Mark

Autism affects me in subtle ways—it affects my ability to initiate communication, which can negatively impact on meeting new people. I can’t rush through things and need time to think before making decisions. I can also take things literally! I need lots of prompts at home to help me with day to day living. I do not like unexpected events, such as my bus breaking down. I like routine and stability. If I become overwhelmed by an experience I will shut down and not respond.

I have a very good memory and can learn many things if shown in a practical way. I like to be in a calm and quiet environment to keep relaxed and positive. These are positive personal traits that help me when creating artwork.

Creating artwork at CASE helps me to build confidence in my own abilities, helps me to feel personal satisfaction when reaching goals and provides me with an outlet for any stresses I may have had previously. I can learn new things, such as different ways of creating art and how other artists create their work. All this helps me to take one more step closer to my personal creative goals, which in turn helps me to focus on tomorrow.