Like all else, lockdown had taken a heavy toll on the mental fabric of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and perhaps the impact on them could be far deeper.
However, the Autism club Ernakulam, which has been giving continuous training to such children and youngsters in the city on coffee painting since May last year proved to be a boon as it was helpful in providing a vent to their pent-up anxiety and mental strain.
The club released a flip book, titled 'Brewing Art' with 101 coffee paintings by10 of its members on Children's Day.
Apart from easing their mental burden the exercise kept them engaged, helped them unleash their hidden talents and stay calm, according to Deepthi Mathews, who provides training to the students in the club.
Paintings of Devadarsh Ajith, Nikhil Saiprasad, Shreyas Kiran, Vaishnav K, Abhiram A, Brian Varghese Pradeeep, Sivaa Anoop Menon, Jithin Jayakumar, Amy Ann Mathew and Sam Varghese have been featured on the flip-book.
The aroma of the instant coffee powder, which was used as the paint, had a therapeutic effect on the children along with its beautiful shades.
“The paint made of instant coffee powder is found to be effective in keeping the children engaged as they like its fragrance. They love it more because its stains can be washed away easily,” says Deepthi.
The paintings can be seen here: https://online.fliphtml5.com/muyak/vyqs/
