The only one?

 

 

The parents are currently claiming that Candy “is the only artist who has autism and is nonverbal to have full videos of herself creating art“.

There are several things about this that are completely untrue:

 

The videos put out by the parents on the Facebook page are not “full videos”.  They are highly edited, full of jump cuts and mystery hands in some portions.  The mystery hands (that are conveniently not in the camera shots at strategic times) are making brush strokes that the child does have appear to have the motor skills or natural desire to create.

The art being created in the videos is dramatically different from the designs being marketed on Zazzle, PAOM, and other print-on-demand sites for profit.  These videos are being put out apparently as an effort by the parents to somehow prove that Candy is actually making the art that is being branded as hers.  Therefore, when people comment and ask to see videos as some sort of validation, these videos are offered as “proof”, despite the quality of the art being completely different than what’s being sold.  Bait and switch.

Candy is definitely not the only artist with autism or other neurological differences to have videos of themselves creating art.  A simple search on Google or YouTube will reveal many people of various ages, some non-verbal and profoundly affected by autism who are painting or drawing.  Many are children or young adults.  The parents’ claim that Candy is the only one out there with videos is utter nonsense.

The caption in this video screenshot says that Candy is “doing what she loves”.  The video shows a child who appears conditionally trained or pressured, likely with food as a motivation reward, to paint on command and not as a natural desire.  It may be true, hopefully, that the child at least partially enjoys some of the process as a sensory activity.  But all of the videos put out this year show a child who is looking up periodically for approval or being directed in what to do, and not engaged in the process.  Some videos have shown Candy stopping the painting halfway through and making the ASL sign for “eat”.  A video published December 1, 2016 shows Candy pushing the paper away at the end and immediately grabbing a plastic box filled with food once her task is completed.

Almost all of the videos are edited to have music dubbed over spontaneous and naturally occurring voices in the moment, which also strategically hides the verbal directions being given by the parents.

This is not a contest.  There is no valuable exclusivity in being “the only one” who paints dots and smears on video and can’t speak.  That is the kind of thing that is said when marketing or at a carnival sideshow attraction to sucker customers to get attention.  There is no need or merit in comparing your child to others unless you have an ulterior motive.  Just be proud of who they are and what they can do as their own person.  Stop interfering with their process if they want to paint.  This is not raising awareness for autism in a productive or meaningful way.  It’s strictly self-promotion.

In all of the videos, a finished painting is typically shown at the end through editing that has clearly been embellished later with extra strokes and dots to shape Candy’s original stripes, dots, and smears into something more recognizable like an animal or a person.  This is not Candy painting on her own.  Through all of the videos published, Candy  has never appeared motivated to paint in a representational manner at all; It has always been single-color dots, smears, and lines.  Videos of Candy have never once shown the circles, fine details, multi-color brush loading, feather strokes, or representational plants, suns, and animals, which are shown in the Zazzle art.  The extra strokes and dots are the parents, adding to the paintings in an unnatural and dishonest way.  If the parents were actually proud of their child’s art, they would leave it alone and not manipulate it into something it is not simply for the sake of getting attention and compliments on a Facebook page.  If Candy really wants to paint, she should be given the tools to do it without interference, food motivation, or ableist expectations of a final product.  If your child paints a blob, let it be a blob and be proud of them.  Don’t add feather strokes and extra lines and dots. It clearly proves that the Waters don’t accept Candy’s art as it is and desire for it to be something different than what she made. That is not real parenting. It is manufacturing and dishonesty.

Your comments will be deleted and you will be blocked

If a person asks a question on the Candy Waters Autism Artist page on Facebook, it will likely only remain if it pertains to there being art for sale and where it can be purchased online.  If it is a compliment, stating that the art is amazing, beautiful, and inspirational, it will also  remain.

However, if a question is asked, no matter how politely and respectfully, about Candy’s painting process, charities, or other topics that the Waters don’t want to address, they will quickly delete the comment and block the person who asked, usually within minutes.

Many times, other families with children on the Autism spectrum are looking for guidance, help, comradery, inspiration, new techniques to try with their children, and other information.  To find a successful page like the Waters’, which has over 100,000 alleged supporters, seems like it would be a good place to find kindred spirits when you don’t know where else to turn.

