Echolilia: A Father's Photographic Conversation with His Autistic Son

"Echolilia" is an alternate spelling of a more common term, "echolalia," used in the autistic community to refer to the habit of verbal repetition and copying that is commonly found in autistic kids' behavior. I liked the idea of it: photography is a form of copying. Kids are a form of repetition. And looking at my kid with photography allowed me to see myself a new.

Archibald, Eli's father 

Eli's parents always knew he was different, but they couldn't explain how and certainly couldn't answer why. It was his younger brother's development that shone a light on Eli's circumstances. When little brother, Wilson, turned 2 and Eli was 5, the mystery of "What's up with Eli?" seemed to “take over everything,” Archibald told.

The father and son started doing photo shoots together around that time. But, Archibald says, he wasn’t trying to create a masterpiece - "Echolilia" happened completely by accident. Taking pictures together was “just something to do,” something to fill the time. None of the shots were planned. Eli would be doing something quirky around the house (for example, blowing into a tube) and dad would shoot in different locations, make lighting adjustments and experiment. Each session only lasted about five to ten minutes before Eli got bored, Archibald said.

Midway through kindergarten, while the shoots were already underway, Eli was diagnosed with autism. His parents were surprised because he’s “so high-functioning,” but they weren’t sad. They already knew and loved their son who Archibald describes as curious, loud, mechanical and larger-than-life –- the diagnosis didn't change who he was. If anything, the autism label “explained some things,” because Eli was different from the other kids, Archibald said.

Letters that Archibald received in response to "Echolilia" showed him that Eli is not alone, not unusual per se. He often receives notes from other parents who say, “That looks like my kid.” The words are surprising and comforting. “I thought it was just us,” Archibald said.

At a recent photo festival called Look3, Eli, now 10, explained what "Echolilia" has meant to him. “It kind of looks into my mind a bit,” he said. “It can kind of show what the autistic brain is like and what autistic kids, or maybe just normal kids in the ages of 5-8 years old, would do.”

Archibald told NPR that Eli’s awareness of his autism is important - he wants his son to see his individuality as an asset. But as a father, Archibald ignores the diagnosis - he told that it doesn't change how he parents Eli. “Building the relationship is your key to everything,” he said. 

More info at Huffington Post

Dementia & Art

I Remember Better When I Paint: Dementia & Art 

We wanted to share this fantastic video as an example of how art is making an impact for individuals living with a variety of dementias in various stages of the disease. While the mind and memories fade, their imagination remains intact. Engaging with art through dialogue and painting allows people to tap into their non-verbal, emotional side and make meaning in the moment. This aliveness and focus is really at the core of quality of life. 

From Sound Options

Alive Inside

Alzheimer’s and dementia are a reality for an increasing and often unseen population. Though well intentioned, many nursing homes are not equipped to fully meet the needs of these residents. We are left with several questions without any real or comforting answers: How do I want to age? What can we do for our loved ones? Can we do better?

Alive Inside investigates these questions and the power music has to awaken deeply locked memories. The film follows Dan Cohen, a social worker, who decides on a whim to bring iPods to a nursing home. To his and the staff’s surprise many residents suffering from memory loss seem to “awaken” when they are able to listen to music from their past. With great excitement, Dan turns to renowned neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks, and we follow them both as we investigate the mysterious way music functions inside our brains and our lives.

Besides telling a moving story, it is our hope that this film will encourage widespread adoption of personalized music programs in nursing homes and outpatient therapy in homes. We hope that our film will inspire and educate the millions of people burdened by diseases that affect memory, and create a grassroots demand for this kind of low cost treatment, which could help not only patients but also caregivers across the globe. Like many films that concentrate on a simple story but echo into larger stories, we feel this film raises questions about how we as a society care for the elderly and afflicted.

Alive Inside focuses on one man’s journey, but it raises many deep questions about what it means to still be Alive Inside. It questions when we stop being human, and what it takes to re-start a life that has faded away. It asks questions about how we see our elderly, and how we are going to treat an epidemic of these degenerative diseases.

