At the age of seven, Mary Berridge's son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Since then, the photographer has experienced time and again how few people know about autism spectrum disorders and how much wrong information circulates.
With her photo series "Visible Spectrum: Portraits From The World Of Autism" Berridge wants to enlighten and show how different people can be with autism. Since 2014, she has met and portrayed a total of around 60 people between the ages of 3 and 55 years.
This includes Newton, who does not like it when people touch his red curls, and then flutters like a chicken with his arms; 13-year-old Sadie, who enjoys spending time with her mother; or Jeff, who works in the healthcare industry and lives with his two cats.
Some photos were taken by people at home, others on the university campus, in the classroom or in a dance studio. Berridge did not plan the situations before, she made suggestions only sometimes. Her experience with her son taught her that it might be uncomfortable for her subjects to lead her too strongly. She asked her or her parents for the best way instead.
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"She is a charming and unique person": people with autism spectrum disordersHow many people in Germany are affected by the disorder is unclear. The number varies according to diagnostic criteria, but experts usually assume that there are around 800,000 people. How autism manifests itself can be very different: For example, a distinction is made between early childhood autism, Asperger's syndrome, and atypical autism. Read more about the different manifestations here. Often, autism also occurs with comorbidities such as Tourette's syndrome, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder or ADHD.
People with Asperger syndrome are often average intelligent, in some areas may even be above average, motor but often rather awkward. Early childhood autism often manifests itself in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors.
Many people with autism syndrome do not naturally understand facial expressions, body language or social conventions. Sounds, light or touch can cause some anxiety and cause overstimulation. There are sufferers who have an unusually good memory, pay attention to the smallest details. Some have regular jobs and families, others can not live independently.
Berridge wants to show with their photos that all have their individual strengths in addition to certain restrictions - they find a generalization wrong. Currently, the photographer is working on an illustrated book about her project. Each image is supplemented by a text of the portrayed or the parents to illustrate the individual history of each individual.