A child of contrasts

My youngest child was born with a deleted sequence on a chromosome, which is a rare condition. Not much is known about the syndrome nor does it even have a name. Age inappropriate behaviors which place her within the autistic spectrum, and impaired fine motor skills, are also some of the characteristics.

As this child of thirteen enters adolescence she is more of an enigma than ever: some of her behaviors and interests are of a child far younger, whilst others are age appropriate. Her interest in makeup, music and boys, along with an ever-increasing headstrong will and defiance, is certainly in keeping with her age!

I captured this image of her as she was examining her self-applied lipstick and makeup in her sister's full-length mirror. The late afternoon sunlight provided an interesting range of tones that aided in capturing some of the essence of who this special child is.