blog posts in September with the theme of peace. by Kimberly Gerry-Tucker When tasked with writing a peace essay, I sat here staring at the blank computer page for more time than I care to admit. So… here goes. I was in th…

Thank you, thank you to all the creative, magical and diverse individuals who shared words and peace-filled images with us to honor World/International Peace Day ~ September 21, 2018. We imagine a world where every day is PEACE DAY, lived to the best of our imaginations, consciousness, heart, and ac…

By Helen Wallace-Iles I was recently introduced to the amazing work of a young autistic man called Chris Baker – a self-taught pencil artist from Cardiff, South Wales, UK. I found his art truly inspiring and decided to find out more. What I discovered was the story of an ordinary family whose …