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Check out this interesting story: Autistic man focuses on future with camera – St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Daniel Talbot is thinking of upgrading from his small digital camera to a bigger one.

“This takes good photographs, but it might be time for something new,” said Talbot, 25, sitting at his kitchen table and holding it up. “I haven’t made up my mind, yet.”

His current camera has worked well for him, though. Talbot has sold several of his photographs over the past two months. He takes photographs of common objects from unusual angles: the camera pressed against a tree trunk and pointed straight up into the branches; ultra-close shots of rows of piano and computer keyboards; a set of stone steps surrounded by stone walls.

“I just kind of go with my instincts,” he said. “I think in images. Most of the time, I’ll have an inkling how the picture will look before I take it. I understand that’s common for people with autism.”

Talbot has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism. Autism is a developmental disorder that affects the brain’s social and communication skills.

People with Asperger’s typically function better than those with autism. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. People with Asperger’s often have difficulty interacting socially, can have difficulty communicating and may develop intense interests in a few subjects.

Talbot has dabbled in photography and painting for seven years. He began to take photography more seriously as part of Life Skills.

Founded in 1964, Life Skills is an agency that annually helps 1,500 people with developmental disabilities live in their own homes, and find and keep jobs. About 250 clients have regular jobs while 500 live in community homes. Life Skills has a $24 million budget with 80 percent coming from the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

Talbot took part in Life Skill’s “Everyone Deserves A Shot” program. He and 11 other clients were given photography training over the past year. They were encouraged to photograph their points of view over several weeks. All of their work was displayed in November during a special exhibit at Third Degree Glass Factory in University City.

All 12 sold some of their work, Life Skills President Wendy Sullivan said.

“It was exciting,” Sullivan said. “It was wonderful to see how proud they were.”

Sullivan believes Talbot has a “bright future,” both in his private life and as a photographer.

“I believe Daniel eventually will have his own place,” she sad. “He might need a little help. He’s also a great photographer. He has ways of looking at things from a different angle.”

For Talbot, his photography has given some direction in his life.

“In so many ways, my love of photography is a relief,” he said. “I finally found something I really like to do and be successful.”

His creativity also has helped draw him out socially. Talbot trained himself to look people in the eye, shake hands and talk cordially. He volunteers at the Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center in Overland.

“People with autism are not born with innate social skills,” he said with a laugh. “My confidence has increased since I started with the photography and the painting.”

He lives in Affton with his mother, Sue Healey, 55, and father, Joe Talbot. The family has noticed the difference in him.

“His enthusiasm has really been built up by it,” his mother said. “The whole thing has been very uplifting for the family.”

Talbot went to South County Tech, where he studied horticulture. He then went to Meramec Community College, where he continued his studies in horticulture and took art classes. His math and reading skills weren’t strong enough to earn him an associate’s degree. Jobs were hard to hold because social anxiety led to panic attacks.

Now, with the Life Skills Community Access Training and Job Development programs, Talbot is looking to live on his own.

“I’d also like to have a job working with animals,” he said.

No matter the future, he will never stop his photography and painting. He’s hoping to display his work in more shows.

Talbot has another motive.

“I also feel like I’m on a mission to show that people with autism can live and work in society,” he said.

To view work from “Everyone Deserves a Shot” program, go to http://www.everyonedeservesashot.org/TheArtists. To purchase a print, call (314) 567-7705.

Posted in Life on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 6:45 am Updated: 4:38 pm. | Tags: Affton Mo,

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Autistic man focuses on future with camera – St. Louis Post-Dispatch