Malcolm started showing interest in art by age three and he kept working on his artistic gift throughout his time at school. He has earned numerous art awards in elementary and middle school. A few years ago, Malcolm became preoccupied with the desire of visiting his favorite Dutch amusement park which he had learned about online. It felt like an impossible dream but with the help of his family he started his hand drawn tile business. With his sincere work and talent, he earned enough money from his decorative tiles to proudly take his dream trip to Europe with his family. He continues to sell his tiles online and at local craft shows and has also been invited to be a recurring vendor at the National Autism Convention in State College. His mother Maria’s great attitude towards encouraging the exploration of new interests has worked fantastically for Malcolm. Today he can sing in 6 languages and play a drum set aside from being a talented artist. His mom has answered on his behalf. We want to applaud Malcolm for his brilliant talent and his achievements.

How and when did you get the idea to decorate and customize tiles? How long does it take you to complete a tile decoration?M: He first created tiles in school, to sell at a bazaar given by a local agency that supports kids with special needs. When I discovered that he was earning money for his class, I figured, he may as well earn money for himself. He won his first art award in elementary school, and had been drawing since he was 3 (starting the the clues on Blue's Clues, then going on to Dr., Seuss, some of which he drew from memory). I figured he could do it.
My mother came up with the Celtic cross idea. She was visiting from Canada, and wanted souvenirs to take back to her friends. She chose traditional design, and Malcolm did them in a number of color combinations. My sister designed his website and contacted the local newspaper to let them know about it. The other designs are done in consultation with Malcolm. I will come up with some possibilities, show them to him, and he picks the ones he likes. That said, sometimes people want something specific. If the special orders seem like something he'd like to do again or turn out very well, I'll add them to the site.
It can take as little as half an hour or as long as two hours to complete a tile. Some of it depends on the familiarity of the design, some on the complexity, and some on whether or not he is focused that day. It's hard for me to know how long the more complicated ones will take on any one day, because so much depends on his motivation, or whether or not he gets in the flow.

Which tile decoration project is closest to your heart? What is your favorite color that you love to use for these projects?M: He said the sunflower, and that the color he likes yellow. Which was news to me! I will add that these responses change.

What is your favorite song that you love to sing? At what age did you started playing drums?M:  He said "Veggie Tales--I Love My Lips." That said, he likes to do a lot of other songs. That one happened to be on his mind yesterday. There isn't one song I hear him singing more than others--depends on his mood.
He started playing Rock Band when he was about 8. Actual drum lessons started when he was about 11. He hasn't taken lessons for a few years now, but he still plays in church.

What is your favorite place to visit? What do you like about that place?M: He said Julianatoren, the amusement park in the Netherlands. But a local park called Dutch Wonderland came second. He likes amusement parks for younger kids, it seems.
The best part about Julianatoren was hugging the mouse mascot, he said. He loves cartoon mice, and mascots in general. He always wants to hug the latter, and has watched all kinds of cartoons of the former on YouTube.

What do you like to do when you are with your family?M: Go to restaurants.

Any special message for our community?M: He mentioned art and some of his teachers. So maybe that could mean that art is important, and that he feels blessed to have such wonderful teachers.
As for me, I'd say that you don't know what you can do unless you try it. My philosophy with Malcolm is to try it. If it doesn't work out, oh well. But I'd never have known he could play a drum set, for example, or sing in 6 languages if we hadn't given it a try.