Self-Portrait of Sebastien, My Non-Verbal Autistic Son
- kchoo7
- Mar 17
- 2 min read
by CHOO Kah Ying
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Sebastien, my non-verbal autistic son, painted Crack’d Me when he was fifteen. It marked the beginning of Sebastien's tumultuous entry into puberty — characterised by his growing awareness of his difference from others and their negative perceptions of him.
Since Sebastien doesn't articulate feelings and ideas with words, I have been taking the liberty to name his paintings based on my creative interpretations that are more flights of imagination than an accurate understanding of Sebastien.
But this “self-portrait” and the poem I was inspired to write have stood the test of time. Thirteen years later (Sebastien is now twenty-eight), I still believe that Sebastien's painting encapsulates his sense of estrangement from society — something that many autistic adults experience in our society.
It is thus my mission and my hope that one day, we as a society can overcome our reflexive fears of those who look or behave differently, such as the non-verbal autistic adults in our midst, and open ourselves to see their uniqueness. Only then will we be genuinely moving towards an inclusive society.
Learn more about Sebastien's art here:
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