115. Using Acting to Support Neurodivergency with Theater of Possibility

Neurodivergent students often get pulled out of classrooms and taught separately because they are “different.” Well, we’re all a little bit different. Does that mean we should all be taught in silos? Not a chance.

 

There’s an inclusive program in the Seattle area that’s supporting our colorful, mismatched students in a unique way that can help them on and off the stage. Youth are learning through theater and improvisation.

 

This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Lauren Marshall, director of Theater of Possibility, about the organization’s unique take on theater and learning. And joining Lauren is Jackie Moffit, one of the school’s former students and current teachers. 

 

Together we explore the role the current education system has had on neurodivergent youth, why pull-out programs might work in some instances (but generally don’t), the problem with special education, and why acting is a valuable tool for students with autism.

About Lauren Marshall:

Lauren Marshall is the founding director of Theater of Possibility, serving neurodiverse youth, since 2010. A produced and published playwright, she has an MFA in Music Theater writing from NYU, and BA and JD from Stanford.  

 

About Jackie Moffit:

Jackie Moffit is an actor, writer, and musician on the autism spectrum who goes by any pronouns. They first started participating in Theater of Possibility in 2012 as a student and became an assistant teacher for the kids’ class several years later. They are passionate about neurodiversity representation in education and the arts, and are excited for thier first session as lead teacher. In addition to his work with Theater of Possibility, Jackie also volunteers at Books to Prisoners and writes media reviews for the Northwest Film Forum and Redefine Magazine. Some of their interests include synthesizers, linguistics, and tabletop games.

Jump in the Conversation: [1:55] - Creating community for neurodiverse youth to come together [3:15]  - The commitment to Theater of Possibility [3:56] - “We can succeed in life not by repressing autistic attributes but by embracing them as much as possible” [5:07] - Lauren’s journey with theater [7:04] - Why acting is valuable for people with autism [10:03] - The positive results that TOP is seeing [11:50] - Theater of the Oppressed  [13:25] - It starts with community [14:20] - The present classroom model moves neurodivergent youth into another room; it’s beneficial to bring youth together [15:25] - Neurodivergent need space to be around people the same as them [17:57] - Activities need to be rewarding in and of themselves [20:01] - Turbo Time [25:05] - Magic Wand [29:16] - Maureen’s Takeaways 

 

Links & Resources Theater of Possibility Underestimated: An Autism Miracle by J.B. Handley and Jamison Handley Theatre of the Oppressed Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Barry M. Brizant, PhD Email Maureen Maureen’s TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools The Education Evolution Facebook: Follow Education Evolution Twitter: Follow Education Evolution LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution EdActive Collective Maureen’s book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids Micro-school feature on Good Morning America The Micro-School Coalition Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition LEADPrep