Using paints for expression

Srinivas Vikram has been drawing and painting since the last five years, which is not surprising for a 18-year-old boy. What might surprise some, however, is that Srinivas is autistic, and his purposeful artistic creations creations have  been sold in more than 3 countries and were recently auctined at a fundraiser event in the city .His bright art goes a long way to show that even if a person has problem with expressive language-which Vikram does- he still has something to express. His mother Karuna Gopal, Karuna Gopal, president, Foundation for Futuristic Cities, Hyderabad,  says that she thinks his son finds the act of creating his art relaxing and self-stimulating, without the exhaustion of classic stimming, which is repetitive behavior common in individuals with autism.“Yes, they need to treated well and only with proper guidance and with the use of a lot of alternative techniques will help them overcome many of their limitations and discover their goals. It is very important to bond with your child and encourage him. A lot of autistic kids are treated just like furniture in their house,” says Karuna. Art by SrinivasKaruna, agrees, “Vikram was always fascinated by colours and that is why I started encouraging him. Since he could not use a brush, we had to use alternative techniques like finger tapping, mixed colouring and many others, where he uses his fingers to paint. Three of his paintings Ganesha, banyan tree and lake and a pond were completely done by him. There are a few others to which I have added a little finishing touches, to enhance them.”  Srinivas was diagnosed with autism at a very early age and loves to swim and he is very good at motor skills. “He learnt swimming in just two days. He was always very good at athletic activities, juggling and balancing. It was not very easy for him to learn. He built his skills gradually and with proper training, any autistic kid can learn all of it too,” says Karuna.  “I think his work is clearly expressive,” Karuna comments. Talking about austic children in general she says, “Just because they are differently abled, it does not mean, they are not worthy. All one has to do is just identify their interests and work on it, which automatically becomes their profession.”Humiliation“Autistic kids don’t get admission in many school and even if they get, they are looked down and are considered incapable, in comparison to other students. They go through a lot of humiliation. I had to change six schools for my son,” says Karuna adding, “Some of the big corporate schools in the city do not have a clue what the problem is all baout and the mindet is very backward.”Creativity Blossoms “Being autistic, does not make a child completely disabled. They are inclined towards one form of the activity or the other. Help then develop those skills and make it their profession,” says Karuna adding, “Parents should never give up. Even if after 3,000 mg of medication for the last ten years, Vikram can still cope, any child can. You never know, your child might just make it big for you some day.”“Schools must conduct workshops and awareness sessions, wherein students can go and interact with autistic children and have better interactive social life as well,” says Karuna.