Photo By Tech. Sgt. Ashley Taylor | Robert Waid takes a break outside of his home in North Pole, Alaska, after making some...... read more read more
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“I really want to show people that being autistic shouldn’t hold you back,” said Robert. “If I can do this, then anybody can.”
According to autism-society.org, more than 3.5 million Americans live with the disorder. Although Robert wasn’t officially diagnosed with autism until he was 8 years old, his parents Jack and Jami said they noticed signs at the age of two.
“I think society today isn’t recognizing autism as a disability; we have a generation that is more aware and now diagnoses children at a younger age,” said Jami. “With people being more aware of ‘diffabilities,’ Robert and other children are able to train and learn skills in a more constructive manner.”
Robert has outgrown many of his habits such as flapping his arms and rocking back and forth, and instead channels his energy toward making art with pipe cleaners and plastic fusible beads, then sells them around the local area.
Although a little unrecognizable, Robert keeps his first project of the Incredible Hulk as a reminder of how far he’s advanced.
“I began creating my art eight years ago, starting by making different characters with pipe cleaners,” said Robert. “My beginning pieces weren’t very good, but I would reuse the materials to practice and make better characters.”
Depending on the size, Robert can spend multiple hours on one piece of art and will accept special requests from customers when he displays his artwork for sale.
As active members in the community and Future Farmers of America, Robert spends a lot of his time with his younger brother Josh.
“Being in FFA, one of the things they teach you is how to become an entrepreneur, and that is why I go with Robert when he sells his work,” said Josh. “Robert has no reason to be treated differently; he just processes information in a different way. Honestly, he is one of the most patient people I’ve met and he’s someone I look up to.”
Even though it might be Robert who pockets all the money at the end of a business day, the Waid family is always together as a team to make sure everything runs smoothly.
“We’re very proud of how far Robert has come and I think that’s partly to never saying ‘no’ to him; one of the worst mistakes we could do is limit him,” said Jack, the 354th Fighter Wing historian. “If we didn’t encourage him, we would never know what his talents are. He does so well with his art, and we’re excited to see the next chapter of his work.”
The Waids will continue to support Robert, who explained he hopes to expand his artistic skills and eventually take college art classes once he’s saved up enough money.
“If I could wish for anything when it comes to Robert or anybody with special needs, it would be that people don’t limit them and instead take their time when working with them,” said Jack. “They want to contribute to society and make a difference in communities just like anybody else. They can do any task; they just might take a different method to get to the final product.”
| Date Taken: | 08.24.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2016 15:23 |
| Story ID: | 208154 |
| Location: | EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Creating art through an autistic eye, by TSgt Ashley Taylor, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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