An artist who helped create several Disney animated legends such as “Mulan” is teaching students on the “autism spectrum” to unleash their creativity through animation. 

In addition to “Mulan,” veteran Disney feature animation artist Woody Woodman also worked on films like “Tarzan” and “Lilo & Stitch,” and is one of the many instructors at Digital Arts for Autism, or DAFA, the program operated by Orlando’s Elite Animation Academy, where 19-year-old Adaryl “AJ” Beasley is currently enrolled. A.J. was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. 

Art is a powerful force for autistic individuals. Creating art promotes mental and emotional growth and a natural way to explore and express feelings.

According to AJ’s parents, he is thriving in his animation studies.

 

“It’s exciting to see him look forward to class,” said AJ’s mother, Micarla Beasley. “He is motivated to learn.”

During AJ’s senior year of high school, he began showing interest in designing art on his computer. Micarla and husband Adaryl Beasley Sr. researched programs for their son and Elite Animation Academy had just opened its Digital Arts for Autism program.

The syllabus, designed specifically for adults on the autism spectrum, was perfect; AJ’s classes are small, and the material is always very well explained.

“The online classes have been amazing for our son. He is always excited to see what new design is waiting for him to recreate,” said Beasley Sr.

Added Micarla: “He has grown so much in the last few months. We are grateful we found the right fit and we are looking forward to his continued progress.” 

Elite Academy was founded by former Disney animators. The studio provides general art and animation training with experienced movie, cartoon and print animation instructors.  DAFA, only for adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, trains students for specialized jobs in animation and publishing.

Gladys and Todd West launched the Studio in 2012. The couple saw a need for animation teaching after Gladys worked in an executive role with Disney MGM Studios.

The Wests envisioned a design studio with a primary mission of developing young minds through the art of animation.

In less than a decade, Elite has grown to include an expansive lineup of summer camps and virtual opportunities through which students acquire design and animation skills.

“We are excited to expand our traditional animation teachings to offer a program for art-minded adults diagnosed with ASD,” said Gladys West.

 

While working with Autism Shifts in Tampa, Gladys saw the creativity and talent of autistic adults.

“The young men and women wrote personal stories on how they overcame their autism and became part of working society,” she said. “I found that so inspiring.”

The Digital Arts for Autism program is aimed at high-functioning students in the 17-to-23-year range who want to learn design disciplines.

“Our primary target is those who cannot attend a traditional college because the curriculum is too fast-paced,” said Todd West.

The new program began this past January and offers a year-long syllabus.

“We have designed a custom teaching model to educate ASD students,” said Gladys. “The goal of the program is to give students employable skills with autistic-friendly employers.”

Elite instructors are animation artists who built successful careers as graphic artists and feature movie animators for studios such as Disney MGM.

They teach the fundamentals of animation, digital media and creative regimen skills.  Program disciplines also include training on Adobe Suite, Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Animate and WordPress. 

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Woodman, who also teaches animation to students in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Indonesia, compares those teaching experiences with his current responsibilities at DAFA.   

“When English is not the student’s first language, it requires information be explained slowly and succinctly,” Woodman said. “Fortunately, most of what I teach is done through physical interpretation by acting out with body language, which seems to cut through the cultural barriers.

“My job as an instructor is to stimulate the students’ creative thinking to mature their art skills. Skills improve over hours of repetition; there is no fast-track to mastering animation, unfortunately.”

Incoming students typically have minimal art skills and no formal design instruction, although, like AJ, they share the love of art.

Suntree resident Lyndsay Blagriff Clark’s 8-year-old son, Tripp, like AJ, was diagnosed with ASD and was exceptionally talented in his artwork.

“Art and drawing are one of the ways Tripp communicates,” said Blagriff-Clark. “He draws what he sees and what he is thinking about. The drawing process invites opportunities for him to use words, especially when he is asked questions about his art.”

 

When asked if DAFA would be something she might be interested in for Tripp’s future, Blagriff-Clark said: “Absolutely. The educational use of electronic media will eventually be a large portion of Tripp’s learning curriculum. This program would be a wonderful opportunity to combine both his art skills and use of digital media to express himself, while growing as a young person on the spectrum.”

Digital Arts for Autism is currently accepting students for their 2021 school year. All ASD students must be able to function independently in a structured classroom or online setting and able to successfully manage his or her emotional behavior.

Since opening their doors nine years ago, Elite Academy has experienced remarkable growth with campuses in Orlando and Tampa. The team expects admissions to escalate with the DAFA initiative and the studio’s expanded online classes.

DAFA is a program partner for the Florida Gardiner Scholarship StepUp program, a statewide initiative designed for children with special needs.

Parents and/or caregivers can submit applications for DAFA under the assumption they are pre-approved for the Gardiner Scholarship.

More information is available at digitalartsforautism.org, stepupforstudents.org or by calling 407-459-7959.