Some say handicapped, we say handiCAPABLE
Collecting beads and keeping my autistic son occupied was how ARIART began. We would bead and wire when he came home from school as a way to keep him engaged and focused. I realized that his fine motor skills and visual planning abilities were impeccable. He is able to improve upon the wiring techniques I teach him and work efficiently and effortlessly with me close by to encourage him. As you can well imagine, we have created many items over the past few years and are ready to share with the public. My vision is to one day have a storefront studio where other autistic young adults can come and create with us.
I am the mom of four adult children, three of whom are still at home, from ages 19 to 26. They keep me very busy so, being able to work from home in our beading room is a bonus.
I was trained as a psychologist and opened my office while I was pregnant with my first child. When Ari was born (number 2) I was still a mom working outside of the home. When Ari was diagnosed with autism, at about age two and a half, I went through a very difficult time emotionally. Not long after that my quest for a cure began. I then became a full time stay at home mom. I think that is what many of us do upon initial diagnosis, we just want to make them all better. It is only later that we are able to settle down emotionally, and realize that what we really need to do is teach them as much as we can, and help them to be the best that they can be. Ari is a perfect example of this, the best he can be and evolving each day. My son is lovely, and the best thing that I could have ever done was to be home with him and my other children. They are all incredible young adults.
Beading and wiring is truly my passion and Ari does all that I ask of him but, his dream is to make a book and a movie. He has created incredible pictures from his favorite movies and formed them into interpretive pictures with his own story. Different unions, animation and real life, heroes and bad guys. He is always the hero. This is true in my life as well. He is one of my heroes!!!!
