A haven for autistic kids
Studio encourages artistic expression

By Peggy Kreimer
Post staff reporter

A pillar of yellow light against a pink-and-blue horizon doesn't scream "Christmas Card."

But the words across the bottom make the message clear: "Welcome Christmas Star."

"It's all in the way you look at it," said Tiffany Hurley, studio manager for Rising Star Studios in Covington, which provides art and activity programs for children and adults who are autistic.

Alex Bonar, the 14-year-old daughter of Rising Star founder Barbara Bonar, painted the Christmas Star that has become one of eight Rising Star Christmas cards the studio is selling this year.

The cards are a fund-raiser to support the art studio and keep class prices affordable, Hurley said. They're also a window into a world of altered perceptions, where children who don't always fit the mold find they fit in just fine.

"There's no place like this," said Jera Eudy of Independence, Ky., whose son, Hunter, 9, is autistic and has taken art and social skills classes at Rising Star.

"This is a place they can come to and be themselves. There's no pressure on them," she said.

In typical mainstream art programs, classes are larger and students are expected to participate and communicate on a common level. A child with autism can get lost in that kind of class or become a disruption.

At Rising Star, the classes are built around the needs of autistic children, Hurley said.

Autism affects communication and the way information is processed, much like light is broken and rearranged by a kaleidoscope.

"I take time to know the parents and the kids and their unique personality traits. It's all about the kids and making the environment a place where kids can be kids," Hurley said.

Autistic children can have unexpected reactions to sounds, textures, the way light reflects. They often avoid eye contact.

"We use a lot of repetition because autistic kids can have a hard time focusing. Teachers work one on one. Classes are very small," Hurley said.

If a child's attention starts to wander, it's not unusual for a teacher to take a break and then refocus attention on the project.

"Autistic kids have a tendency to shout out, some tend to run around the room or down the hall. That would be disruptive in a typical art class, but it's normal for us," Hurley said.

"We have a girl in our music class. When she started, she would run out of class 30 times in 45 minutes. This past week, she attempted to run once, and the teacher was able to get her back on task. That's a major thing for an autistic child," Hurley said.

Barbara Bonar, of Lakeside Park, Ky., started Rising Star this summer as a way to meet a need for her daughter and for other children.

"I'm an artist myself," Bonar said. "I really liked the idea of combining artwork with children who are autistic. They think in pictures. They communicate best visually.

"These kids sometimes are easy to give up on because of their challenges in communicating. It's tough to get feedback sometimes. To see the joy in their faces when they go in to a studio setting is just wonderful."

The program is designed for autistic children and adults, but it is open to anyone. Families often bring non-autistic siblings or cousins.

"There's a community spirit where the question is not will our children fit in, but are typical kids ready to accept these children and interact with them," Bonar said.

Seana Hue, Bonar's sister, brings her children, who are not autistic. The art is a common bond.

"Autistic children have a hard time focusing. Their environment is like having a bunch of different channels on at once," said Hue, of Amberley Village, who is Alex Bonar's godmother.

"When Alex is working on her art, she is very focused and calm," Hue said.

"It's nice for my children to understand children who have a disability. It's a lesson in patience. Sometimes Alex repeats the same question over and over. But they like that she's different."

Hue's daughter, Nathalie, 6, created one of the studio's cards with an image that celebrates the ability to take a different view of the world.

The card looks like a house nearly enveloped in swirls of white and blue - a snowy day.

"When she started that painting, it was supposed to be a cat," Hue said. "We flipped it upside down, and it looked like a snowy day."

Other cards show bright clay animals the students created and an intricate drawing of Santa flying in his sleigh over Hunter Eudy's house.

"Right after Halloween, he starts drawing Christmas pictures," said his mother, Jera. "He's drawn the same scene over and over."

Like the holiday tradition itself, Hunter's Christmas scene never grows old.

Rising Star programs include art, dance, music, mosaic, clay, Tae Kwon Do, soap making and gardening. Parents stay during the class and can share tips and resources in the parent waiting room or join the action. Square dance classes usually end up with whole families taking the floor.

"We have a student who you would think is not paying any attention." Hurley said. "He doesn't make eye contact. He's looking all around. But tell him to do a left-hand star and his left hand goes up. He circle-turns the girl and steps around.

"He's non-verbal, but he knows what's going on. These kids react differently. They communicate differently. But here, that's OK."

Publication date: 12-05-2005