Artist Tim Sharp’s drawings helped overturn bleak autism predictions

Judy Sharp rejected doctors’ bleak predictions about her autistic son Tim and supported him as he developed drawing into a means of communication and a creative career. Tim was diagnosed with autism at three. Judy said a specialist told her he would never speak and would be “unfeeling and incapable of love”.

She refused to accept that assessment, recalling that Tim comforted her after the appointment by patting her back and wiping away her tears. When Tim was five, he began drawing. Judy said the drawings became a way for them to communicate, and she kept pens and paper throughout the house.

Tim later began speaking and, at 11, created a superhero called Laser Beak Man. The character became the basis for a theatre show that took Tim and Judy to New York, London, the Sydney Opera House and other venues. Judy said Tim brought his own personality and humour to the character and that the project created opportunities the family had never imagined.

Tim said drawing makes him happy, helps him relax and allows him to use his imagination. He described his mother as a good friend and said they could enjoy being together even without talking. He also said he loved her, liked helping her and sometimes bought her flowers and Maltesers.

Judy said she admired his way of thinking and his desire to connect with people without trying to be like anyone else. Their story, presented by ABC’s Australian Story, centres on the relationship between a mother and son and on Tim’s use of art to express his feelings, humour and ambitions.