Obama Says The World Needs More People Like This 11-Year-Old Penangite
Meet Delwin Cheah, a 11-year old boy who is gifted in the arts.
By Darian Goh — 22 Aug 2014, 05:18 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Delwin Cheah is a 11-year old boy who is diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Despite his condition, he is gifted in the arts and holds numerous records for his contributions to the art community.
Delwin is no ordinary boy. He is the Malaysia Book of Records' "Youngest Artist To Hold Solo Visual Art Exhibition (Autism Spectrum Disorder)" and the United States' Record Setter's "World Youngest Savant Artist (ASD) to hold a Solo Exhibition".
The 11-year-old started drawing at the age of three before he was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome two years later.
His talents have not gone unnoticed. Not only has he met Prime Minister Najib Razak, he also recently caught the attention of US President Barack Obama.
His talents has not gone unnoticed, meeting Prime Minister Najib Razak and recently getting the attention of President Barack Obama.
Image via imgur.comDelwin is autistic but his achievements had previously earned him and his family the chance to meet and rub shoulders with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
themalaysianinsider.com
Now, he has a letter from Obama, thanking him for his "gift", a book of his drawings titled "I Can Draw".
yahoo.comThe American president wrote to Delwin in a letter, stating that the world needs more young people like him who tries hard and "dreams big dreams".
"The world needs young people like you who are trying hard in school, serving your community, and dreaming big dreams".
Image via imgur.comIn the July 14 letter, Obama wrote that "the world needs young people like you who are trying hard in school, serving your community, and dreaming big dreams".
"We face many challenges, but with your help, we can build on what we have already achieved and forge a brighter tomorrow," the US president wrote.
yahoo.comPresident Barack Obama came to know about Delwin through a book Delwin published, entitled "I Can Draw" featuring all his drawings
"We have no idea who sent Delwin's art book, which was published two years ago, entitled 'I Can Draw' to the US president.
thestar.com.myDelwin's parents were surprised that the two-year old book had reached President Barack Obama and will be trying to trace the person down
Delwin's parents Lawrence Cheah and Erina Law said they never expected a letter from the president and were surprised to learn that Obama had recently received the book.
Image via imgur.comDelwin's parents Lawrence Cheah and Erina Law said they never expected a letter from the president and were surprised to learn that Obama had recently received the book.
themalaysianinsider.com
Her husband Lawrence said they had no idea who gave the book to Obama. "We are also trying to find out who is this person," he said.
Cheah’s parents have no idea who sent the book to the US President and are trying to trace the source.
Thanks to his artistic ability, Delwin's parents have been making it their mission to inspire other parents with autistic children never to give up
Thanks to his artistic ability, Delwin's parents have been making it a mission to inspire other parents with autistic children to never give up.
Image via imgur.comBanking on what Delwin can do, the proud parents have been trying to reach out to other parents with autistic children, reminding them never to give up. Often, they try to inspire others with Delwin's story, from the time they discovered he had Asperger's Disorder at age five but also an IQ of 114, making him the world's youngest Savant artist today.
yahoo.comLawrence and his wife advocate early detection and early intervention, and they stress on the importance of teaching and training children with autism from young to help them develop their talents. "Once you have the diagnosis, you can only accept (that your child has) autism and start seeing to your child's training and education to develop his or her hidden talents," he said, stressing that waiting for the child to grow up to be taught would be too late.
They recalled the time when they persisted to let Delwin learn art despite an art teacher saying that Delwin is the "worst student and can never be an artist".
They recalled the time when they persisted to let Delwin learn art despite an art teacher saying that Delwin is the "worst student and can never be an artist".
Image via freemalaysiatoday.comHe said Delwin had started drawing when he was just over three years old, and even then he had been drawing wild animals especially Safari animals. "I sent Delwin to art classes after we discovered that he liked drawing. The teacher came to me and said my son was the worst student and he can never be an artist.
themalaysianinsider.com
"Delwin could not take instructions. He just drew whatever that came to him. So the teacher did not know how to deal with a student like that. "But we never gave up and we kept encouraging him to develop his skills and his art. Delwin is where he is now because we persevered together with him as a team," Lawrence said.
They treat Delwin as a normal boy. He studies in a normal school and does not hold a disability card.
Delwin is also treated as a normal boy, being educated in a normal school and does not hold a disability card.
Image via imgur.comDelwin, she said, does not hold a disabled person's card and goes to a normal school with normal schoolmates. He is enrolled in Lighthouse Academy Penang, a private school with an American syllabus in Tanjung Bungah that uses a homeschooling approach with its students. "Delwin attends school like other children his age. He just learns differently," she said.
His parents' effort finally paid off when Stroke Of Genius, an American organisation that empowers people with autism and promotes their abilities, noticed Delwin's artwork
Delwin made the Malaysia Book of Records as the youngest artist to hold a solo visual art exhibition with 60 art pieces.
Image via imgur.comOn Christmas Day 2011, Delwin was recognised by Stroke of Genius, an American organisation that educates and empowers people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) by promoting their abilities. In April 2012, he took part in the organisation's art exhibition at the United Nations Plaza in New York and in February last year, he had his first solo show.
yahoo.comIn April last year, Delwin made the Malaysia Book of Records as the youngest artist to hold a solo visual art exhibition with 60 art pieces. Later in November, he was officially named the world's youngest savant artist to hold an exhibition by the Record Setter. In April this year, he again made his mark with the Malaysia Book of Records for winning the "Most Outstanding Personality (Art Category)" award.
It is important to note that a person that is diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome do not have learning disabilities; most go through mainstream schools
People with Asperger's do not have a learning disability and most go through mainstream school, pursue higher education and enter employment, and some would excel in areas like mathematics, science, language, memory and concentration.
themalaysianinsider.com
Asperger syndrome or Asperger disorder (AD) is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that is characterised by significant difficulties in social interaction, non-verbal communication, restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests.
In Delwin's case, he is known to be a savant, which means he excels more in certain abilities compared to a normal person
He is known to be a savant, which means he excels in certain abilities compared to a normal person.
Image via strokesofgeniusinc.orgSavant syndrome is a condition in which a person with a mental disability, such as an autism spectrum disorder, demonstrates profound and prodigious capacities or abilities far in excess of what would be considered normal. Some people with Savant syndrome demonstrate exceptional skills in areas like rapid calculation, art, memory and musical ability.
themalaysianinsider.com
The most dramatic examples of savant syndrome occur in individuals who score very low on IQ tests, while demonstrating exceptional skills or brilliance in specific areas, such as rapid calculation, art, memory, or musical ability.