Page 12 - Community Living Magazine 31 - 1

WORK
A working life with autism

Talented artist and designer David Braunsberg,

diagnosed as severely autistic aged four,
describes the part that work has played in his life,

his struggles and successes.

was born in London in 1959. From an I coped well in most of the subjects and psychiatric problems. I felt I did not have a
I early age it became evident that I was especially enjoyed maths. In the fourth structure to my week and started
severely autistic, unable to talk until age year my work in art was recognised as a getting anxieties, obsessions, phobias and
four. At this early stage I made up gift by the teachers. I managed to obtain depression. Following the Lockerbie bomb
words which, to everyone else, had no several O-level passes. disaster in 1988 I cancelled a planned
meaning. The earliest event I can trip to New York to visit relatives and
remember is a picnic and being stung I left school in 1977 and took a three- had further obsessions imagining people
by a wasp. Unable to communicate I year diploma course in Furnishing and being after me with guns. When things
screamed for a very long time. Textiles at the London College of eventually got better I continued with my
Furniture. The Head of Textiles was very silk painting, working from home, and I
Noise, such as slamming car doors, caring and looked after me. The other am still doing this. Being autistic presents
or road works involving drilling, students were mature and understanding problems for a freelance artist
greatly disturbed me. I would be afraid and I got on well with them. During the unable to ‘sell himself’ and convince
and block my ears. I do not remember last term of the third year the pressure shops or galleries to show his work.
much about the strange behaviour of preparation for the Diploma presented Not having a full weekly schedule or
my mother has told me about, difficulties and I had stress problems. coping with too many tasks at once also
except standing in the middle of a room Despite this I passed. upsets me.
and spinning round and round until I
became giddy. In 1996 I registered with Prospects, an
employment service run by the National
Volunteering is good
In 1963 I was diagnosed autistic. “ for autistic people as it Autistic Society to help autistic people
Anxiety and temper tantrums were a big find and keep jobs, hoping this would give
problem. I began attending Sybil Elgar’s is flexible and non-pressurised. a structure to my week which is especially
school in St. John’s Wood, the first in It provides a regular important for autistic people. I had
Britain to teach autistic children. routine and a structure several placements, some more suitable
Mrs Elgar always had her eyes on me and to my week. than others. From 1997 to 1998
was caring and loving but she was strict ” I worked at the Architectural Association
and told me off when I behaved badly. School of Architecture as a technician.
When the school was adopted by the I also learned etching along with the
National Autistic Society it moved to STUDIO students. I then worked from 1999 to
Ealing and I still remember the building. I enjoyed weaving the most so I set myself 2000 as a technician once a week
I did not play with the other children but up as a freelance and took short courses in a local Adult Education Institute.
on my own. with several well-known weavers. Every week I was asked to work in a
I felt I could not work full-time in different department and these changes
INTEGRATION paid employment and a pressured, in routine presented a problem. I became
By 1968 I could talk and was gradually competitive environment. I showed my very depressed and left Prospects.
integrated into a mainstream school tapestries in several group exhibitions. Freelance work did not provide a regular
ending up in a school ‘for delicate Eventually I rented a studio in East London routine and I returned to my earlier
children’. I was unhappy there because I which I shared with an embroiderer. I had obsessional behaviour.
was bullied – usually in the boys’ toilets. an obsession about locking up when I was
In summer 1969 we moved to Edinburgh. the last to leave, having to check several COMMISSION
I remained anxious and found it difficult times before I went home. In 1987 In 2003 I got a commission to design and
to mix with other children. Early in 1972 I gave up the studio because weaving paint a large silk hanging for Priors Court
we came back to London where I was not lucrative. My work was very School for autistic pupils. I was also
attended Hampstead Comprehensive labour intensive and not easy to sell at interviewed to take part in a documentary
School. There I had a fabulous realistic prices. for the BBC, The Autism Puzzle.
headmistress who kept an eye on me to This included me as a small boy (from an
prevent teasing and bullying. Although I To learn another craft I took a workshop earlier documentary) and as a very
did encounter some teasing and bullying with a well-known silk painting artist. articulate artist as an adult.
and was quite anxious in the beginning, I had already worked with batik at college
as I settled down I was able to make and wanted to extend my skills. I enjoyed In 2008 I had my worst bout of anxiety,
friends and, as a whole, enjoyed school. it but after completing it I began to have obsessions and depression and had to

10 Vol 31 No 1 | Autumn 2017 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk