I was delighted to learn about Ping Lian through the worldwide savant syndrome Web site which brought his remarkable work, and his dedicated family, to my attention. Ping Lian's artwork stands on its own demonstrating a remarkable artistic ability in an 11 year old boy. His drawings are colorful, cheerful and impressive. Those drawings take on an added significance, however, when one sees that such a-bility co-exists with a dis-ability as described by his mother and teachers. Savant Syndrome is a rare condition in which remarkable skills and abilities — islands of genius — are seen in striking contrast to limitations from a variety of circumstances such as autism or other developmental disabilities.

Such artistic prowess as Ping Lian demonstrates, in addition to providing us with beautiful art, serves as a source of satisfaction, development and growth for him, helping eventually to minimize whatever limitations might spring from his disabilities. Standing behind and beside each of the savants I have worked with as well, however, is a dedicated, patient, loving, determined and perpetually optimistic family which appreciates the special gift within their child, and wish to share it more widely with world. Thus we all become, then, the beneficiaries of that special giftedness, and that determination and optimism, while the artist himself continues to grow and flourish.

(The preceeding paragraph was originally written for Ping Lian's Web site.)

Learn more about the extraordinary Ping Lian at http://www.pinglian.com.