Lesley Universitys Arts Café Brings the Arts to Autistic Adults

Two Saturdays each month, Lesley University graduate students and autistic adults gather for art class, where they participate in photography, clay and painting. The students are led by Lesley faculty, and the idea behind the program is that art will help enhance lives.

January 2002                     Contact: Cathy DeShano
For immediate release                  617 349-8579
               cdeshano@mail.lesley.edu

Lesley Universitys Arts Café Brings the Arts to Autistic Adults

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Thirty years ago, people with autism would have been taught the basics in school-follow rules, behave in a manner that blends in with others. But attitudes toward autistic individuals have evolved, and now a group at Lesley University is examining how the arts affect autistic adults.

"Autistic adults are certainly capable of more than traditional medicine once suggested," said Peter Rowan, an associate professor in Lesleys Expressive program.

Since September, four autistic adults, faculty and students from the Lesley community and several volunteers have been meeting two Saturdays each month to create art through painting, clay and photography. Faculty with expertise in the arts, expressive therapies and special education lead the classes.

The project is funded by a $236,000, three-year grant through the NLM Family Foundation. The idea behind the project is that the arts can enhance an autistic persons life.

"They come in and theyre smiling," said Susan Gurry, an associate professor for special education. "They have a place to go with other adults and theyre treated as adults."

Gurry and her colleagues have been pleased with how quickly the autistic adults have adapted to the environment, and see growth in both the groups art and its social interactions. Gurry described how one womans painting has evolved: during early sessions, the woman painted squares and triangles that were the same colors.

"They were routine and rigid. Not unusual for persons with autism," Gurry said.

By December, the same woman had become more creative with her paintings, using Styrofoam, paintbrushes, different color combinations and other vehicles to complete numerous paintings in just several hours.

Tim Cohen, a graduate student studying music therapy, agreed that Arts Café participants have evolved during the past few months.

"People are much more comfortable expressing themselves visually," Cohen said. "Ive learned a lot about myself through my artwork."

Already, Arts Café coordinators are talking about what direction the program may take in future years. They expect to add a second group in fall 2002, while continuing to work with the initial group of autistic adults. Coordinators also hope to include different art forms for the first group, such as music, movement and dance.

Lesley University (www.lesley.edu) is a 13,000-student, multi-site university for women and men. Anchored by a strong liberal arts curriculum, Lesley offers undergraduate and graduate programs in education, the arts, human services, and management at its Cambridge and Boston campuses and at more than 150 sites in 17 states. Lesleys six schools include the School of Education, the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences, the Adult Baccalaureate College, the School of Management, The Art Institute of Boston, and Lesley College, an undergraduate womens college.

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