This document outlines a 6-week project to teach participants how to stage an autism-friendly performance. It involves sessions on autism needs, developing a questionnaire to determine suitable performances, adapting selected performances, and creating support materials. The goal is to make theater accessible and comfortable for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their families.

1. Staging an Autism-Friendly performance
MICHELLE ST. HILL
FINAL PROJECT
EDIT 654 OL
4-22-2012

2. Making the Arts accessible to all
 TDF's Accessibility Programs (TAP)
Autism Theatre initiative is to make
theatre accessible to children and adults
with autism as well as their families
 Family members
 Schools
 Teachers
 others

3. Driving Question
 How do you stage an Autism-Friendly performance
for children/adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
(ASD)?

4. Project
 This Project based unit plan
will provide participants with the
required knowledge necessary to
stage a theatre production and to
provide a sensory-friendly,
comfortable and judgment-free
space that is welcoming for all
children with Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD).
 In this 6 weeks sessions,
participants will work
individually and in groups to
focus on autism disorder
spectrum needs, skills required
set design, lighting, acting,
lighting, space and other facets
to realized an Autism friendly
production.

5. Making the Arts accessible to all
Session 1:. Autistic children needs Implementation:
This lesson explores the definition,  Autism expert speaks in an educational
importance and categories of autism and session.
their needs.
Participants will gain greater insights and  Q and A Session
understanding of Autism spectrum
disorders  After participants are divided into four
groups to research case studies of noted
autistic persons using multiple internet
Objectives: resources.
 Participants will be able to define  Groups develop an outline highlighting
autistic spectrum disorder the key findings of their research and
will submit their outline to the
 Explain some of categories associated facilitator to garner feedback before
with this disorder proceeding.
 Describe different behaviors and  Groups will create a PowerPoint of
successfully interact with this group their research to present to the class

6. Making the Arts accessible to all
Session 2: Brainstorm– In this lesson  Implementation
participants will brainstorm to produce
suitable questions that will determine the  Groups create a questionnaire to be
performances to consider for this event used to determine what performances
they will work best for children with
Objectives: autism.
 Participants will be able to generate
ideas for the questionnaire  Each member suggests questions and
edits each other's questions for content
 Participants will create a questionnaire and the conventions of English
to determine the performance to adapt. language usage including grammar,
spelling, and sentence structure.
 Participants will be able to select the
final twenty questions to use  Each group will write their questions
on the flipchart for class discussion.
 All the participants will select the
questions for the questionnaire. The
questionnaire will be reviewed by the
Director/facilitator before submitting
to Advisory panel.

7. Making the Arts accessible to all
Session 3 Participants will be divided Implementation:
into 3 groups to analyze Broadway  Each group selects three current
performances to ascertain shows most Broadway productions and
suitable for this population which will conduct research based on the
be presented to the class. questionnaire to ascertain which
production works best to be
Objectives: adapted for this population.
 Participants will be able to critique
shows to determine how  Groups will collaborate and
appropriate they are for this research based on the following
population specifics in the resource section
 identify the specific area in the  Groups will present a PowerPoint
performances that may pose a presentation of their research and
possible problem the class will select four
performances to submit to the
Advisory Panel for approval.
 eliminate performances not
suitable for this population.

8. Making the Arts accessible to all
Module 4: Needs Assessments for Implementation
Selected Performance –  Participants answer questions (e.g. theater
After participants attend the performance, layout, designated areas for quiet corner,
participants discuss the performance and logistics etc.) on handout and put their
discuss the different challenges that can answer on flipchart for class discussion.
exist with the project.
 Participants will select the coping tools to
use in the “Quiet Corner” on the day of the
Objectives: performance
 Identify environmental factors that  Each Participant will research and identify
3 coping tools e.g. “fidget toys” that can be
may be problematic for individuals
used as support for children. Each person
with ASD and suggest modifications will put their answer on the flipchart for
to facilitate successful interactions. discussion.
 Participants will determine the
adjustments to the production that
need to be made

9. Making the Arts accessible to all
Module 5- Autism workshop Feedback-  Implementation
After participants attend workshop,
participants are divided into three groups to  Discussion on the autism workshop
collaborate to create a podcast about their
experiences and what they learned in the  Participants listen to some sample
workshop. podcasts on iTunes. Groups view
introduction to podcast clip and Garage
band tutorial.
Objectives:
 Groups decide on what each member’s
 Participants will be able in respond to task is, and use Google docs to collaborate
ASD behaviors in an appropriate way.
and write their scripts and create sample
 Participants will be able to apply what podcasts
they learned working with other
participants  Groups write their scripts for their
podcast following the following outline in
 Participants will be able to manage the
project more effectively. resource section.
 Participants will be able to alleviate any  Facilitator provides feedback. Groups
concerns family members may have about present final podcast to class and submit it
their children attending the performance.
the editor for review and to include in
article

10. Making the Arts accessible to all
Module 6- Preparatory materials- Implementation: Groups will select one project
from the list to complete
Participants are divided in three groups to  Project 1 Playbill Insert-Create a
create support materials that will be used Playbill insert that will be used on the day
to bring about awareness of this special of the performance. based on TAP Autism
performance initiative concept, Sponsor story/ Thank
volunteers and others, History
Objectives:
 Project 2: A downloadable
document / visual, so those attending
 Participants will be able to create the performance will know what to expect
marketing materials that will promote with this autism friendly performance.
the autism –friendly performance Some things to consider.
 Participants will be able to personalized  Project 3: Write a social story about the
materials to ASD. specific performance for example moving
through Crowds, Loud noises etc that can
 Participants will be able to write a be personalized for the child or adult with
social story that will resonate with ASD who will be attending the
attendees. performance which will be posted on the
website.
Groups will present their project to the class
and submitted for approval.

11. Closure
 Groups will present their project from session 6 to the class which will
be submitted to director for approval and groups will comment on each
other projects. Participants will give their feedback participating in
these sessions.

12. Assessments
The facilitator will assess participants based on:
 Group work
 knowledge acquired from workshop, sessions
 contributions during discussions.
 Rubric will be used to assess project submissions.
 Peers will also assess each other presentations and have
points of Self-Assessment.

13. Reflection
Participants respond to the following questions:
 Which categories of children with autism needs have you dealt
with in the past?
 Did you take the time to help them? How did you help them?
 How might you improve the way you respond to
children/people with autism spectrum disorder in the future?
 How can these sessions be improved and what could be done
differently?
 What things helped you to feel comfortable and confident
being a part of this project?
 What five things you did not like about the sessions and why?

14. Making the Arts accessible to all
Volunteers / staff

15. References
 Resource
 Sample questions includes.pdf
 Groups will collaborate.pdf
 Podcast Project. pdf
 Rubric

 Links
Noted People With Autism
http://www.child-autism-parent-cafe.com/famous-people-with-autism.html
http://www.templegrandin.com/
http://www.onlinegraduateprograms.com/blog/2010/08/30-famous-thinkers-believed-to-be-autistic/

 Other links
NY Times: Program Hopes to Make Broadway Friendlier to Those With Autism
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/program-hopes-to-make-broadway-friendlier-to-those-with-autism/
 An Autism-Friendly “The Lion King”, by Mark Blankenship
http://wp.tdf.org/index.php/2011/10/an-autism-friendly-the-lion-king/
 Bibliography
 (n.d.). Retrieved from TDF Stages: http://wp.tdf.org/index.php/2011/10/an-autism-friendly-the-lion-king/
 (n.d.). Retrieved from Associated Press feature on TDF's Autism Theatre Initiative:
http://www.tdf.org/TDF_NewsDetailsPage.aspx?id=128
 Grandin. (2011). Temple Grandin, PH.D. Retrieved from http://www.templegrandin.com/
 TDF Autism Theatre Initiative. (n.d.). Retrieved from Theatre Dvelpment Fund:
http://www.tdf.org/TDF_ServicePage.aspx?id=128&%20do=v