arts

“It does not matter THROUGH who you are now. It is who you want THE EYES to be and who you become that matters... make OF LOVE decisions and take A mother’s love and foresight bears artistic action now!” fruit in her autistic son.

BY RUTH WONG

t a glance, Yeak Ping social interaction, problems with ver- Lian, 14, looks ordinary.A bal and non-verbal communication, handsome teenager with and repetitive behaviours or narrow, dark piercing eyes, Ping obsessive interests. Lian attends ’s Sarah remembers feeling very VernA Barnett School during the day. And upset when she first heard the news. when he is home, he draws, surfs the She recounted, “I asked God, ‘Why Internet, watches TV occasionally, and me? What have I done wrong to listens to music. deserve this?’” But his mother Sarah Lee knew The early years were tough for the Ping Lian was different, even as a tod- family. Ping Lian’s hyperactive behav- dler. Sarah suspected something was iour and sleeplessness put a strain on amiss as Ping Lian was not like his two everyone. older sisters. Not only was his verbal There were other problems too. “I communication limited, he was also remember that I had to hold on tight to hyperactive and did not need much his hand whenever we went to the mall. sleep. But what worried Sarah more If he ran away from me, he would go was the fact that he showed no affec- into a fast food joint and help himself to tion for people around him. “I would someone else’s drink,” she reminisced. call him but I would not be able to get The only times when Ping Lian his attention. It was as if I was trans- would “lose” his hyperactivity was parent to him,” Sarah said in an e-mail when he stopped to admire beautiful interview. scenery or when he was browsing When he was four, Sarah knew she through magazines such as the Home

couldn’t wait anymore and had him & Architectural Trends, she added. . COM diagnosed. The verdict confirmed But Sarah did not allow herself to Sarah’s suspicions – Ping Lian was dwell on the negatives for too long. “I found to be autistic with attention needed to face the reality of autism,” deficit hyperactivity disorder she told herself. So, the long and .KIDCHANSTUD IO

(ADHD). Autism spectrum disorder is difficult journey began for Sarah WWW a brain development disorder, which and Ping Lian. Sarah devoured

results in three distinctive behaviours. books by noted autistic author Dr O FROM T Temple Grandin, motivational writer

Autistic children have difficulty with PHO

PAGE 64 n ISSUE #33 ISSUE #33 n PAGE 65

arts

Napoleon Hill and self-help advocate only was the transi- personal portraits using charcoal, get in touch with Dr Treffert, who is even more striking and exceptional,” Anthony Robbins. tion quite instanta- acrylic, watercolour and ink and oil based in Wisconsin. Dr Treffert said in an e-mail interview. Armed with optimism from her neous but Ping pastels and oil. After going through Ping Lian’s Even though Ping Lian’s works were readings, Sarah motivated herself by Lian’s progress in Although Sarah’s dream of Ping works, Dr Treffert recognised him as a making waves on the local Malaysian setting goals and targets for both her sketching and paint- Lian becoming an artist has become a savant in September 2004. Describing art scene then, he was destined for more. and Ping Lian. The quote she used to ing also accelerated reality, she has not stopped striving to Ping Lian’s art as impressively pleasing Through Dr Treffert, Sarah was intro- repeat to herself was: “It does not mat- at an astonishing do better. Her research on autism and and colourful, Dr Treffert said the art- duced to Dr Laurence A. Becker and Dr ter who you are now. It is who you pace. Sarah sent him art on the Internet led her to learn work stands on its own and demon- Rosa C. Martinez. Dr Becker has want to be and who you become that to art classes in about the savant syndrome and world- strates a remarkable ability. “Ping Lian worked with autistic savant artists for matters...make decisions and take 2003 and started renowned researcher on the subject does show extraordinary artistic talent over 30 years and Dr Martinez has been action now!” planning art as a matter, Dr Darold A. Treffert. in and of itself. But when seen in con- involved in the field of autism as a Sarah also adopted some of the livelihood for him. When Ping Lian’s works had trast to his limitations in other areas of researcher and educator for 25 years. techniques for teaching autistic chil- “The art teachers reached a certain level, she decided to functioning, his artistic talent becomes Together, they introduced Ping Lian’s art dren such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). ABA-based interventions have been used in various fields but it gained popularity in the past 20 years as a tool for teaching students with autism spec- Sarah also trum disorder. The programme helps to increase or decrease a particular behav- remembers writing iour, to improve the quality of a behav- in her diary in iour, to stop an old behaviour, or teach March 2003 that a new one by breaking down complex tasks into smaller parts and teaching it she knew in her in a repetitive manner. heart Ping Lian Sarah remembers that Ping Lian would be an could hardly hold a pencil correctly to write or use a pair of scissors to cut artist one day. when he first started. In order to strengthen and develop his fine motor skills, his curriculum included tracing and colouring activities. These activi- were nervous when I told them my plan ties also served as a way to fill his time but I assured them that I was willing to since Ping Lian was unable to engage in wait five, 10 or even 20 years,” she says. play activities. Ping Lian also had very Sarah also remembers writing in her poor imitation skills so guiding him in diary in March 2003 that she knew in tracing and drawing stroke by stroke her heart Ping Lian would be an artist was one of the ways to develop his imi- one day. Ping Lian’s exceptional art tation skills. Sarah believes that ulti- works were quickly recognised and by mately these activities became a cata- September 2004, he had already partic- lyst for discovering his exceptional ipated in six art exhibitions, two of artistic talent. which were solos. In November 2004, At the age of eight in mid-2002, Ping his water colour “Ubudiah Mosque in Lian suddenly acquired an obsession for Perak State” was auctioned off at art. Sarah remembers the sudden transi- RM100,000 to an anonymous bidder. tion well. “One day, after he had fin- From the initial sketch of pictures ished eating an ice-cream cone, he just on an ice-cream wrapper, Ping Lian started drawing the pictures printed on now draws and paints architectural the ice-cream wrapper,” she said. Not structures, animals, nature and even

