AUTISM OUTREACH PROGRAM

Using a variety of dramatic techniques, Theatre Horizon has developed a program that encourages lengthening an autistic child’s interactive attention.  For the last year and a half, we have trained a caring, competent staff of drama therapists to help children with autism. 

Education Director Kate McLenigan and drama therapist Mia Rotondo say that the Autism Drama Therapy Program “gives teachers and children the opportunity to learn from each other.  The push is beyond awareness now…it is about acceptance, action and giving people with disabilities value in our society.”

We are now scheduling open drama therapy classes for the fall 2008 for children with autism.  Theatre Horizon’s Autism Drama Therapy Program will enable the children it serves to be brought into their school community.  It will allow theatre artists to use their creative skills to improve the lives of local families.  It will help teen volunteers learn to work and relate with autistic children.

By employing core theatre principles such as observation of the child’s state and motivations, building off the child’s offers of play, and instantaneously improvising games based on the child’s interest at that moment, Theatre Horizon’s teaching artists can help children climb the developmental ladder. Our teachers interact with the child in ways that capitalize on her emotions – we follow her interests and motivations.  In helping her link her emotions to her behavior and her words in a purposeful way, we enable the child to relate to people and the world more meaningfully, spontaneously, flexibly, and warmly. 

Autism has become a focus of Theatre Horizon due to autism’s rapid growth in the past twenty years.  According to a February 2007 government report, autism occurs in 1 out of every 150 children today as compared to 1 in every 10,000 in 1987.  It is more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined.