Autistic Art

Innovative Art Possibilities

Christian Early

Message from Mayra Ron
Being a single parent of an autistic individual has been a challenge in my life. I have brought Christian up alone and it has not been easy but I can truly say, in the long run, it has truly been worthwhile. I have seen, through Christian's eyes a world I would never have imagined, had God not afforded me a child like him.

Problems seem to melt when his focus goes on, "Mamita (little mom, as he fondly calls me), look at the red dragon beside us." I look and see a huge red truck. And he adds, "the teeth are big and white" And touches his teeth to dramatize his remark.

He can find every detail I never thought even existed. "There's a tiger in front of us," his remark when driving at the tiny little tiger stuck on a bumper sticker, "and it is blue. Tigers aren't blue mamita. That's a blue, very blue tiger like a shark but with no teeth. You see it Mamita?"

Or the other day when the youth leader died of a two year battle to cancer, he all of a sudden mentioned; "You miss Laura, Mamita?" Yes I do was my reply. "Snoopy (the dog) misses her too," he added. Always thinking of someone else and never concerned about himself.

His devotion for little kids is overwhelming. "What you doing here alone?" he tells them. Or "You leave your brother alone!" spoken with complete authority when two brothers were fighting in a store. Needless to say I almost died, yet to my amazement, the kids obeyed.

Christian is funny yet he doesn't even know it and everything is important, of course all we consider unimportant. Yet the hardest remark was when he told me, Mamita-you-can't-die-who-would-take-care-of-Christian?

How could I sum up having an autistic adult (now, he's 23)? He is my miracle and he, with his own way of seeing the world, has taught me more than I could ever teach him. So, if I were ever asked if I would do it again, with tears I would have to embrace the challenge for thanks to him I have become a better person.