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Program Successes

Thirteen children ranging in age from 7 to 15 and at all areas of the autism spectrum participated in both cohorts, held in the Summer and Fall of 2016.

During the theater sessions, participants experienced varying degrees of improvement in social skills.  Eye contact with others was a significant skill deficit for all in the beginning.  By the end of the each session, there was significant improvement for all in both focusing on the speaker and looking at the person to whom they were speaking. Interrupting the speaker also decreased for everyone.

Group interaction provided opportunities for students to help each other work through challenges, which was an unexpected positive outcome that occurred.

Another observed program impact was that certain students progressed so much in their social skills development as a result of the program that they comforted and in some cases did therapy with peers who were having a tough time.  The majority of students in the second cohort were younger and more severely affected by autism.  Their behavior often was disruptive and difficult to manage.  During the dress rehearsal, two of these students expressed their frustration by lashing out, screaming and crying.  Two older students, Joshua and Owen, recognized that their friends needed help, and assisted the instructors in calming them down enough so that they could communicate the source of their frustration and reengage in the lesson.  It was truly amazing to witness their personal growth which enabled them to comfort their friends.

Benefits to participants’ families included increased community engagement, respite (resulting in stress relief and better parenting) during workshops and an opportunity to see their children perform in a play.

Student Profiles

brendan

In the first session, Brendan began as a self-focused, precocious boy who wanted all of the attention or he would act up and run around the room. As time went on, he began friendships with only the male participants and engaged in making faces when the girls talked or exclaiming “why did she say that?” When read-throughs of the play began, Brendan had difficulties with a line that referred to a girl as his best friend. He had a tantrum because he didn’t want anyone to think that he had a female best friend. He called Marie his cousin and added that she was not his friend. At the performance, Brendan used the line as written and helped Marie with her lines when she forgot her cues.

In the second session, Josh entered as a young teenager of 14 who seemed annoyed that some participants were half his age. He grimaced often and distanced himself from a boy who screamed or cried on occasion. Josh seemed particularly annoyed when one of the participants had a difficult time coping or focusing on the acting exercises. At dress rehearsal, Josh reached out to console Seth while he was crying, getting down on the floor to help him cope.

In the second session, Josh entered as a young teenager of 14 who seemed annoyed that some participants were half his age. He grimaced often and distanced himself from a boy who screamed or cried on occasion. Josh seemed particularly annoyed when one of the participants had a difficult time coping or focusing on the acting exercises. At dress rehearsal, Josh reached out to console Seth while he was crying, getting down on the floor to help him cope.

Owen was another young teenager of 13 who constantly interrupted by asking questions of the adults, as if he were the only one in the room. The questions were totally off topic like “why is the moon sometimes visible before the sun goes down ?” or “what Foo Fighters’ songs do you know the words to? He also chose to pass and not participate in some of the acting exercises or prop improvisations regularly. Special coaching from Miss Bri and talks with his mom were implemented to get Owen to see why his interruptions and self-centered actions were distracting and a disruption of the theater process. By the end of the session, Owen was volunteering to lead one of the acting exercises and demonstrated this during the introduction at the final performance.

Owen was another young teenager of 13 who constantly interrupted by asking questions of the adults, as if he were the only one in the room. The questions were totally off topic like “why is the moon sometimes visible before the sun goes down ?” or “what Foo Fighters’ songs do you know the words to? He also chose to pass and not participate in some of the acting exercises or prop improvisations regularly. Special coaching from Miss Bri and talks with his mom were implemented to get Owen to see why his interruptions and self-centered actions were distracting and a disruption of the theater process. By the end of the session, Owen was volunteering to lead one of the acting exercises and demonstrated this during the introduction at the final performance.