Autistic Girl's Paintings Sell for $800

A Park Ridge girl with autism is bringing in big bucks for her paintings, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Candace Waters, 12, was diagnosed with autism at age 2 ½. While Waters doesn’t speak, she paints beautifully. She picked up a paintbrush at age 6, and her first painting sold for $100, the newspaper reports. Some of her prints have sold for upwards of $800. The family donates half of the earnings to autism charities. Waters’ father, Robert, said painting is therapeutic for his daughter, and has even helped her motor skills.