No.  Unfortunately, that is not how it works on the Candy Waters Autism Artist page. If your comment isn’t about wanting to buy their merchandise or giving glowing compliments, you and your words will immediately vanish.

Below are 2 screenshots from the public Facebook page.

The first one shows a comment from a mother with a child who has an Autism-related condition.  She is asking about making a purchase and wanting to know about the merchandise site Zazzle being non-profit, because she would like to support raising awareness for the condition.  Under that is a compliment made by a person who speaks Spanish.

The second screenshot shows that the question was not answered, but instead deleted. The compliment in Spanish underneath is also gone.

 

SCREENSHOT BEFORE

 

 

SCREENSHOT AFTER

 

Spamming Facebook groups

The Waters have targeted a huge audience on Facebook by posting and spamming literally thousands of groups. They range from chronic illness and cancer groups, to political groups, food groups, parenting groups, art groups, homeschool groups, international groups, rare illnesses —the list goes on and on.  Below is a partial list of the groups that Sandy Waters has spammed.

Keep in mind this is a list of mostly “public” groups and only a fraction of the “closed” or “secret” groups.  It also doesn’t include the groups that they have been kicked out of for using false identities or spam (also numbering in the hundreds).

The mother has claimed (or at least given the impression when asked by group admins) to have had a huge range of illnesses to gain access to some groups. When individual group members have asked Sandy Waters whether she has personal connections to the illnesses somehow by either having the illness herself or having a relative with it, the the question is ignored and the person is quickly blocked from future correspondence.  On some occasions, she has responded with answers like, “A cousin has it.”

No other contributions to the groups are made.  No help, sympathy, comments on others’ threads, or awareness posts. Nothing to help anyone else in any kind of way.  It has been verified by many people in these groups that the Waters just join the groups, post links to the Facebook art page, and then direct people to buy things at their Zazzle shop.

It is typical for predators to seek out vulnerable and sympathetic people for their money and support.  The Waters clearly appear to use that technique.

Here is a PARTIAL list where the Waters have posted or spammed:

#take 20 TM meditation for World Peace
**~*~REALMS~*~**
A Course in Miracles
A Spiritual Hand
AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation) Awareness
Abraham-Hicks & You
Abstract&Geometric Art
Abstract Minimalism
AccessAbility
Action for Autism
Alzheimer's Reading Room on Facebook
Angel Friends
Angel Healing and Divine Guidance
Angels Among Us TLC Discussion Group
Anointed Prayer Warriors
Art Barso
Art Christos
Art Dreamers (New)
Art Gallery Facebook
Art in the Heart - Cristina Lenzi and Friends
Art Singulier & Outsider Art
Art Therapy Egypt
Art World International
Art and Photography Allowed
ArtHash
Artform Artists
Artist's Market
Artist Network
Artists Trying to Make a Living Creating Art
Artists and Autism
Artists of Autism
Artists to add and art pages to like
Artist’s Art Space
Ascension, Phoenix Rising, Multidimensional Beings, Sacredness
Asperger Alley/Lane-U.S.A-United State of Aspergers Pride (Planet Asperg)
Asperger’s Syndrome
Attention Deficit Disorder, the Official Open Group
Autism Australia Wide
Autism Awareness
Autism Bangladesh
Autism in India
Autism Health
Autism Mothers
Autism Parents Support & Discussion Group
Autism Pervasive Development Disorder/Not Specified PDD NOS
Autism Research and Treatment Center- India (ARTC-I)
Autism Rocks Cincinnati
Autism Society of North Carolina
Autism Speaks
Autism Spectrum Disorder through my eyes
Autism Talk
Autism United
Autisme Malaysia
AutismNewsWire
Autismo Asperger Sao Paolo
Autismo en Puerto Rico
Autistic and Proud of it
Autistic Women's Association Secret Society.
Autistics Worldwide
Autoimmunity Awareness
AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation) Awareness
Awakening Code Community 11:11 33:33 44:44
Awareness of Autism & Asperger's Syndrome
Awetism is the new Autism
Bam
Ban Vaccines 2013
Barefoot is Legal
Be Your Light
Beat Disability
Believe in God! Come Join
Best Buy Face - Facing Autism in a Caring Environment
Bird Tribe, Co-Creators of the New Lemurian Nation
Blood Clot Survivors
Breast Cancer Tattoos
CF Connect
CF Society
CHERAB foundation for apraxia, autism, speech disorders and late talkers
Cannabis Comp Centre Group
Caregivers and the Eldercare Community
Celtic Spiritual Wisdom
Cerebral Palsy Parents Information Group
Cerebral Palsy Worldwide
Challenges Magazine
Chicago Art Gallery
Chicago Artists Resource
Chicago Artist Rising
Christian Friends on Facebook
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic Fatigue/M.E. Increase Awareness & Understanding
Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 3
Chronic Pain Talk
Church of Christ Facebook
Circle Group Brain Injury
Coffee Talk
Coloring Books for Adults
Coloring Coloring Coloring – International
Compassionate Love
Concert and Debate to Ban Vaccines
Connoisseurs of Truth
Council of Archangels
Creative Designers and Writers
Creativity as a Healing Force in the World
Crohn’s Disease Awareness
Crystal Healing, know your stones .com
Cystic Fibrosis
David Lynch
D i s i b i l m e n t e i n s i e m e
DIVINE ENCOUNTER
David Lynch Foundation
Dialysis Discussion Uncensored
Disability + Positivity = Creativity (DPC)
Disability Arts Online – the facebook group
Disability Discrimination Australia Public Forum
Disabled
Divine Consciousness
Divine Encounter
Divine Love
Divine Souls of Universal Love and Light
Dr. Wakefield’s Work Must Continue
Dustin Nunn's Disability & Disorder Anonymous
Easy Gluten Free Recipes
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
Emotional Freedom Techniques EFT tapping
Empaths/Starseeds/lightworkers/truthspeakers (welcome all)
Ending Verbal, Emotional & Mental Abuse One Narcissist At A Time
Energetic Healing
Epilepsy U
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) "the silent disease"
Ex-Jehovah's Witness Recovery Group3!
FACEBOOK FAMILY CLUB
Facebook Conservatives
Faith is Knowing God Can
Families Helping Families with Special Needs
Fatass Vegans are Awesome
Female Identity Art
Feminine Spiritual Path
FibroART
Fight Autism with Jenny McCarthy
Fine Art Social Group for Buyers and Artists
Firekeepers
First Wave Blue Ray Indigos & Indigos
Funny Memes
Future Art Group-Denmark
Galactic Free Press
Get Living It
Give Peace a Chance
Gluten Free Malta
Gluten Free Planet
God's Temple
Grupo Acolhe Autismo – Santos
Healing Spirits and Beyond
Health and Fitness Girltalk
Healthy Humans
Healthy World is the Best
Help for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Help for IBS
Highly Sensitive Children - Closed Group for Parents
Hippie Gathering
Hippie Peace Love Music
Hippies that love the country
HIPPIESROCKANDROLLSisterhood and brotherhood
Home of Michael the Archangel
Homeschool Deals and Freebies
House of Sun
HUE~MAN ANG-EL'S
Humanity is Awakening
HumphRy's Net Art Show
Hysterectomy Support and Shared Experiences
I Actually have autism/asperger’s and DON’T want to be cured
I Bet I Can Find 200,000 People with Lyme Disease
I Hate Dialysis
I Love the 60's & 70's Music
I Support Autism Awareness
I Support Autism Awareness
I Think My Mom’s Gone Crazy Unleashed II
Illustration Art Animation Psychedelic Hippie Music Free
Imagiville: Spreading Autism Acceptance & Awareness Worldwide
Indigo Adults
INFJ - The Counselor
Injured by Vaccines
International Coalition for Autism and all Abilities
International Lyme Disease Awareness
Invisible Diseases.com support Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibro, and Lyme
iTeach Special Education-iDevices in Special Education
It’s all about Jesus
I’m a Proudly Self Taught Self Educated Artist
I'm not CRAZY...I have Fibromyalgia!