Info from Alive Inside

Menino de cadeira de rodas vê os seus sonhos concretizados

A imaginação de Luka, um menino de 12 anos com distrofia muscular, ganhou vida graças ao fotógrafo Matej Peljhan. 

Luka tem uma doença degenerativa, pelo que passou a maior parte de sua vida numa cadeira de rodas. É incapaz de fazer esforços musculares para além de mexer os dedos, com os quais controla a sua cadeira de rodas e faz desenhos expressando as suas ideias e imaginação.

Como qualquer criança, Luka queria saltar, brincar e experimentar vários desportos - e bastou uma mudança do ponto de vista para resolver o problema. 

Com a ajuda de Peljhan, Luka foi a estrela do projecto fotográfica "O Pequeno Príncipe" - em referência ao livro do francês Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - onde teve a oportunidade de se ver a si mesmo disfrutando dos mesmos prazeres que outros meninos da sua idade.

Só foi necessário mudar a perspectiva... e provaram ser capazes!

Mais imagens aqui

Música estimula o desenvolvimento intelectual, pessoal e social

Estudos recentes sobre a actividade cerebral comprovam que a interacção com a música pode influenciar acções cognitivas que não estão directamente relacionadas com ela, principalmente nas gerações mais jovens. O córtex cerebral organiza-se à medida que nos envolvemos em diferentes actividades musicais e as capacidades relacionadas com esta área adaptam-se a outro tipo de acções com um processo cognitivo semelhante.

Estudos sobre estes temas serão apresentados no simpósio «Music, Poetry and the Brain», organizado pela Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa (UNL) e pelo Goethe- Institut, a realizar no dia 25 de Maio, na Reitoria da UNL. A programação, não direccionada apenas a especialistas em música ou neurociência, está a ser coordenada por Armando Sena (Lisboa) e Robert Zatorre (Montreal).

As investigações mostram que a música e o discurso oral partilham uma série de sistemas de processamento cognitivo, pelo que as experiências musicais melhoram a percepção da linguagem, o que por sua vez facilita a aprendizagem da leitura.

Experiências com crianças de oito anos com apenas oito semanas de educação musical demonstraram que havia melhorias na cognição perceptual quando comparadas com o grupo de controlo. O envolvimento activo com a música aguça a capacidade cerebral para registar sons linguísticos.

O discurso oral faz um uso extensivo da audição dos padrões estruturais que se baseiam nas diferenças do timbre entre fonemas. A educação musical desenvolve capacidades que melhoram a percepção destes padrões, que, por sua vez, são fundamentais para desenvolver a atenção fonológica e aprender a ler com sucesso.

Tocar um instrumento ajuda a melhorar a capacidade de recordar as palavras através do desenvolvimento da região temporal esquerda do cérebro. O mesmo estudo realizado com crianças de oito anos demonstrou que os participantes com educação musical fixaram mais 17 por cento da informação do que aqueles que não tinham educação musical.

Informação retirada de Ciência Hoje

Music Makes YOU Smarter

From My Science Academy

Art in every form improves quality of life

"As an art therapist, I have spent hundreds of hours witnessing the profound therapeutic effects of art making for adults and children of all ages and with a wide range of physical and psychological conditions. Brain research into neuroplasticity, as Dr. Martiquet points out, shows the beneficial effects of art activity in improving neural networks.

The good news is that our brains, like gardeners, constantly prune away what isn’t used and bud in new directions as we do new things.

Creativity is a powerful source of new life, no matter where a person starts from, and art making is one of the few treatments that is actually inherently pleasurable. Art making can be used in so many ways: problem-solving, expressing what is too complicated or difficult to say with words, focusing, relaxing. And the beauty is that you have a visual record of the process.

I hear so many people say they have no ability, but those are the discouraging messages that people were given as children — I’ve seen over and over that creativity has no limits and no special skill is required to begin.

Art in every form improves quality of life: it is not a luxury, but a cost-effective way to improve our society."

Rose Clarke, Gibsons

Info from Coast Reporter