Affirming Improv Theatre, Autism, and Neurodivergence
Improv theatre is an excellent and affirming tool to support youth and adults of all neurotypes to gain confidence, connect with others, increase self-awareness, practice being in the present moment, explore different forms of communication and expression, and so much more. As a neurodivergent individual myself, improv has consistently been one of my favorite frameworks and tools both personally and professionally.
Because of this, I regularly utilize improv exercises and pedagogy in my work - and teach others to do the same. For example, some projects include:
Running improv theatre programming specifically for autistic youth and adults
Running specialized improv-based therapy groups
Teaching helping professionals (therapists, SLPs, OTs etc.) to use improv as an affirming tool in their work with autistic folks
Using improv frameworks to teach others professionals neurodiversity-affirming practices
Teaching “mainstream” improv theatre classes
And more!
If you’re interested in hosting a workshop or class within your organization for students or professionals, please get in touch! Please also feel free to check out my training specific website.
camp yes and
Lacy also co-founded and co-directs Camp Yes And* in Indiana through Indiana University, which utilizes her Connect Improv Curriculum as a guidepost.
Camp Yes And is a unique program that has a dual purpose. It serves as a training program for helping/ arts professionals, and is also a summer camp for autistic teens.
In the morning, Lacy and her co-director (Jim Ansaldo PhD) teach the professionals how to integrate improv pedagogy and exercises into their work with neurodivergent youth. Professionals are up on their feet, laughing, and learning flexible, practical, and effective strategies for engaging students in social, emotional, and academic learning.
In the afternoon, autistic teens join for camp, and the professionals get to put their new learning directly into action, while campers get to participate in a super fun camp and create connections together.
*Please note: We are in the process of updating the language on the website to be aligned with our approach, as it is outdated/doesn’t reflect our affirming practices. However, the gears grind slowly in the world of academia :)
building connections
Lacy founded Building Connections, a specialized and adaptive improv program through the Hideout Theatre in Austin, Tx in 2012. She directed that program and served as the lead teacher for seven years before moving out of Austin. During her time there, she developed all of the programs, wrote the curriculum, supervised and trained all staff, managed all administrative tasks, and served as the lead teacher. Programs included:
-Improv programming for autistic and neurodivergent youth and adults
-Weekly classes for homeless youth in a local shelter
-Improv programming & workshops for youth navigatying mental health issues
-Workshops for foster youth in residential care
-Classes for LGBTQIA+ youth in a local drop-in center
-Workshops for youth re-integrating into the community after incarceration
-Etc.
“Lacy makes teaching look effortless. She is a master at reading the needs of the group, adapting instructional methods, and managing diverse personalities and behaviors.”
A few benefits…
Communication and Connection
Communication and connection reside at the core of improv. Improv gives students the opportunity to enhance their listening skills, express their thoughts, explore emotional expression, and find pathways of affirming connection with others.
Because improv encourages folks to build on each other’s ideas, and accept collective contributions - it offers a supportive framework for connection through difference.
REgulation SKILLS
Improv provides students with the opportunity to explore valuable self-regulatory skills, such as staying in the moment, being flexible, letting go of mistakes, taking risks, empathy, and practicing spontaneity.
Additionally, it offers a unique opportunity to explore and practice emotional expression within a safe and supportive context.
Co-Creation and collaboration:
Improv is a great tool to explore co-creation and collaboration with others. Through stage skills, improvisers learn to build entire scenes, worlds, and stories together.
This video provides an introduction…*
*******Please note: This video is over a decade old, and reflects some language and perspectives common of the time - that are not very affirming. I am happy to report that my own learning and understanding has evolved quite a bit since then, and my perspective has evolved significantly in terms of being neurodivergent affirming. (Both to myself and others). Despite the limitations of the video, it still offers a useful glimpse into improv :)
While autistic folks have historically been overly pathologized and labeled to have inherently deficient and impaired social skills, research (Finally! Thankfully!) is starting to reflect that the lack of understanding between autistic and non-autistic folks stems from bidirectional differences in communication styles, social cognitive characteristics, and differing experiences. Simply put: The communication gaps and the difficulties that unfold in socialization between autistic and non-autistic folks are due, in part, to a lack of mutual understanding between the two groups - rather than the fault of the autistic individual having some kind of social deficit. Improv does provide a natural tool to explore communication and breakdown barriers in reciprocity and mutual understanding that can happen between people with different ways of experiencing the world….but…those barriers aren’t the creation of autistic folks :)