Laura Ellen Anderson

Laura Ellen Anderson (Laura Anderson 2013) is an author and illustrator specialising in children’s books.  Anderson is based in London. She graduated from University College Falmouth in 2010 with a First Class Honour. Since then Andersons work has being in high demand. She has worked with several publishing agencies including Oxford University Press, Bloomsbury and Scholastic Children’s Books. She is currently working on her debut picture book under the title “Snowflakes”. “Snowflakes” was written by cbbc presenter Cerrie Burnell. It will be published by Scholastic in September 2013.

Anderson has a unique style. It could be described as girly, cute and sweet. Anderson style is recognisable and can immediately be identified as her style. Her characters are full of personality and it is to read by their faces how they are feeling. This is shown in the image with the little girl and the peas. The viewer can immediately tell that this character is not very impressed with the large plate of peas someone has brought her to eat. She looks dismayed and doesn’t look very enthusiastic about eating them. The image that follows is a wintery, woodland scene . Anderson has a gift to capture an emotion in her work. There is a magical air to this image. Her use of contrasting colours gives the onlooker an enchanted sensation. The orange and yellow flowers stand out against the blue of the forest. The image is fairy-tale like. It tells the viewer a story. It is up to the viewer what the story is. The final image that appealed to the style ‘Autism: It’s the Little Things’ was aiming for is the girl walking with her umbrella and wellingtons boots. Anderson uses minimal colour in this image. The only colour she really uses is red on the girl’s boots, umbrella and coat. This is different than her other pieces. Although it is not as colourful and vibrant as the other pieces it still catches the spectators’ attention. It has personality and a very positive feel. The girl looks very happy with herself as she marches on to brave the rain.

Anderson’s unique style makes her sand out from other illustrators. She has a simple, cute style that tells a story and captures the viewers’ attention at first glance. Her work allows her admirers to use their imaginations.

General Facts About Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong, developmental disability that affects how an individual communicates and relates to the world around them. It is a spectrum condition. This means that although people with autism share certain traits and difficulties, the condition will affect each person in a different way. Certain individuals with autism are able to live independently, needing little or no specialist help. Others may have learning difficulties and throughout their lives may need specialist support. The world can be a complex place to someone with ASD. They may find it difficult to understand.

It has being said that to someone with ASD the world is like

“mass of people, places and events which they struggle to make sense of, and which can cause them considerable anxiety”. (The National Autistic Society, 2012)

People with the condition tend to struggle when it comes to taking part in day to day social activities. It is hard for them to express their thoughts and feelings. They also find it difficult to communicate with other people. Sometimes they feel like they are different

There are three areas of difficulty that people with autism share. These difficulties are known as difficulty with social interaction, social communication and social imagination. Collectively these difficulties have being coined the Triad of Impairments. The first of the three is the difficulty people with ASD face regarding social interaction. An individual with ASD can find it hard to understand and recognise another person’s emotions. This gives an impression that they are cold and insensitive towards others feelings. They struggle expressing their own feelings also. It can be hard for someone with autism to let others know how they feel. They may act inappropriately or strangely to express themselves if they are upset or angry. People with autism may not understand the non-written social rules of society. For example, they invade someone’s personal space by standing to closely to them. Sometimes they may talk about their own personal interests at length and in turn show little interest in the hobbies of others. This may come across as being rude. People with autism also prefer their own company. Being alone if usually their preference. They do not go out of their way to seek out the company of others. This can make it difficult for them to form relationships with other people.

Difficulty with social communication affects how an individual with autism understands non-verbal and verbal language. It can be challenging for them to read someone’s body language. It is like a foreign language to them. It is difficult for an autistic person to read facial expressions. The faces people pull to express their emotions can be confusing. They often have a very literal understanding of words. For example, if someone says “That’s cool” it can mean everything is fine. However, a person with ASD may pick this up as “That’s cold”. (The National Autistic Society, 2012) The final impairment is the difficulty people with autism face when it comes to social imagination. People with autism often struggle with the idea change. They often have a daily routine that they stick too. A slight disruption to their daily routine can cause them to become upset and anxious. They find it hard to plan ahead for the future. They like to stay in the comfort of their routine. It is difficult for them to cope with new and unfamiliar situations. It is difficult for them to predict what could happen next. They find it hard to predict people’s actions or thoughts. Children with autism tend to take part in imaginative paly activities in school. They tend to prefer the same games over and over again. They often have no concept of danger and it is not unusual for them to act out inappropriately in public. For example, they might take a notion to run across the road without checking for any moving traffic. This can be extremely stressful for their parents. Difficulty with social imagination should not be confused with lack of imagination. People with autism can be very creative and imaginative.

Autism also varies in severity and symptoms. Sometimes it can go unrecognised in the cases of children who are mildly affected by it. The three severity levels are referred to as Low Functioning Autism (Severe Autism), Moderate Autism and High Functioning Autism (Mild Autism). Low Functioning Autism can have very limited speech. Some individuals may not talk at all. Autism Speaks has reported that 25% of those who are severely autistic are non-verbal. They also have repetitive behaviour. They have a strict routine they like to follow and disruption to this can cause great upset. It can be very difficult to interact with someone who has autism at this level. They are socially unreachable. It is hard for them to understand what others are saying and may lose attention very easily. Those who have Moderate Autism may have certain difficulty communicating with others. Their vocabulary may include some functional communication and some repetitive language. They prefer to communicate through sign language or technical devices. They can be under or over sensitive to lights, sounds, and other types of stimulation. High Functioning Autism can have normal verbal skills; however they face some communication challenges. For example they may take the literal understanding of words that can prove to cause problems in certain situations. They too may have a set routine that they like to follow throughout their day but they are more open about changing their routine in certain situations. They are usually passionate about a particular subject which they will be very open to talk about with others. They are capable to hold eye contact and a conversation with other people.

Autism is a lifelong condition that affects how a person communicates with the world and the people surrounding them. It is a spectrum condition, which means that each person will be affect by autism in a different way. Some individuals may have learning difficulties, limited speech and may need lifelong specialist support throughout their lives. Others may be able to live relatively independent lives. Everyone with autism share three areas of difficulty. These are known as the triad of impairments. These are difficulty with social interaction, communication and imagination. There are also three levels of severity of ASD. These are Low Functioning Autism, Moderate Autism and High Functioning Autism. This project will educate others about the complexity of this condition. The project aims to create a practical design outcome to raise awareness about ASD.

Ricky Gervais- "Derek"

"Derek took the only shortcut he can. The only shortcut is good. The only shortcut that works. And thats kindness."

Temple Grandin- Converstations from Penn State

Temple Grandin- Conversations from Penn State: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt_G7Zw5I8c

Temple Grandin

Dr. Temple Grandin did not talk until she was nearly four years old. Instead of communicating her frustration she would have tantrums. She was diagnosed as autistic in 1950. Her parents were advised to institionalized. Lucky for her, Temples mother did not let this happen adn she did her best to bring up her duaghter as best as she can.Temple describes her journey through autism as "groping her way from the far side of darkness". This is a quote from her book called "Emeergence: Labeled Autistic. This book shocked the world. Temple opened parents eyes that autism is not the end of the world.

Dr. Temple Grandin is a designer of livestock handling facilities and a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. The facilities she has designed can be found in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and many more countries around the world.

She is an expert in amimal behaviour. She really understands how animals think and their moods.

Dr. Temple Grandin

"Songs of the Gorilla Nation-MyJourney Through Autism"

“Songs of the Gorilla Nation” is a moving and touching story about Dawn Prince-Hughes and her journey through autism. Prince-Hughes was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, when she was thirty-six years old. Throughout her life she struggled with being different. She felt different from other people and she had difficulty communicating with people. Although she was aware of her uniqueness, she never understood why she felt this way. She spent a great deal of her life alone and disconnected from the world. It took her even longer to find out the reason why. She wrote this book about her own autism, which is both like and unlike other people’s autism.

Prince-Hughes had a difficult time growing up. Her condition stopped her from bonding with her family and creating friendships. She found it difficult to relate to other people. She remained alone and thought alone. “I remained both strange and invisible to all those around me” (Prince- Hughes, D. 2004). She felt alienated from the world. It was not until she began to study the gorillas, she began to feel more comfortable in her own skin. She began to study the way they interacted with each other and with humans. She watched how they played, communicated and ate. She watched how they expressed their emotions and how they cared for one another. Prince-Hughes discusses different parts of her social life which she struggled with in her book. From relationships with family and friends, sensory sensitivities and her love of routine, Prince-Hughes shares with the reader the difficulties she faced living with a condition she did not know she had.

 

Louis Theroux: Extreme Love

In April 2012, BBC Two aired a documentary called “Extreme Love”. This was Louis Theroux latest adventure. In episode one of this two episode series, Theroux, an English broadcaster, travels to America to learn about autism and the affects it has on children with the condition and their families. Theroux travels to DLC Warren in New Jersey. DLC Warren is one of the most innovative schools of its kind for young people who have autism. Theroux takes the viewers on a journey through “the pleasures and pain” of the relationships shared between the parents and their children. This documentary gives the viewer a real insight into what it is like living with someone with autism. It does not cover up the hardships faced by parents. Theroux shows life for these families as it is. It is truthful, moving and informative.

One young man Theroux met was Nicky. Nicky is 19years old and he has made great progress in DLC Warren and he is moving on to a new mainstream school to continue his studies. His move causes him great anxiety. He is anxious about leaving his old friends and about the classes and the work being harder. Nicky tells Theroux that he has a “fear of getting homework”. Theroux visits Nicky’s home to meet his family and learn more about Nicky. Nicky was eighteen months old when his mother noticed there was something different about Nicky. Theroux asks Nicky’s mother if she could, would she take away Nicky’s autism and she replies no. She says “He’s too special”. Nicky shows Theroux some of his work. He has written several different dictionaries in different languages. He has also written a novel “Dragonula” that he reads for Theroux and his camera crew. Nicky and Theroux strike up a friendship. Nicky proves to be a chatty, sociable and self-assured young man. He does suffer from anxiety. Although he is anxious about change he is willing to accept it.

Theroux also meets a lady called Josephine and her some Brian. Brian does not live at home. Brian was prone to outbursts and often assaulted his mother. She could not handle it anymore so he lives in a group home. It is of course difficult for his mother to be away from him but she had no choice. Josephine clearly loves her son but she was not able to handle his behaviour on her own. She was afraid of him. She says that living with her son was “unbearable”. He would lash out on his mother for little or nothing. It was difficult bringing him up. She is sad however that her son does not live with her anymore. Since he moved to the group home his behaviour has improved. He was put on medication which helped calm him down. He stays there during the week and comes to visit his mother on the weekend. From watching Brian on the show, he seems very sociable and loving. Theroux was struck by his warmth and how friendly Brian is.

Joey has being diagnosed as severely autistic. This is because of his lack of communication. He has a tendency to have aggressive tantrums. He has being known to lash out in school and home. There is a scene in the documentary where Joey starts to have a tantrum. His mother has to wrestle him to the floor to try and calm him down. His mother needed help from her husband to hold Joey down. They had to lie Joey down on the ground and lie on top of him to try and keep Joey under control. Theroux asks if they want the camera’s to step out for a moment and Joey’s mother says no. She says to Theroux, “Unless I let you film it, nobody is going to ever know that this is true autism…A lot of parents don’t want you to see that”.  Theroux asks Joey’s mother is she would take away Joeys autism is she could. She replies yes she would. Joey is getting bigger and stronger. There are times his parents worry about his strength. It is getting harder and harder for them to control him.  No matter what, they still love their child. Just some days are harder than others.

 Some of the scenes throughout the documentary are very difficult to watch. Theroux shows the audience the extremes of autism. He shows the good times and bad times. Parents talk about how they feel and express their concern for their children and their future. This documentary shows how huge the autism spectrum is. There is no specific characteristic that one child has and another does not. This documentary shows the extremes of autism. It is honest and at times brutal. Each of the young people Theroux met while making this are all very different from one another. Each of them has their own difficulties and faces their own struggles. They are all unique. Their families support them and love them no matter what. In the end that is what counts and that is what all children deserve.

“The pleasures and the strains of one of the most extraordinary kinds of relationships” (Extreme Love-Autism, 2012)