James Paul McCartney Loves You All
Jason’s Connection
Jesus the sweetest name we know
Jett Proof Australia
Joey Art International
Journey of the Soul
Just Paint
Kev's Autism Anti Bullying
Key to My Art
Kidney Cancer Support Group of Michigan
Kidney Cancer Survivors
Kip McGrath Umhlanga
Laughing Buddha
Law of Attraction - Thoughts Become Things
Law of Attraction Magic
Law of Attraction-Thoughts Become Things
Leonora Gregory-Collura Âû Artistic Director/Choreographer/Producer
Light Language/Sacred Geometry
Lightworkers of ONTARIO Canada
Lightworkers of the World
Living with Lupus with Love, Hope, and Glitter
Living with MS
Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS)
Love Love Love…Love is all your need
Love-Peace-Light
Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for Fibromyalgia and CFS Fatigue
Lupus in Color
Lyme Disease Awareness
Lymphedema Lifeline Foundation
MST/PTSD awareness and education
Make Parental Alienation a Crime
Marijuana Reconsidered
Mark Leland Fans
Maya Abdominal Massage and Spiritual Healing (Arvigo)
Menieres: Stay Positive
Mental Health Recovery and WRAP Wellness Recovery Action Plan
Messages of Hope and Healing
Messages of Hope!!
Migraine Support Group
Modern Artists
Moms Against Duncan (MAD)
Mother Earth
Motivational Thoughts and Quotes!!
Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
Multiple Sclerosis Trust
Multiple Sclerosis is the most common disabling neurological condition
Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)
Music Producers and Artists Connect
My Crazy Life with Mast Cell Disorder
My Journey with Josh (blog)
Namaste
Narcolepsy/Cataplexy education focused group
Natural Remedies and Cures for Illness
New Earth Global Humanitarian Projects Meet-Up Group
New York Contemporay Art Gallery
Nosmove Arte
Not Ashamed of Jesus Christ
Now Faith Ministry Church
Numinous Zoe
Occupational Therapy India
Occupational Therapy Students Get Connected
Om
Only Love <3
Open Minds for ACIM and NTI
Operation Baby Drop
Orange is the New Liver
Outsider Art Gallery
Overcoming Psoriasis
P58
PAGAN
Paint Me a Dream
Paint Promote and Sell 2d Art
Paint on!!!!
PANDAS/PANS/Lyme/Tick-Borne Diseases
Pantheism
Parental Alienation Awareness of America
Parental Alienation Worldwide Support
Parenting is a civil right!
Parents Forum for Differently Able
Passionate Artists
Pastel Painters United
Paying till it Hurts
Peace & Hippies Forever
Peace Hippie Art Japan
Peace Loving Hippies
Plantar Fasciitis
Poetry and Music!
Positive Mantras for Life
Prayer Warriors for Jesus Christ
Predominantly Purple
Psychedelic Artworks
Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness
Realms
Return of the Gods and Godesses
Rotara School
SAA Art Group
SOUL EXPERIENCE
Sarcoidosis is Real
Sarcoma Alliance
Schafer Report
School of Lightworkers
Secular Homeschool Families
Selective Mutism Awareness
Sensory Learning Experience
Share and Support
Single Parents of Children with Autism
So In Love
Special Education Update
Special Educators
Special Educators/Rehab. Professionals
Special Needs Family Fun
Special School for Disabled and Rehabilitation Center
Specialists in Scientific Education Ltd
Spirit of the New World with Love and Nature
Spiritual Food For The Soul – A Journey with Jesus –
Spiritual Leaders and Prophets
Spiritual Warriors
Stay at home moms! That have small businesses! Support us!
SubLYME Art
Support Group for Adult Children of Narcissistic + Toxic Parents
Surrealism Esoteric Mystic Art – Exhibitions Artists Today and Tomorow
Surrealist and Visionary Art Group
TBI Traumatic Brain Injury Victors, families and their close friends!!
Talent Productions: Modeling, Acting, Music, and Sports
Talk About Guts
Technology for Autism Now, Inc.
Tourette's Syndrome Support Group
Transpersonal Art Movement
Teaching Disability Studies
The Animal Spirits in Art
The Art Cafe
The Art Shop: Artists, Cartoonists, Photographers, Designers, Film Makers
The Art of Autism
The Bridge to Freedom
The Carribean Voice (The Suicide Epidemic)
The CP Group
The Garden of Art and Peace – escalaplano
The Gifts of Autism
The Golden Age of GANS
The Good
The Great Chicago Artist
The Last Leg with Adam Hills
The Lightworkers of Ireland Network
The Multicultural Universal Art Group
The National Cannabis Patients Wall
The Prayer Partners
The Surreal Arts
The Trump Party
The Warriors of the Spirit Fighting Fore Freedom
Time to Heal
To Be a Modern Impressionist Painter
Traditional Artists
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendentalna meditacija Bosna i Hercegovina
Transpersonalism Art Movement
Transverse Myelitis Coalition
Traumatic Brain Injury Group
Umbilika: Parenting for a new reality
Uterine Fibroids Removal Support Group
Vaccine Resistance Movement VRM Updates and News from the Trenches
Vegan Networking
Vegan and Non-Vegan Discussions troll free
Vegan is Peace
Vertigo Support Group
Vestibular Migraine Professional
Vibration of Awesomism
Virtual Homeschool Group
Visionary Artists
Vitamin D Deficiency Syndrome
Warriors for Autism
Wet n wild discriminate against a young boy with autisum
What Vegans Eat
Wheelchair Users Group
Whole Mind India Foundation (WMIF)
World Autism Awareness Day
World Gallery
Worldwide Hippies
Windhorse Circle for Rainbow Warriors
Women Uplifting Women
Wonderful Art
Work at Home Jobs for Stay at Home
Worldwide Hippies
Wrongplanet.net Autism Group
Yes to Spirituality
You Can't Handle the Truth
You Know You Grew Up in the 70’s If
You are Healer
“Calling All Angels”
“One Voice” for Brain Health Awareness
“Rockin’ & Ridin’ for Autism”

