Swan Princess Series Fans! From our family to yours, we’d like to introduce to you, a superstar and true Princess; meet our friend Hannah!
Hannah is an amazing artist, who loves to paint characters! She is extremely talented and practices her work everyday. Hannah is a 22 year old with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although she struggles everyday with cognitive and behavioral challenges, her practice in painting doesn’t miss a beat. How inspirational is that?
Children and adults with Autism can have widely varying symptoms even though they share the same disorder. Some are severely effected. So much so that they will never live any sort of independent life. Others are so highly functioning that they are eventually capable of living independently. Many live somewhere in the middle, able to do many things independently but in need of supportive services.
Many with autism have a difficult time processing external stimuli. One or all of their senses are, for lack of a better explanation, amplified. In Hannah's case, she has incredibly sensitive hearing. Noises that most people don't even notice will irritate her to the point of her acting out behaviorally. This sensory issue is called Sensory Integration Dysfunction and is common in people with developmental disorders.
This does not stop Hannah's creativity. Take a look at what she does with pumpkins on Halloween...
A charming version of SPEED the turtle!
As an adult with special needs, Hannah is learning where she fits in a world that is rapidly developing. She is very young in her thinking and her likes. She still enjoys watching preschool shows and movies. She has un-birthdays instead of birthdays because she doesn’t want to get any older. She is cognitively challenged and will likely never live a fully independent life. She will always need supports in place. However, she has found ways to fit in. Her artwork, her sense of humor...these are skills she uses to connect with others. She is in the process of writing an animated movie and is determined to have Richard Rich direct it. She has gone so far as to have drawn all the characters and written music for the movie score!
This is Hannah's adorable drawing of her favorite princesses in bird form:
Hannah has a drive that many of us could only dream of and we find her to be such a fantastic role model for those who work diligently on their talents to pursue their dreams.
Of course, what also makes Hannah even more amazing is that she is a Swan Princess fan! Look at the Swan Princess painting she created on this tile!
This incredible painting will be for sale on our retail site in the near future.
We are so excited to have her a part of the Princess Odette and Prince Derek crew. And we give our love and support to Hannah’s family as they continue to work hard in making a comfortable lifestyle for Hannah in a workforce that is restricting for those who may struggle with social norms, even when they are often, by far, more gifted.
Watch This Video to Learn More About Hannah and Autism!
To learn more about Hannah's parents efforts to build her and art studio, please visit their GoFundMe page at:GoFundMe.com/HannahsArtStudio
More Autism Resources: