An Exploration Into The Success And Improvement Of Drama-Play Programs For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

This project is an exploration into the success and improvement of drama-play programs for individuals on the Autism Spectrum. I outline the social aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorder and how principles of theatricality can be used to explore skill-building. Specifically, I explore the success of drama-play programs like Story Stage in Fort Worth, TX and the SENSE Theatre program at Vanderbilt University. I outline the factors necessary for creating future drama-play programs that can be more successful and accessible for large groups of individuals based on principles of drama that I find to be conducive to development of communication skills and socialization. The COVID-19 pandemic has made me unable to put my ideas into practice in person, so I also outline my plan to do so once it is deemed safe to convene in larger groups. Due to the COVID-19 crisis and social distancing, drama-play programs have taken to social media and the internet to create material that can be used at home. I explore how this concept could be effectively developed for future use. I hope to work with Story Stage in the future to further my research and create drama-play material that can be used by a wide-range of individuals.