Early Days

In the early days life itself seemed distressing for Iris. She was withdrawn and not speaking. Life was locked away behind her books, avoiding all social and eye contact, and not developing language. At this point no one had any idea about the Autistic Artist that would be discovered. She was highly sensitive to noise and other stimuli.  It was only when she was in nature or left alone with the colourful pages and stories of her books that she could be calm.  

Following Iris’s interests in nature and art

Arabella learned how to connect with Iris by following her interests. Seeing the world of nature through her eyes and allowing her set the pace. It wasn’t always an easy road, but it led to discovering her talents as a painter. When she was in front of her painting table, her incredible ability to focus shone. 

The Autistic Artist

She produced art which has moved a wide audience: news of her paintings spread throughout the world. Her art lined the corridors of hospitals, calming the patients and lifting their spirits. Children in schools heard about her story and teachers designed fun art lessons replicating her painting table set up. Celebrities including Angelina Jolie bought her work, bolstering autism awareness worldwide.  It was an incredible experience for all the family watching her story grow and the positive impact she had on people’s lives.  This little girl who struggled to communicate was reaching and inspiring so many. 

Iris has had over 5 million pageviews across the globe.  She has been Published in 4 National Papers within the UK and China Times, Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Huffington Post, German tabloid Bild and many more.  She has featured on BBC, CNN, CBS, Daily Mail, The Sun, Mirror, Express, Telegraph, Forbes, Yahoo, MSN, ABC, ITV, Independent, Metro, and countless online news channels along with TV shows ‘The One Show’ and ‘This Morning’.

Animal Therapy and Autism

Gradually, Arabella found a path to real communication with Iris.  And this path grew ever wider after Iris formed a strong relationship with her Maine Coon cat Thula.  It was Thula who helped Iris overcome her fear of water, who solved her troubles with sleeping and who led her into playing with others. Thula’s role was life-changing and she became an inspiration for others: when Arabella set up The Little Explorers Activity Club for other families in similar circumstances, it was often Thula and our other animals who would bring the children out of their shells.

Autism Awareness and Understanding

Arabella shares their experiences to show that there can be a bright future, even with a severe diagnosis.  The message – if we follow our children into their world, we can learn, understand and discover that different is brilliant.