Joel’s Autism & Art

It’s Autism Awareness Month — a time to shed light on the challenges and the blessings of autism. Like this recent poster I saw of “The Positives of Autism.” Perhaps some people may be wondering how autism can be a “good” thing. But while children and adults with autism may struggle with repetitive and compulsive behaviors, these challenges can also be strengths. Take my friend Joel Anderson who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three.

Joel’s autistic behavior was easy to spot whenever he would speak. He’d land on a word or phrase and keep repeating it over and over again. It’s an aspect of autism called “echolalia.” For Joel, it was easier to communicate through the voice of fictional characters, so he would often quote phrases from movies or cartoons to express his needs. As you can imagine, kids at school would often pick on Joel for his differences. But Joel found a way to express his feelings through art and fictional characters, eventually starting his own art and animation business at the age of 13 called “Joel’s Vision Arts.”

Through his paintings, animated cartoons, and illustrated books, Joel is using his unique communication abilities and artistic skills to demonstrate to the world that kids with autism have value. What’s more, Joel is never afraid to share his faith in Jesus. In this video highlighting Joel’s art and creativity, Joel and his mother share how God has a purpose for everyone. Want to learn more about Joel? Watch this video and visit his website — and then share his story with your friends! Let it be an encouragement that God can use whatever challenge you are experiencing to bless you and bring hope to others.