“In a lot of ways, art is about communicating your perspective to other people. I want people to see through my eyes – just for a second. I want them to see that my son and people like him are complicated, that there are nuances to the autism spectrum. My child is more than a math wizard with perfect pitch. He’s more than the kid spouting random facts to you in the grocery store line. He’s more than his challenges and more than his abilities. People tend to hear “autism” and think in extremes, but the truth is that every autistic child is unique in his or her functioning level and personality – just like the rest of us.”
“It’s hard to offer advice to other parents of kids with autism, because every situation is unique. However, my best advice is to be kind to yourself and be real about your emotions. It’s okay to be frustrated with your kid sometimes or feel like you’re at your wits end with worry and day-to-day details. It’s part of the package to feel like you’re failing as a parent, but you’re not. Just like you can’t compare your kid’s development to the other kids at the playground or at school, you can’t compare your parenting either. Try to be compassionate with yourself.”
“Eian likes attention and is pretty used to having his photo taken at this point. However, for a shot I envision and set up and that takes a long time, he and I use iPad time as currency. He’s fairly compensated. When I photograph him, I let him talk about what comes into his mind. In regular life, I often have to put a stop to that to keep from going insane, but while I’m shooting, I’ll listen to whatever he wants me to. He likes that. He likes the photos too and the attention they are receiving. His favorite is “Head Under His Wing.”
You can see more of Kate Miller-Wilson’s work on her Website, or follow her on Flickr and Instagram.
