Community Members

Art Communication for Individuals with Autism

Published on 05/21/09 - 0 Comments

The Autism Council of Rochester is a new nonprofit organization serving youth and young adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a rapidly growing epidemic, with 1 out of every 150 children receiving this diagnosis. We are one of the few service providers for this disability and we currently involve the community in helping youth achieve independent living and other life goals. We would like to help clients who have trouble with verbal communication, as this is the most common symptom of autism.

We are currently developing an art communication program for 50 clients who struggle with verbal communication. We desperately need art supplies for these workshops. We are working with graduate students at RIT to develop curriculum for art communication, and their expertise and academic partnership will lead to further research in the use of visual communication for individuals with autism. Visual cues play a very important role in communicating with people who can’t express themselves verbally, and most adaptive technology uses drawings and photos. Art programs for individuals with autism are typically designed for recreation rather than practical communication and self-expression. We are taking this to the next level by providing quality art teachers to support the artistic development of students who need this form of visual dialogue.

We have an art gallery scheduled for the entire month of October, at Barnes & Noble, and will have 19 pieces of artwork framed and displayed to publicize the art program.