Oceanside boy with autism expresses himself through art

By: Alexandra DeLuca - For the North County Times | Sunday, April 29, 2007 8:22 PM PDT ∞

OCEANSIDE ---- The abstract acrylic paintings that adorn the walls of Rick and Laura Sylvester's Oceanside home look as though they came straight from an art gallery or museum exhibit ---- broad brush strokes of bold colors overlap and intertwine to create arresting images. The priceless paintings, all originals, were created by a very up-and-coming young artist: their 6-year old son, Elliot, who has autism.

Elliot's parents said he took up painting around age 2 and a half.

"He's loved painting since he could hold a crayon or paint brush in his hand," said his father, Rick.

Although it is not completely uncommon for children to show artistic ability at an early age, Elliot's case is unique because he began painting shortly after he was diagnosed with autism at age 2.

Autism is a developmental disorder that causes substantial impairments in social interaction and communication. The onset of autism typically occurs before age 3 and affects children across all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 150 children in the U.S. have autism or a closely related disorder, and that boys are four times as likely to develop autism as girls.

Elliott's ability to paint for long periods of time is remarkable, given that children with autism often have difficulty concentrating on one task or have short attention spans. However, Elliot's parents said they are not surprised that painting has captured Elliot's interest.

"We're an arty family," said Rick, who is a creative director. "It's almost a genetic trait. It just made sense he would take to it."

Elliot's mother, Laura Sylvester, an art director and graphic artist, said there were always art supplies around the house and that Elliot took a particular liking to acrylic paints early on.

"He's just always painted," she said.

Laura said Elliot asks to paint often, and Rick said Elliot would probably paint "24/7" if he could. Elliot usually paints at home once or twice a week, either inside or in the backyard during the summer.

Elliot also paints with his grandfather, architectural renderer and fine artist David Purciel, at his Lake Hodges studio once a month.

"He's getting one-on-one with a professional artist," said Laura, who is Purciel's biological daughter.

Laura had been estranged from Purciel since childhood, but decided to contact him several years ago once she discovered Elliot's emerging artistic talent. She said her renewed relationship with her father has been an unexpected benefit of her son's autism.

"Now we go over there to paint all the time," she said. "Grandpa is trying to figure out how to teach him."

Elliot's parents said they want to encourage him to continue painting as they feel it has made a noticeable difference in his behavior.

"He can sit there calmly painting for an hour straight," said Rick, who said the repetitive, self-stimulating behaviors Elliot often engages in disappear while he is painting.

"Basically, when he's painting, his autistic characteristics go away," said Laura.

Elliot's enthusiasm and aptitude for painting are evident even to others: Laura said Elliot's preschool teacher called Elliot her "little Picasso" and that he recently won first place in his age group in an art contest sponsored by the UCSD Autism Research Laboratory.

Last year, Elliot's parents found a way to share his artwork with others while helping to raise money for his care. California Lithographers printed 1,000 sets of note cards based on 12 of Elliot's paintings free of charge for the Sylvesters to sell to help fund Elliot's autism treatments.

"Insurance won't cover a lot of the therapies that a lot of doctors recommend for autism," said Rick, who estimates that he and his wife spend $20,000 to $30,000 out of pocket every year on autism treatments for Elliot.

"It's very expensive."

To purchase a set of "Elliot Art Cards," which cost $20 for a set of 12, visit www.autissey.com/elliotart.

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.