Danika Kahler hasn’t always been into art, but when her brother entered high school, she found inspiration in the world that her and her best friend share.

“I don’t do my art to make Dayton happy really, because sometimes I know he won’t understand.  I do it so that other kids will recognize him and maybe it will make him seem more normal. That’s what I think about,” Kahler said. “He is so special to me.”

Dayton Kahler differs from other sophomores at Glacier Peak. He spends his days in the life skills room. Dayton has autism and Down syndrome. “He hasn’t been able to talk since he was two, so it’s been hard. We still figure out things to do together.” Danika said.

“He loves Toy Story, it’s his absolute favorite movie so we have marathons just watching it on repeat. He’s my buddy, you know? It’s just me and him.”

“I’ve done other projects for him, mostly having to do with puzzles pieces which is the symbol for autism,” Kahler said.

In Art 2, Kahler painted a door with Dayton on it. She has puzzles pieces surrounding Dayton on the door to signify his disability, and like she said, maybe make it easier for kids to recognize and see him as normal. Both of the Kahlers have blonde hair, have blue eyes, and have huge smiles.

While making the door, Danika kept quiet to her brother. “I didn’t really tell him about it, because he can’t talk and he wouldn’t understand with words,” she said. “But I know that he knows it’s him. I’ve seen him walking by the door and he stops. He gets the biggest smile, touches the door, and then touches his own face.”