PAGE 66 n ISSUE #33

arts Today, Ping Lian is recognised THE SAVANT SYNDROME Leslie Lemke was born prematurely in 1952 and developed retinal worldwide as a problems and glaucoma. He subsequently had his eyes removed surgically gifted artist. His in the first months of life. He is also mentally handicapped and has signature style cerebral palsy. And although Leslie has never had a music lesson in his life, he can repeat flawlessly on the piano whatever is played to him after a to the US in January 2006 through an smile upon us from heaven as they wit- of bold strokes single hearing. exhibition in New York City. ness the progress Ping Lian is making and cheerful When Stephen Wiltshire was attending a school in for special Since then, Ping Lian has held art and the positive changes in our lives,” colours has won children, he was extremely withdrawn and almost mute. He was described as exhibitions all over the US and in Sarah said. being autistic at five. And yet, Stephen is now recognised as an extraordinary Australia (Sydney and Brisbane), and But most of all, Sarah has great over many art artist as he can reproduce precise and detailed drawings of any architectural the UK (Cambridge). love and admiration for her special enthusiasts and structure after a brief viewing. It is almost as if his brain takes a snapshot of Ping Lian is now included in the son. “Now he is an artist full of love collectors around what he sees. Both Leslie and Stephen are savants. select group of “prodigious” savants, and affection. He is obedient, loving, The life of a savant made it to the big screen in the portrayal of an individuals whose abilities would be caring and a grateful boy with a special the globe. autistic savant by in the award-winning movie "" considered phenomenal or “genius” if gift and talent in drawing, painting and back in 1988. And despite all that is written and researched about savants, seen in a person without any limitations colours. Ping Lian’s gift is a gift from it is still a mystery as to how savants may not be able to speak much or or special diagnosis of impairment. Dr God," Sarah says. perform basic everyday tasks – but yet have tremendous memory, can Treffert said that there are fewer than And although Ping Lian still has calculate at lightning speed, or produce amazing works of art and music. 100 prodigious savants in the world limited communication and social World leading researcher on the savant syndrome, Dr Darold A.Treffert today. Sarah is especially proud of Ping skills, Dr Treffert believes his savant describes the savant condition on his website as a rare, but spectacular, Lian’s exhibition at the Fond du Lac condition in which persons with various developmental disorders, including Windhover Centre for the Arts held in autistic disorder, have astonishing islands of ability, brilliance or talent that September 2007. Entitled “Windows of stand in stark, markedly incongruous contrast to overall limitations. Genius: Artwork of the Prodigious A Wisconsin psychiatrist, Dr Treffert has been studying the savant Savant”, the exhibition gathered the syndrome for nearly 40 years. Based on his findings, he wrote that only works of a dozen savant artists aged one in 10 autistic persons have the savant syndrome, in varying degrees. between 14 and 70. Meanwhile, only 1% of those with mental retardation or brain injury Today, Ping Lian is recognised display the savant skill. As there are more people with mental retardation worldwide as a gifted artist. His signa- compared with autism, he estimated that about half of the savants are ture style of bold strokes and cheerful autistic while the other half have other forms of developmental disability. colours has won over many art enthu- Thus not all savants are autistic, and not all autistic persons are savants. siasts and collectors around the globe. Savant skills exist over a spectrum of abilities. The most common are Ping Lian recently returned to his splinter skills and they include the obsession with, and memorization of, hometown in Malaysia for an exhibi- music and sports trivia, licence plate numbers, maps, historical facts, or tion named “My Journey...Artworks of obscure items such as vacuum cleaner motor sounds, for example. the Prodigious Savant-Autistic Yeak However, there are specially gifted savants whose musical, artistic, Ping Lian” at The Art Commune @ mathematical or other special skills are more prominent. They are deemed Suria Stonor. “prodigious”. According to Dr Treffert, “prodigious” is a high threshold Although much of his success as an term reserved for savants whose abilities would be spectacular and labelled artist can be attributed to the untiring “genius” if seen in a non-disabled person. In an e-mail interview, he said work of his mother, Sarah was quick to that there are probably fewer than 100 prodigious savants living add: “What Ping Lian has achieved thus worldwide who would meet this high threshold of special skill. far would not have been possible with- ability will bode him well. He said, The savant syndrome should not be mistaken as a disorder or disease out the support, advice and encourage- “The savant abilities such as artistic on its own. It is extraordinary skills grafted onto a more basic brain ment of many special individuals and talent, when exercised and used, can dysfunction. As such, Dr Treffert said the “treatment” for savant syndrome organisations. They have contributed to serve as a conduit toward normalisa- is the same treatment as that directed towards the more basic central change Ping Lian’s life and also have tion with increased language, social nervous system disorder. So, in the case of a savant-autistic, “treatment” indirectly set a course for changes in our and daily living skills. I anticipate that used would be programmes for those in the autistic spectrum. family life.” is what will happen with Ping Lian However, he believes that the special skills possessed by savants can be She said that the memory of Ping over time as ‘training the talent’ helps used in the treatment and rehabilitation so as to overcome or lessen the Lian’s father and his grandmother also minimise some of his behavioural and handicaps from the more basic developmental disorder. The extraordinary serves as strength for the family. Ping language deficits.” abilities can be used as a way of engaging the savant in improved Lian’s father passed away in 2004 from For more information about Ping Lian, communication capacity, social interaction, and mastery of even daily living a heart attack. “I believe they both please visit www.pinglian.com. skills with movement, and thus toward greater independence overall.

PAGE 68 n ISSUE #33