The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

 Audience members will be able to identify: 

• 1 benefit of cultural access and 1 barrier to it
• 3 structural strategies used in planning social group
• 3 behavioral strategies used in executing social group
• 3 safety measures used during event
• 3 sensory adaptations used during event

Content

 An aspect of socialization often overlooked in treatment planning is mainstream cultural participation.  People with ASD may not participate in artistic and cultural activities such as concerts, exhibits and performances frequently.  Yet exclusion from the mainstream community’s arts and culture is negatively impacts quality of life, inclusion, social facility and self-concept.  Similarly, arts and culture suffer when part of the community it serves is not represented.  Lack of social skills, attention spans, sensory tolerance etc. constitute commonly cited barriers.  These can often be overcome through skill training, adaptive accommodations and supervision.  Organized groups can help prepare those with ASD to access cultural institutions, expanding social participation and improving quality of life.

Mardi Gras is central to New Orleans culture, yet few with ASD attend and fewer participate.  NOLArts Learning Center, an arts-based therapy clinic, founded a group of youth with ASD who performed in the parade as an independent “krewe” (parade group).  NOLArts sought and obtained support from multiple community resource, including parents, parade organizers, local musicians and artists, volunteers, an occupational therapist, a music foundation and a fabrication studio.

For 12 weeks, participants met to develop their theme, costumes, props and performance.  Sessions and curriculums were planned to maximize participation and social interaction.  For instance, the therapy room layout, schedule and information presentation were arranged to minimize distraction and demands.  Teachers and therapists implemented behavioral strategies to shape social and artistic skills during these sessions.  For instance, task analysis, shaping and faded prompts were used to teach on-beat drumming.  Before the event, safety supports were established.  For instance, a chaperone and exit strategy were identified for each participant.  During the event, adaptive measures were used to accommodate sensory processing issues.  For instance, headphones were provided to minimize ambient noise.

 Success of the group was evaluated based on measures of on-task behavior during the event and self-reporting surveys.  These results could be replicated with different groups of people, settings and events by adapting the strategies used to organize, plan and execute this cultural access social group.  Analogous groups could facilitate participation in public celebrations, concerts, galleries, performances, museums, sporting events, worship services and political rallies.  

Application

Involvement in cultural activities is determined by a set of social skills which deserves greater attention.  The strategies described above are specific to the group's objective- parade participation- but based on principles which can be applied to other cultural access targets.  Cultural participation matters.  On an individual level, those with ASD deserve lives enriched by the arts and culture enjoyed by mainstream society.  On a societal level, for the promise of neurodiversity and acceptance of those with ASD to be fulfilled, they must be able to represent themselves in and contribute to the culture of that society.