 ANCA Naturally Autistic Magazine Âû
 ARGENTINA AZUL POR EL AUTISMO
 Autism in India
 Autisme Malaysia
 AUTISMO EN MONTERREY, N.L.
 Autismo en Puerto Rico
 AUTISMO L’UNIONE FA LA FORZA
 AUTISMO VOZ Y VIDA
 AUTISMO, DANNI DA VACCINAZIONI E MALASANITA’
 AUTISMO/ASPERGER /SÃO PAULO
 AUTISMO: Genitori di Palermo – COMITATO L’AUTISMO PARLA
 Autismo en Puerto Rico
 Autismo- TGD- Padres de Balcarce – Argentina
 Autismus – Autism – توحد – Autismo – Otizm…
 Curando el Autismo (CEA)
 GRUPPO TEMATICO AUTISMO
 Grupo Acolhe Autismo -Santos
 T.G.D ., AUTISMO Y T.D.A.H. EN NIÑOS Y TRATAMIENTOS BIOMÉDICOS – URUGUAY
 Yo tengo un hijo con AUTISMO
 to Autismo- TGD- Padres de Balcarce – Argentina
 Аутизм и АВА-терапия

 Cancer 101 – Healing from Cancer – Testimonials, Resources, and Discussion
 Cancer Cure
 Cancer Sucks
 Osteosarcoma (Bone Cancer) Survivors, Family and Friends

 

And this:  —>  Targeting women who have had breast cancer in a survivor group called “BREAST CANCER TATTOOS”, with the caption next to the promoted art explaining,  “…maybe my next ink…”
Or in another breast cancer group: “Maybe my next tattoo.”

She was insinuating that she was a cancer survivor in several closed Facebook cancer groups (beyond just breast cancer), just to self-promote art that is faked to begin with.  How likely is it that Ms.Waters actually has the myriad of diseases she claims in the thousands of chronic/terminal illness groups she joins, when she has previously stated publicly that her family “doesn’t believe in doctors”?

Below is a public post in a kidney cancer survivors group in Michigan: