Introduction: 

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “autism”? For some people it may be “super- genius”, “emotionless”, “loud”, but that is not always the case. One thing that can be said when it comes to autism, is that sometimes it is harder for them to communicate. So, my central question for this project was, “can dance be an effective outlet as communication for people who are on the autism spectrum?”. With that said, some research will be conducted on how to hold an ability dance class for people who are autistic. In addition, a movement/ dance class was made. The class contained eight students and they were taught a one minute dance. At the beginning of the class there was an ice breaker to get to know names, stretching, snacks, fidgets for overstimulation, and ultimately a fun time. The students enjoyed the class and asked if another one can be held soon. 

Literature Review: 

Some things that had an influence during this process was the process of watching people on the spectrum perform in person, and the research that shows dance and its impact. Seeing as there are few inclusive dance classes out there, the ones that do exist are remarkable. Those truly inspired the process. Kayley"s sister is on a competitive cheer/ dance team. After observing the girls and how much joy they have with dancing, it inspired Kayley to have a class of my own with no stakes. For the girls on the team, competing is the stakes, but for the project, the purpose was just to be a form of communication. 

Something else that sparked interest in this project was how prevalent autism is and how much knowledge is still being obtained about this topic. For example, “In 2022, 1 in every 100 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder” (Zauderer). In 2024, it is now seen that up to 3% of the population is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. With that being said, more research was lookied into on how to bring an effective communication platform for people on the spectrum. That is where the study from Rollins College was found. They did an interview study with parents and workers of Chance 2 Dance to see if there was any impact on opening up classes to students with disabilities. From their research, they found that “an exploration of relationships formed through inclusive dance, development of self-confidence, and increased capacity for self- expression”(Po). With this research, it was evident that dance can be a positive influence on my students on the autism spectrum. From first hand observation and research, one can see that this class will make a difference. 

Some artistic works that have inspired this creation were Platinum Force Athletics Force and Isaac Iskra. Platinum Force is a competitive dance and cheer team. They have an "abilities" cheer team which holds students with different disabilities. They compete with the team as well and learn choreography. Observing how the students adapted to their choreography and enjoyed being on stage were a big inspiration for this project. In addition, Isaac Iskra who is on the autism spectrum, was on the dance team at the Univeristy of Texas at Austin. Dance class was hard for him in the beginning and people would not approach and talk with him. He figured out that teaching and doing dance does not rewuire communication through talking. All one has to do is use movement to convey a message. 

Methods: 

Thw methods for this project include interviews and photography for my primary sources along with observation for my other sources. Around 8-10 videos were observed on people who have held disability dance classes and gathered their teaching methods from them. A research video that had some good points was the Arts for Autism group. One thing they said that stuck out was that the class will not be structured. We accommodate them. With that said, the hope is that people in the class take breaks when needed, they could also just sit and watch until they were ready to get back up again. In addition to that, Platinum Force Athletics . This is where an abilities cheer/dance class is being held. A big thing to takeaway from them was encouragement and not treating them like they are younger than they are. You can be more understanding but do not treat them like babies. For the project there was a set photographer. As the class was taught the photographer captured moments that were pure, candid, and showing what was being done in the class. This was the most effective way to pull out how the class went. In addition to this, some of the students were interviewed after the class and lot of them said  “can we do this again?” and “this was fun”. After two of the students perform at arts fest, the method of in person interviews will be conducted. Three questions will be cummilatedfor them to answer about the class that is effective for the audience members.  

Audience and Impact: 

The purpose of this project is for people who are on the autism spectrum to have an outlet to communicate in an artistic way that does not involve talking. The audience for this project were not only the people in the class but the people at Arts Fest who will see the outcome. I want people at Arts Fest to be encouraged to accommodate and communicate with people who are on the spectrum. They need to feel comfortable, included, and accepted in society. The main purpose for this is for my sister. She is autistic and communicating for her through talking is a lot sometimes, but seeing the change in how she lights up when she dances helps me see that some type of positive impact is being made. 

Acknowledgements: 

All in all, Kayley would like to thank the students in the scholars class who listened and reviewed the materials to help bring the project to life. Kayley appreciates the support and understanding that you all had for her project. She would also like to acknowledge the time and help her parents and siblings put into helping the project come to life. They helped with working with the younger kids and just being overall supportive figures. Kayley's sister, Karleigh, she would like to acknowledge for being  the reason that she wanted to do this project. Thank you to Harold and Heather for discussing the project details and making sure to pinpoint the small details that may have been glossed over. Most importantly, Kayley would like to thank the participants in the dance class. She genuinely could not have had the class without them. Their positive spirits, willingness to learn the choreography and be part of this is greatly appreciated.  Kayley appreciates everyone’s efforts in making this project the success it is!

References: 

“69+ Autism Statistics, Rates & Prevalence.” 69+ Autism Statistics, Rates & Prevalence, https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/autism-statistics.

“College of Social Sciences.” University of Birmingham, 16 Nov. 1970, https://www.birm ingham.ac.uk/university/colleges/socsci/index.aspx.

“Full inside Look into a Spectrum Dance Therapy Class.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 Dec. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRcz29NJSPc. 

“Improving the Lives of Individuals with Autism & the People Who Care for Them.” Pathfinders for Autism, https://pathfindersforautism.org/.

The Effects of Dance on People with Disabilities, scholarship.rollins.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1124&context=honors. Accessed 2 Apr. 2024.