About
Naim Jain

BY NINA JAIN

Niam was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at two years of age. At that time, I was a young mom and I had no previous exposure to – or awareness of – autism. It was completely foreign to me. Desperately seeking answers, I quickly learned that the internet can be a frightening and overwhelming space. Fortunately, my search led me to Autism Speaks Canada, a legitimate and robust resource that offered much needed support and encouraged a strong sense of community. This is where I began my learning journey. Initially, I was devastated. I had so many concerns. Being of Indian background, even though I’m second generation and born in England, I had experienced cultural barriers due to my ethnicity. Niam too would experience these things in time – compounded by the stigma of autism.

Niam began extensive Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, speech therapy, play therapy, occupational therapy and various forms of direct instruction. We focused on developing skills that were within his reach – things he could do rather than things he could not. I had decided that Niam should have a full life, so we worked together to develop practical life skills – cooking, getting dressed, showering and personal hygiene, cleaning, laundry and shopping.

Niam had to learn the most basic of skills, skills that we neurotypicals take for granted, such as turning on a tap, buttoning a shirt or warming water. Everything developed through relentless repetition. We practiced executing basic recipes hundreds of times, over and over, until he mastered them. Today, Niam can take an Uber by himself. He is capable of basic reading, writing and math. And like most other children, he likes sports – badminton, squash, swimming and skating. More recently, he’s learning to play pickleball and golf.

We never stopped Niam even though people would stare.

Niam is largely non-verbal. He lacks conversational and fluent speech. Over time, he has developed a limited vocabulary, able to string together enough words for his speech to be functional. However, this one barrier does not deter him from interacting with his environment. As a family, we have traveled the world to give Niam an education. In his experiencing of many diverse locales and environments, he can see, feel, touch and explore a broad range of foods, sounds, textures, shapes and colours. On these trips we would visit art galleries and historical museums that are full of rich colours and historical objects. He would walk at a fast pace, often looking at paintings and colours and interesting tapestries with his head upside down. Admittedly, it never occurred to us that Niam was actually processing – and recording – all of these things.

Niam’s Talent Emerges

Having championed Niam through his development, I was inspired to launch a learning platform. I felt fortunate that our family was able to provide Niam with so many extraordinary opportunities and was compelled to give something back to this community. With the support of my family, I created Able2learn, a free educational resource for autistics and other neurodiverse.

In 2015, I was running Able2learn from our home and I needed to find something to occupy Niam and keep him engaged – something that he genuinely enjoyed. I gave him paints and canvas. In return, he created beautiful artwork. As any proud parent would, I taped the paintings to our refrigerator. Rohan, Niam’s brother, thought they were exceptional and posted them for sale on Etsy. That’s when something magical happened – all the paintings were sold for $100.00 within the span of a week.

For the second time, I found myself in need of help. I contacted a local art supply store and they helped me acquire some quality paints, canvas and tools. As Niam completed paintings, I would post them on Facebook. Soon, I started receiving multiple competitive offers his work. My graphic designer colleagues at Able2learn were inspired to develop a website for Niam. Suddenly, Niam – and his artwork – were exposed to the world. Paintings sold out as soon as Niam had completed them.

In the years that followed, Niam’s reputation grew as an internationally renowned, award-winning Canadian abstract artist. His large-canvas work has been displayed in the homes of prominent and discerning private collectors, corporations and galleries. He has staged numerous sold-out shows, and has drawn significant attention from Canadian media outlets.

Niam’s story is one of success. He is living proof that autistics are capable, contributing members of society. Limitation does not define his person – Niam breaks cultural and societal barriers every day, fostering positivity and awareness for the neurodiverse community.