Further on to my last few posts, Shenanigans is an Atlanta, Georgia-based applied theatre program for all life stages - children through adults - for those who have Asperger’s, High Functioning Autism, and related conditions with social communication challenges. Shenanigans was founded in 2009 by a grandmother of someone on the Spectrum who found that traditional youth theatre programs were a challenge for him…
…“What we teach them is that when things happen, accept it,” [Sandy Bruce, the grandmother who founded the program mentioned above] said.
Acceptance eluded 14-year-old Sammy, until Shenanigans. Sammy’s mom Christina… said “He’s had a real rough many years of not fitting in. It’s given him self esteem, more confidence and he’s just happier.”
At Shenanigans there’s no judging.
Forty-two-year-old Leisa… has autism. “We have a lot more in common and we’re a lot more sympathetic with our deficits and such so, it’s just a lot easier. It filled a void that I had. It gave me friends.”
Sammy said, “We get to see who each other are.”
These actors have so much inside. Shenanigans helps them get it out.
And there is this positive take on the program, from a mother of Autistic twins…
…After one son bombed out of a series of social skills classes, I felt like I may as well make a little pile of money and burn it. Even worse, the experiences made him feel like a social failure.
But then he took an improvisation class. Suddenly, he was learning the give and take of communication, how to read someone’s body language and vocal inflection and respond accordingly. Gone was his standard monologue about his special interest which had his would be conversational partner eyeing the door. He discovered how to be spontaneous and he had fun.
Improvisation is an underused tool for addressing the social deficits of individuals with autism.
…In addition to learning specific social skills children in the [Shenanigans] program often discover they have a great sense of humor as they get a chance to lose their rigidity and tap into their creativity. They use their bodies in new and expressive ways and they get to be part of a group of individuals like them, forming friendships around a shared activity.
High-functioning individuals on the spectrum are already known as great mimics with startling memories. Coupled with new found skills learned in improvisation class, they could become extraordinary actors.
Now this leads me to challenge someone to reach out to our children on the low-functioning end of the spectrum and create an non-verbal improv program for them. If the children and teachers knew sign language, I bet it could be done. Some of the most powerful and amazing improv I’ve ever seen was done by The National Theatre of the Deaf, who may be able to lend their expertise…
(sources: Shenanigans improv helps autistic Atlantans take center stage | 11alive.com ; Improvisation for Autism | Autism Key )