When a person with a disability begins to “age out” of school, this can be a very stressful time for everyone. One of the ways that families/schools work together to help someone like Jackson or anyone that is enrolled in special education within the United States is to create a “transition plan.”
We (his family and teachers) are still moving along on Jackson’s transition goal of becoming a working artist, illustrator, and animator. As Jackson gets older, it’s getting more and more important to focus on identifying his eventual vocation and the skills and resources he needs to accomplish these goals.
We have worked with Jackson and interviewed him about what he would like to do when he grows up. His stated goal year after year remains, “To be a great artist, to own my own animation studio and to be an illustrator and philosopher.”
So, into that goal, we have a new box to check off, we are EXCITED to ANNOUNCE that Jackson’s art is now professionally represented by a local East Austin art gallery, Sage Studios. that specializes in developing Texas artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
We are very excited about this partnership. This is a big step forward for Jackson in his desire to be a BIG artist. The fact that we are seeing positive outcomes like art deals and art show offers through his online presence is one of the reasons that we decided as a family that having Jackson’s art out in the public sphere would be a good idea. Well, that, and Temple Grandin told us we needed to when we met her at an Autism Society event in Austin. (that’s another blog I need to write!)
We hope with more visibility, Jackson will attain his dream of supporting himself with the proceeds of his art. That is the transition goal for Jackson: provide him with enough resources and connections to build an independent life that is supported by a career in the arts.
Sage Studios found us through Jackson’s Instagram feed that I (Jackson’s mom) manage. We post art and quotes from Jackson with his approval. Go visit the page for a weekly dose of #JacksonWisdom
Lucky Jackson, he has an entire team of volunteers, business and nonprofit entities that are working alongside him to help him achieve his goals!