Much of what matters to Daniel Trent can be understood by looking at two green ceramic frogs. The intense tints, the complex shapes, the relationship between the two pieces, and the intricate, eager expressions relate in clay and color more than Trent frequently express himself. As a person with autism, Trent’s artwork is a creative outlet he uses effectively to express his feelings, needs, goals, and dreams.

For Dan and Nancy, Trent’s parents, the opportunity art provides for their son to communicate with them has opened up their world together. “Daniel has a desire to write stories, but he finds reading and writing more challenging ways to express himself than art,” said Nancy. “So he draws and paints and sketches out entire stories, and we learn about his interests through his art. It’s wonderful.”

At 6’4”, Trent casts the shadow of an athlete, but he clearly has the soul of an artist. It took the heart and compassion of a teacher, however, to help tap into this resource within Trent.

A 2009 graduate of Garrett High School, Trent and his parents credit the school and art teacher Mark Ober for helping Trent develop his artistic interest and abilities. For Ober, who teaches advanced art at Garrett, Trent provided him with an unforgettable teaching experience.

After another school employee noticed Daniel’s interest in art, Ober was approached regarding Trent’s involvement in his art class. “My class typically doesn’t include students with developmental disabilities,” said Ober. “This is an advanced art class, and, at first, I think neither Daniel nor I was sure how it would work, but we were both willing to try.”

Trent’s initial response to Ober’s class was tentative, at best. “He was very quiet and didn’t interact with the other kids at all,” said Ober. “But by the time he graduated, it was entirely different. He was just another student who came in, worked independently, and interacted with the other students like everybody else. He just blossomed, and it was incredible to see.”

“For any teacher, it’s always something when you see a student begin to come out of their shell during their time with you, to really start to focus on their artistic talents and share with others the joy they have about art. When it’s a person with a disability, it’s a totally different experience because you can see the level of excitement so much more clearly at times, and can begin to understand some of the challenges that particular student has to overcome in order to be an artist at that level,” said Ober. “Even if he didn’t have much to say about a specific project he was working on, you could see the intense interest he had by his focus.”

When asked about his art, Trent’s words are minimal, but the impact of art on his life is unmistakable. “I like to paint,” said Trent. “I like painting about things I see and things I like, like movies I watch. It makes me pretty happy when I paint.”
Because Trent’s art is inspired by his interests, it provides information to his parents about the things that are important to him. One painted image of an angry, threatening beast, for example, was inspired by a Stephen King book character. Another painted piece of a farm field in autumn is Trent’s own version of a Grant Wood piece, an artist introduced to Trent during his time with Ober.

According to Dana Renay, Executive Director for the Indiana Autism Society, the importance of art to individuals with autism is significant. “For individuals on the autism spectrum, it’s often the only way to show imagination, or to express pretend play,” said Renay. “Whether its pottery or drawing or paint, or even music, it’s just an outstanding way for people on the spectrum to communicate. At any age, whether the person is in school or out of school, art enables the artist to be like anyone else—regardless of the presence of a disability or not. That’s the power behind it.”

For the Trents, who have experienced the power of art firsthand, the affect of art on their son has been significant.

“Mr. Ober’s impact on Daniel was incredible,” said Nancy. “We can’t say how much we appreciate what he did for our son during his time at Garrett. He took an interest in Daniel and took him under his wing, then started him with simple projects that went from highlighting to shading, then to painting. Now look what he can do!”

Trent’s artwork has so impressed others, that he was invited by a teacher to join a group of students travelling to Greece last year to visit a variety of art-related historic sites. Trent declined the offer because he doesn’t like to fly, but the invitation has served as a point of pride and an acknowledgement of his artistic abilities.

“Garrett High School provided a great deal of support and structure to Daniel,” said Nancy. “Mr. Ober’s involvement with Daniel opened up so much for him and his future.”

