Photo supplied.
Elias is learning about inventory management, costs and profits at the ice cream stand he is operating at the Springville Market.
This season a new market opened in Springville.
This one has a variety of vendors, music and food but the focus is rather unique, as the name implies. Artistic Pathways was created as a program to support neurodivergent individuals by providing a place where they could sell their artistic creations and develop valuable employment skills. It was established by Sherri Soucie as a vehicle to help her son Elias and others like him to build skills that might help them develop some financial independence in job market that seems to lack appreciation for their skills.
At age six, Elias was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. This is a form of Autism, which is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication and often includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior. The term “spectrum” in autism spectrum disorder is key here: there is a wide range of symptoms and severity associated the disorder. The term “Asperger’s” was used to describe individuals on the highest-functioning end of the spectrum but is now described as level 1 autism. The most common symptoms of individuals at this spot on the spectrum include obsessing over a single interest, a desire for repetition and routine, missing social clues in conversation, avoiding eye contact and a lack of understanding of abstract concepts.
Elias was the beneficiary of early and intensive support from his mother who has worked with him to alleviate some of these symptoms. He speaks easily with strangers, looks people in the eyes and with his mother’s support, takes the initiative to build a better future.
Elias aspires to become a concept artist for video games. He has completed two programs at Durham College, one in Media Fundamentals and the other in Art and Design to equip himself with technical skills that might help him achieve that goal. He lived independently in Oshawa during his studies but was unable to find work after completing his studies and like many young adults his age, he had to return to live with his mother (parents?) for financial reasons. After an unfruitful local job search, his mother decided they should take matters into their own hands and create work for Elias and others like him and opened Artistic Pathways.
Sherri operates a small business that provides bookkeeping services to other small businesses so she understands that landscape. She has also seen many entrepreneurs who understand their products and services but don’t understand finances, which is often a fatal flaw. She was determined to ensure that any business experience included a financial education for Elias, and the ice cream stand provides a clear and simple introduction to costs as well as revenue and ultimately what constitutes profit.
The niche of Artistic Pathways seems to have attracted a supportive audience, as it now has 33 vendors signed up to sell their wares here, many with their own social agendas, including Phoenix Soap Company which donates 10% of its proceeds to charities supporting first responders.
Despite Elias’ experience there are some employers who are now actively seeking employees on the spectrum. They understand that these individuals have many desirable characteristics for employers, including a high level of intelligence, careful attention to detail, a commitment to high quality work and out-of-the-box thinking. The traditional job interview is often the stumbling block to securing a good job. Some companies are addressing that issue by changing their hiring processes and in some cases recruiting people on the autism spectrum, particularly those in the tech industry. This is good news for the estimated 1% of the population with autism, an estimated 80% of whom are unemployed with many others performing menial work well below their abilities.
Artistic Pathways is located at the corner of Brown’s Line and County Rd. 28 behind Springville Tap N Grill. Its next date is June 30th from 2pm to 7 pm, and Elias’ ice cream stand operates on Friday to Sunday from noon until 6 pm weather permitting. The market welcomes new vendors and attendance is free to non-profit organizations and individuals facing developmental challenges. Drop by the market and pick up an ice cream treat as you browse the vendor booths where you will see a community banding together to face a variety of challenges. To learn more, contact Sherri on Facebook or call 705-917-9423. KG