An autistic teen from Kalk Bay is not only a businessperson with a passion for the arts, but also an advocate against bullying and has started his own digital company known as Clayden’s Designs.
Single mom Antoinette Botes says her son Clayden, 15, was diagnosed with autism at the age of six.
He does not have the ability to read and write, but this has not stopped him from doing what he loves, as he sketches his bright and bold drawings and prints them on mugs, T-shirts, canvases, clothes, bedding and more, which he sells locally and internationally.
The vibrant teen says he started drawing when he was able to hold a pencil, while teaching himself how to use a computer and various apps.
Clayden says: “I always had a passion for the creative side of things, because I cannot read or write, I lost my passion for learning, but I was always good with creating things out of clay or making anything.
“I love drawing all sorts of things and I just started getting better over time.”
Due to Covid-19 and financial constraints, Antoinette says she took Clayden out of school and homeschooled him as he was struggling to cope.
She says: “Drawing was Clayden’s way of coping with anxiety.”
She says despite his achievements, some online trolls have been attacking him claiming he is using his disability to make money.
Antoinette says they block the trolls but Clayden is using the opportunity to speak about bullying at schools around the Western Cape.
She says: “Clayden’s Designs is much more than a business, it’s about creating awareness that autistic people can be successful and contribute to society if given the opportunity.”
marsha.dean@inl.co.za