Photographer Timothy Archibald, baffled by his son Elijah’s unique habits, began documenting his actions to show to behavioral specialists. Elijah was obsessed with mechanical objects and performed repetitive actions, and was later confirmed to be on the autistic spectrum.
After being photographed a few times, Elijah showed signs of wanting to participate and to work with his father to get a good shot. Thus, the series, ‘Echolilia’, was born.
“We had this mutual sense of discovery,” Archibald said.
The photographing process became a way of bonding and mutual understanding between father and son. In this photo set, Elijah’s ‘rituals’ became portraits that helped his father understand and accept his son’s differences.
[via Lomography Magazine,Juventud Fotografica, and Timothy Archibald]