Because art has enabled Trent to explore alternative means of communication with his family, Dan and Nancy wanted to ensure Daniel’s experience with art and learning continued long after he transitioned out of high school. “We were worried, I admit, because we just didn’t know how we were going to replace the supports the school had provided for Daniel,” said Nancy. “Then a teacher in the school referred us to the waiver program—it’s made all the difference for Daniel.”

For individuals with developmental disabilities such as Trent, school supports are lost as the student transitions out of school. One recent initiative from the Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS), a department of Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration, who administers the Medicaid waiver program, specifically targets young people aged 18-24 like Trent who are transitioning out of high school and are not receiving supports outside of the school. As one of more than 12,500 individuals across the state currently receiving either an Autism, Developmental Disabilities, or Support Services Waiver from the State of Indiana, Trent is able to receive person-centered services and supports in the community.

“Daniel’s waiver helps provide the support services he needs, so that he can continue to build upon the skills, talents, and interests—like art—that Daniel has acquired through his parents’ efforts and the education provided to him through his high school,” explained Pam Morton, Trent’s IPMG Case Manager. Morton is one of more than 400 Indiana Professional Management Group (IPMG) case management professionals throughout the state of Indiana who provide person-centered services to Indiana’s waiver recipients. Since 2006, IPMG has served as the sole provider of case management services to the State’s Medicaid Waiver program.

“Through his waiver, Daniel receives recreational therapy, and, as needed, behavioral therapy,” said Morton. “Having the waiver in place ensures Daniel can seek opportunities to support his goals, which definitely includes keeping him involved in the arts.”

For the Trents, the waiver meant Daniel’s learning could continue. “Our hope is for Daniel to continue to actively learn. We don’t want his learning to stop just because he’s out of school,” said Nancy. “We are looking for some more art classes that may be available to him, maybe even at one of the local colleges.”
Morton works directly with Trent and his family to find resources and supports to meet not only the things that are important for him, like health and safety, but also the things that are important to him, like his dreams, his goals, and his art. As part of IPMG’s support, Morton assists Trent with determining those through IPMG’s Person-centered Planning Process. This structured process ensures Trent has direct input into the use of his waiver resources, as well as the direction and plan for his life.

After working to understand what Trent expresses as those personal goals and needs, which includes input from others involved in his life, Morton uses that information to collaborate with the service provider organizations and community resources chosen by Trent and his family, to ensure his waiver is being used to move him toward those goals.

“With Nancy and Dan, we are always looking for opportunities for Daniel,” said Morton. In northeastern Indiana, some opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities can be hard to access for the individual and their family, due to transportation and travel during the winter. One program in Angola piqued the Trents’ interest, according to Morton, but the distance from Garrett during the winter presented some concerns to Nancy and Dan. “We are looking at what the alternatives are locally, with a special focus on arts-related opportunities.”

While Trent currently works at a Garrett organization as an assembler, Trent says he has bigger dreams for his future. “I’d like to work at a costume store or even be a designer,” said Trent. In his spare time, he continues to apply the lessons learned from Ober’s class, as he works regularly on his art at his home. Trent would like to expand his artwork beyond paint and pottery someday, to include graphic representations of movies he has seen in comic book format.

As for his parents, Nancy and Dan are learning more about their son from every piece of art he creates, even as they work with IPMG to locate new learning opportunities for Daniel. “We are the ones being taught—he’s so intelligent! He’s always teaching us,” said Nancy. “Our desire is that his life becomes more fruitful, more fun. The waiver has made a significant difference for him. Who knows what is in Daniel’s future? Maybe living independently with supports, maybe a girlfriend? It’s exciting to think about.”
Whatever the future holds for Daniel, he can be sure he will have the supports he needs to move him closer to his goals and to meet his needs. “We’re proud of him and of his art,” said Dan. “I look up to my son—really look up, and not just because of his height.”

Daniel Trent's story can also be found in the October 2009 issue of IPMG's e-zine, possibilities, the electronic magazine specifically for individuals with developmental disabilities. To view this issue of possibilities, click here.