Actionplay: Striving to Build a More Inclusive World!

I had the joy of being invited to see Actionplay - in Action - quite literally recently. It was for one of their AIMS workshops, which consists of around twenty teens and young adults (13-22 years), on the autistic spectrum (and related conditions), to come along and be part of a 90-minute drama-impro workshop in central Manhattan. The goal of the workshop programme? To encourage greater confidence and increase communication and social skills among attendees.

Based in New York City, Actionplay is a non-profit dedicated to providing children, teens, and adults on the autism spectrum and related conditions equal access to education, arts and culture. Their programmes are open to the general public, and involve creative learning environments, professional development, and training modules to those on the spectrum to experience the arts.

I’d been in touch with Aaron Feinstein, their Executive Director and Founder, a few times and he suggested that the best way to see what they get up to is to come along to one of their sessions. I couldn’t agree more! So there I was, Sunday morning, getting off at Penn Street station and strolling down to the mid-town rehearsal space, not quite knowing what to expect… But intrigued and excited all the same.

Initially, I thought I’d be the ‘quiet observer’ on the periphery - but could not have been more wrong. From the outset I was involved in the warm-up tasks; completely out of my depth as I couldn’t remember the last time I’d even expressed myself in terms of shapes, sounds and movement via my body. It really took me away from my mind though; a place that I’m sure many adults can relate living their lives from. The respite was astonishing. But more so was what was going on around me: the teens and young adults’ enthusiasm and appetite for getting involved. And then there was the talent! These kids were really good. I also found them to be very respectful towards one another – listening well to each other, being quiet when someone else was performing.

The tasks built up in momentum slowly, as the participants got more into them. Music aided these exercises, with Gabriel Lit on the piano entwining apt melodies with the movements. The activities were varied and involved anything from passing a sound around the room in a circle, and adding your own - to giving a 30-second pitch of their ideas for the future Actionplay concert. This latter task was then followed up with the group being split into two, and one idea being picked by each group – creating a five-minute rendition of what the show could look like. Ideas were formulated and explored, people were free to express themselves within the context of the exercises – and most importantly; fun was had and there was a great sense of buoyancy.

And I know that this was all a direct reflection from Aaron and his incredible team of staff and volunteers. There was approximately one staff member to every two/three participants. What I noticed was how dedicated, enthusiastic and compassionate they all were. They would turn up half an hour before the session to ensure careful planning and addressing any updates, while another half hour was given after the session to discuss any issues within the session and to then wrap up and look forward to future sessions. The volunteers came from all backgrounds including teaching and the arts, but the real thing that stood them apart was their passion for accessibility to the arts and their genuine desire to be helping these individuals in obtaining this.

What struck me the most was having this space and programme available, full stop. These teens and young adults have a place to go where they channel themselves, develop themselves and be with others on the spectrum – and to ultimately do something that they enjoy.

It was wonderful and a true eye-opener to attend the workshop. The most surreal thing was that I could tell that each and every person wanted to be there, and there was this real tangible buzz of energy – a great force of positivity, power and intent of creative endeavours. Amazing…

How did I feel after? Well I was quite exhausted and exhilarated – and both in equal measures. Shattered because it was such an intense period of high-intense activity, with different things happening all around – but exhilarated because it was all so thrilling to witness. Exciting in that there was this amazing opportunity for those on the spectrum to come and be a part of – that they could be alongside staff and volunteers who are tremendous, inclusive-centric and truly able to support them. How incredible 😊

A big thanks to Aaron and the team for letting me take part in one of Actionplay’s workshops! Find out more about them on their website: http://actionplay.org/

Felicity House: A Sanctuary for Autistic Women in the Heart of NYC

In my quest to visit autistic charities and spaces in New York, particularly those with an emphasis on art and creativity, I came to view Felicity House after corresponding with the team via email. As I made my way there, through the chaotic and bustling streets of the ever-hustling Manhattan – and truly, I cannot emphasise enough how loud, often smelly, haphazard and all-consuming NYC can be at times. I describe these feelings and experiences in my blog ‘NYC: A Neurodiverse Perspective' – take a read if you’d like to learn more. But here I was. In front of this grand door, on yet another busy street, about to go inside…

The beautiful space inside Felicity House

I could not have more pleasantly surprised with the other side of this door! A beautiful space that instantly felt like home. It had this aura of calm, ease and genuine friendliness - a place of real serenity. Comfortable, clean and quiet - it couldn’t contrast more from the outside world. I was invited in and learnt more about Felicity House. How it’s a non-clinical program for autistic women, living in and around New York. The women travel in from all over: New Jersey, Connecticut and all five boroughs of NYC. There are no geographical restrictions. The space gives women the opportunity to be part of a community and to do and try new things. The only criteria are that attendees need to be female, over the age of eighteen and to have had an official diagnosis for autism. There are no wait times either. Amazing, right..?

The aim of the place is that it acts as an adjunct to the person’s life – so they can fit coming to Felicity House around their life; be it their studies, home or work commitments. Women can come to as many or as few sessions as they like, of which there are normally 10-15 people in attendance. And that’s what I really liked about the place – there are no real obligations or pressure in any way.

What can women do at Felicity House?

