Larry Bissonnette

Larry John Bissonnette (born 1957 in Winooski, Vermont) is an American autistic artist and activist for autism and general disabilities. Bissonnette was diagnosed with multiple other disorders including an intellectual disability and schizophrenia. Bissonnette's art is found at the Musée de l'Art Brut in Switzerland and multiple private collections.

Early life

At age two, Bissonnette suffered from a high fever, which might have caused some kind of damage to his nervous system. By the time he was eight, he was sent to the Brandon Training School, which was Vermont's only institute for the mentally handicapped at the time. During his 10-year confinement at Brandon, he was diagnosed as autistic, schizophrenic, mentally retarded and clinically insane.

During this time, he used concepts of art such as drawing and painting to help himself through self-expression. To him, it's a form of therapy as he was non-verbal since the age of three or four. By the time he was 18, he was then transferred to Vermont Psychiatric Hospital in Waterbury, Vermont, but was soon released by his sister, Sally, who learned about how Larry was physically abused at the institutes, and even receive scars. Bissonnette was then enrolled with an residential program for the developmentally disabled.^[1][2]

In 1991, Larry began communicating for the first time after more than 30 years by typing with an assistive device. Apart from his art, this was another option to express his feelings and thoughts.^[3] Throughout his years wandering around in public, Larry displayed a threatening appearance which led to some treating him like an outcast, according to Pascal Cheng who is Larry's aid. But, Larry is aware of this after releasing his thoughts through typing.^[4][5]

Beginning as an public speaker

In 1998, Larry began his journey as a public speaker at several National Educational Conferences in which he spoken about autism, communication, and art.^[3] Despite being nonverbal, Larry uses his assistive-device typing skills to describe what he wishes to say. He says he is aware that everyone viewed and treated him like an outcast which made everyone realize he is the same as everyone else.^[1]

In 2010, Larry and another autism-rights speaker, Tracy Thresher, described others treating them as outcasts, and revealed that they are actually capable despite others' beliefs. With assistive devices and encouraging others on the autism spectrum about what they can do, others can learn that they are not freaks, but can reach out not only with words, but with courage to work with others including those who are non-autistic. The two men traveled the world and visited several nations such as Japan and Finland.^[6]

In media

Larry's success in public speaking brought him to the attention of various media. In 2005, Larry starred in his biographical film, My Classic Life as an Artist: A Portrait of Larry Bissonnette, which earned an award.^[3] In 2011, Larry and his ally, Tracy, was in a documentary called Wretches and Jabberers, and in 2012, they were both featured in an episode of the National Geographic Taboo television series which was titled "Strange Behavior".

References