Hello Donna,
My name is Tilly and I’m an A-level art student from a UK secondary school called Ruislip High.
While searching through the Internet for inspiration, I came across your website and was completely inspired. Read the rest of this entry »
When an artist has a condition there is always the question of how or if that condition influences their work. I was sent an interview about my relationship to sculpting, particularly the relationship of my autism to my sculpting. Thought I’d share it. Read the rest of this entry »
If art expresses the cognition, perception, social emotional, communication and personality states of the artist, what are we learning from artists with autism? Are we learning about autism at all through their art, and if so, which facets of their autism? Are we in fact learning more about the diversity of autism through the array of works by people with autism and how does this stir up fiercely defended old and new stereotypes? Read the rest of this entry »
Donna Williams is an Australian born adult with autism who was assessed as psychotic at the age of 2 in 1965, labelled disturbed in the 1970s and diagnosed as autistic in her 20s in 1991.
She acquired functional speech in late childhood and went on to become a qualified teacher with an honors degree in Sociology and a degree in Linguistics. She is the author of two international bestselling autobiographies and has 10 published books including 4 text books widely used in autism education and two books of poetry and prose.
As a screenwriter, she wrote the screenplay to “Nobody Nowhere”, the first book in her 4 book autobiographical series. That screenplay is currently under option to become a Hollywood film. She is an professional artist, singer-songwriter and published poet as well as a world renowned public speaker on autism now living with her husband in Australia. In her presentations she draws not only on her own experiences but on international experience as a professional autism consultant since 1996.
Donna’s is a speaker in demand around the world due to her unique perspective and ability to share her feelings and experiences on a very personal level. More information about her and her life’s work can be found on her website at http://www.donnawilliams.net .