They have a calendar of events which they announce in advance and send via email and have on their noticeboard. The events and activities are incredibly varied, intriguing and accessible. They can be anything from movie nights, meditation to paint evenings. Trips outside the house are also organised, for instance there’s a visit to New-York’s Historical Society Museum where members will receive a guided tour of the new exhibit, ‘Harry Potter: A History of Magic’. Another of its aims is to act as a ‘halfway house’ in helping women to try something new and different. It can often be tricky, and hence overwhelming when considering the prospect of trying something new, let alone actually doing it. But by trying it in a safe space, with others in your community that you know, and having it catered towards an autistic audience, helps make things that bit easier. For instance, the house has a Zumba class, and this involves having no mirrors in the room (mirrors are not good for autistic people, who are more inclined to struggle with bilateral movements!), the music is at a much lower volume, and no-one is shouted at or singled out if they don’t get the moves right! Shouldn’t all Zumba classes be like this..?

November 2018's schedule

The art room

How much does it cost to attend a session?

Want to hear the best part about the programme? It’s free. Yes, truly it is. And that’s simply because Felicity House is privately funded. The story of the house itself and how it came to be can be read here: https://felicity-house.org/our-house/house-story/ and is very interesting. The fact that it’s free to attend makes a huge difference. There’s not this infinite number of paperwork, progress reports, goals and all the rest of it that staff have to complete (America is pretty bureaucratic, I’ve found out). And obviously it’s hugely beneficial for the women too. You don’t have to worry about the costs. There’s no elitism. No stress in terms of worrying about the money and having to ration yourself to the number of sessions you can afford. Women can just come and be. There’s no asking for anything more. We need more of these places!

Photo of me: “we need more places like Felicity House where autistic women can simply BE!” I remember saying to myself. It was simply perfect.

What were my overall impressions?

I was very much impressed! I remember walking around and growing quite emotional the more I saw and heard about the space. It’s such a well-thought out concept with rooms that people can go to in and sit in by themselves - to a more sociable lounge - and soft lighting all around. I’m not saying that they don’t have challenges and that it doesn’t always work out, but I felt that what they had was actually pretty damn good. Lesley, the program manager said as we went around “we have this beautiful space because this is what the women here deserve”. And she is so right. We do deserve this. And I really hope that someday I’ll see more spaces like this supporting autistic women; a group that’s very often overlooked.

Has anyone else seen or heard of a similar place in another part of the world? Do drop me a note if you have.

Women and Autism - My Musings

Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome (an Autism Spectrum Disorder) three years ago, I chose to embark on a collaborative art project to explore the issues around ‘women and autism’, which I’ve covered here in ‘Women and Autism - A Collaborative Artistic Partnership’. As I’ve learnt more about the condition over the years, I’ve noticed considerable gender differences in perceptions of autism; its presentation and coping strategies between men and women – to the point where women are often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed with autism. I’ve questioned this considerably and the reasons behind it. I feel there’s certainly an increase in recognition in this field of thought, especially from those already with a fair degree of autism awareness - but not so much beyond it. For beyond it still lies a more outdated and stereotypical image of the autistic male. An update and restart are needed.

I’ve summarised my musings in my exploration to consider and understand issues around ‘women and autism’ in a piece of creative writing, with the text transcribed out below the image.

“Men. Why is autism so different in men than in women? Or is it…? Why is the male ‘form’ the accepted norm? the one where people have this ‘aha’ moment and realise that ‘yes sure, I’ve heard of this Autism business!’ and they revert back to TV shows and films. ‘Atypical’ and What’s eating Gilbert Grape’. The media conveying a one-sided view of what is. And-how-it-is. And yet missing out on what oh-so-isn’t… why is Autism so much more apparent and ‘obvious’ in men? We have a subtler presentation they say. But the most dismissive comment of all: ‘Oooh, but you don’t look (how does one look autistic anyway?) autistic.’ How dare you. a compliment you meant? Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realise that disregarding who I am and my total being is a compliment. For ‘so what’ if I’m autistic? Poor me…? An all cast set of male actors. Who are unlikely autistic, playing autistic men. In Science, Maths, Psychology. Historically. White men. All making inferences, studies, research, analysis – on Autism. What could they know? Or wish to consider about in female autistics? ‘Autism is Autism’ they say. Why are we misdiagnosed? Misunderstood. Undiagnosed. Why are we still playing catch-up with men? Every field. Yes, it’s unfair, blah, yes. But it’s not a whining point. If women are not being diagnosed, or misdiagnosed, their Autism is not being picked up on. Then this is a very serious point. And a subtler ‘presentation’ doesn’t mean we’re not struggling. That it’s not valid. That it’s less of an issue. That we can somehow seamlessly cope with it, because ‘we don’t look it’! We’re often over-compensating. And that’s hard work! The exhaustion, harshness, loudness, brightness. We feel this. Separate. A cultural gap. Initially misinterpreted as shy. Because women are more likely, at a societal level, to be considered shy… Bollocks. Gender differences. I am of course more than a label. More. But at the same time, this label can be helpful: liberating and empowering. And autistic women shouldn’t be left out here. Leave no-one behind they say. Well mean it.”

And it’s not just ‘women and autism’ that is the issue here either. For there are the differences that exist at a cultural and ethnic level. I’m discovering this more and more as I meet different people from the spectrum here in New York; all of whom have their various backgrounds and histories. Different school systems and state support. And the discussion and musings continue.

What are your views, if any, on ‘women and autism’? I’d be happy to hear to hear from you.