Another year of rapid growth and development at Autistry! We have grown so quickly that I only just realized it has been a year since the last newsletter. The silence is not from lack of cool news to report – more like lack of time to report it! New students – Fall semester 2019 we supported 20 stud…

Seeking a neurodivergent actor to play lead role The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a Warner Bros. Feature film expected to film in 2020. Veteran Casting Director Heidi Levitt (known for projects such as Natural Born Killers and The Artist) is leading the casting search. It is bein…

I will never stop listening. By Marisa Leon After 20 years of serving autistic children, teenagers, and adults, I know one thing for sure: Autism is a mystery that requires us to change. My journey into the world of autism began as a speech therapist. The expectations I had when I embarked on thi…

Art of Autism artists recently participated in a project with the University of Exeter and the production company Calling the Shots as part of a larger research by University of Exeter Exploring Diagnosis. Participating artists were Angela Weddle from Texas, Eddie Callis from the U.K., J.A. Tan from…

When strangers came to visit my booth, they asked, “Did you really take all of these photos?” They did not know that an autistic person could do that kind of work. They were surprised! By Malcolm Wang I am really lucky that I live in a small town that has a lot of exhibition opportunities for young …

Leaders spoke who listened to their hearts, their intuition, and to the children. These bold parents and professionals radically and gently attuned to the truth of the children and saw them differently. By Marisa Leon I arrived an hour early both days to the Mozart and the Mind symposium in San Dieg…

There is nothing wrong with theses children, they are just trying to get by themselves, like everyone else. By Jeffrey Sabins Let me ask a quick question. When you think of a child with autism which one in the photo do you see? Don’t feel bad, don’t feel judged, just be honest. No one will know, unl…

Any man can be a father, but it takes a special type of person to be a Dad. On this Father’s Day the Art of Autism shares a TedX talk by one of the most dynamic dads I know – KultureCity founder Dr. Julian Maha, a very special dad, who is creating environments around the world that are …

Practice makes perfect. This adage applies to artist Joel Anderson.A highlight of the Mozart & The Mind Symposium June 1 in San Diego was seeing Temple Grandin emerge on canvas before our eyes. It looks effortless but Joel Anderson has been honing his Temple Grandin portrait skills for months …

By Ron Sandison Curt Warner is a two-time All-American at Penn State, a 2009 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, and a former All-Pro running back for the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. Ana Warner has dedicated her life to the care of her family and the study of autism spectrum disord…

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…

Music has been a bridge for me to show who I really am to others. You can’t hear autism in music. Sound, melody, and rhythm are immune to disabilities. My name is Breyton Croom. I am 24 years old from Morristown, New Jersey, and I am autistic with a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorde…

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 Travis Breeding What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time I was beginning a journey of transformation. Part of having autism meant that I had this intense fixation and obsession of a getting a girlfriend. This could have been considered a special interest. My special interest fixatio…