Drawing Autism [9781617751981]

Overview

“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

“This book is a testament to the power of art to reveal the inner world of people living with ASD.” —Publishers Weekly

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 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.

Using artwork created by individuals diagnosed with ASD, Drawing Autism celebrates their artistry and self-expression while also serving as an accessible point of entry into understanding how ASD manifests in individuals. Autism is known as a “spectrum disorder” because no two diagnoses are exactly the same; however, there are characteristic traits of ASD. Through their art, the contributors exhibit unique perspectives on how they see the world and their places in it. The book’s seven chapters—Interaction, Individual and Societal; Repetition, Repetition, Repetition; Getting from Here to There; Bird’s Eye View; Another World; It’s All History; Art for Art’s Sake—speak directly to the core characteristics of ASD.

Includes a foreword by TEMPLE GRANDIN, PhD, who is considered the most accomplished adult with autism in the world. She is the author of several books, including the best sellers The Way I See It and Animals in Translation.