Photographing children with special needs is a passion of mine. Photographing children with autism spectrum disorders is a joy. Yes, having my own son with Asperger’s Syndrome may make me a bit biased, but I’m going to let you in on a little secret. There is something profoundly pure and joyful about some of these kids. Their enthusiasm is unmatched. Yes there are struggles, and yes, there are those lost in their bodies. But that is not all kids on the spectrum. There are many out there like my son, like little Moira here, who are happy, social children. I am blessed to have such a pure light in my life, and I know Moira’s family feels the same.
I was honored to be contacted by Stories of Autism to photograph little Moira to be part of their work. Stories of Autism is dedicated to heightening autism awareness through the exhibition of its portraits and stories of children and adults on the autism spectrum. The project strives to achieve this through independent exhibitions of its work and by partnering with other organizations whose goals align with this mission. Photographers all over the country took place in photographing children with autism this month, and the galleries are being compiled and should be released at the end of May. Little Moira here will be there….if I can figure out which picture to submit!
Moiria here is three and a half years old and diagnosed with classic autism and ADHD. She was having a very good day when I arrived and immediately started saying, “pictures? pictures? pictures!” Mom had been prepping her for our session. While she doesn’t verbally communicate in typical fashion she loved to make animal sounds and pretended to be a bird for most of our time. She was a ball of energy who never staid put for long… until mom pulled out some bubbles. She was a blast to work with, and I’m so glad I got to meet her.
But it was all worth it.
