Check out this great article about Malcolm by Erika Echternach, from his local paper, Lancaster Online.
Hempfield sophomore shares his creativity despite his challenges
Most teenagers would agree that high school alone is enough of a challenge without the added responsibility of starting a business.
However, Malcolm Corley, a Hempfield sophomore, is not most teenagers. Malcolm manages to balance both school work and his budding tile business despite having autism.
Malcolm was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified) when he was 3, which makes expressive language difficult for him. Although on the autism spectrum, Malcolm can do self-care tasks when prompted. At school, he has a learning support teacher, Jamie Berryhill, who assists him with communication, preparation, organization, and other areas of need.
Malcolm has never let his condition define or confine him. When he was in ninth grade, Berryhill suggested Malcolm try decorating tiles. Berryhill had seen a similar project idea online, and knowing art was one of Malcolm’s strengths, immediately thought of the tile assignment for him.
The tile trial went beautifully and demonstrated Malcolm’s artistic talent and potential. After some of the tiles sold at the IU-13 bazaar to benefit the learning support class, Malcolm’s friends and family began to wonder just how far his creativity could take him.
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