Art from the Heart
When Aiden Lee was very young, his autism inhibited him from communicating what he was feeling through speech.
“So how I responded was I painted to show my emotions,” said Lee, now 16. He continues to feel most comfortable expressing himself through art, and paints regularly at his home in Oakville.
The young artist now has a new reason to pick up his paintbrushes: teaching.
Lee has been going into elementary school classes to teach art ever since Angela Boers, a teacher at Tom Thomson Public School in Burlington, suggested that he come into her Grade 1 and 2 classroom in April 2017.
“When I met the kids they were happy,” Lee said of his first time teaching in Boers’ classroom. “They loved learning and they got to show off their ABILITIES.” Eager to continue, he told his mother, Judith Elaine Hung, that he wanted to reach 150 kids through art classes before Canada’s 150th anniversary.
Aiden reached his goal of teaching 150 kids and has since continued to volunteer at many different schools to teach art and acceptance.
“We can teach kids how to throw their emotions onto canvas, rather than each other. Let’s use paint, brushes, and sponges to communicate.”
Says Aiden.
To date, Aiden has shared his passion for art and advocacy for the neurodiverse community with over 1800 students of all abilities all over Halton.
Lee has been going into elementary school classes to teach art ever since Angela Boers, a teacher at Tom Thomson Public School in Burlington, suggested that he come into her Grade 1 and 2 classroom in April 2017.
“When I met the kids they were happy,” Lee said of his first time teaching in Boers’ classroom. “They loved learning and they got to show off their ABILITIES.” Eager to continue, he told his mother, Judith Elaine Hung, that he wanted to reach 150 kids through art classes before Canada’s 150th anniversary.
Aiden reached his goal of teaching 150 kids and has since continued to volunteer at many different schools to teach art and acceptance.
“We can teach kids how to throw their emotions onto canvas, rather than each other. Let’s use paint, brushes, and sponges to communicate.”
Says Aiden.
To date, Aiden has shared his passion for art and advocacy for the neurodiverse community with over 1800 students of all abilities all over Halton.
