| AUTISM, VISUAL THOUGHT AND ITS NATURAL LEAD INTO ART: | ||
 Art Student Morgan Greer with 'The French and Indian War' |
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. Autism affects each individual differently and at varying degrees.(Autism Society of America)
I teach private art lessons to high functioning Autistic students, who are passionate about the arts. They are students who think in pictures, whose vocabulary has been added as a second language through matching visual images to words. As the student collects these visual memories of details and forms, the more detailed and complex their drawings become. The more practice in drawing and painting those new found skills, the greater the expansion of visual vocabulary and advancement of physical skill level.
As an art teacher of Autistic children, I am encouraging, soft spoken and nurturing. It is necessary to be patient with the student because of their unique characteristics, to name a few:
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 George Washington Watercolor |
 French and Indian War Watercolor |
 Today is George Washington's Birthday |
| MORGAN IS..... Morgan Greer is my private art student and also a dear friend. He is the son of Nanette Greer, Principal of Baton Rouge Magnet High. Morgan will soon be 15 years old and he has been taking art lessons from me since he was 12. Morgan is intelligent, loves history, science, Disney characters, Lego characters, and especially the Presidents of the United States. He has always drawn incessantly on his notebooks, on papers, and any other surface, which garnered him a recommendation to be tested for Talented Visual Arts services of Gifted and Talented Program in our school system. Morgan is excellent, natural colorist and very creative, and has a strong sense of detail. In the first few years of art lessons, Morgan struggled with hand/eye coordination; however, recently with adolescent maturity, he has made significant improvement in this skill area. |
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 Morgan in the Studio |
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