Museum as Sensory and Social Space: Autism Programming at the Dallas Museum of Art
meaningful pathways to make connections between the art and the world around them. This approach reflects Jeremy Roschelle’s sentiment that for adolescents with autism “growing ability to participate in a community-based culture has precedence over ability to know.”11 Following time in the galleries, participants return to the studio for a hands-on art activity. Art projects are designed to relate to the program’s theme and emphasize experimentation and discovery over a final product. For the Stories in Art lesson, participants created “story dice,” wooden blocks on which they drew images to represent the different elements of a story, such as character and setting (fig. 3). Then participants took turns rolling their dice and telling stories to one another in a way that combined their story dice elements. Through art projects such as this, participants of Sensory Scouts explore their self-identity and have the opportunity to express themselves creatively to others.12 Museums are a common ground for human diversity, embracing difference and promoting understanding and respect among people from different communities. As such, they hold a distinct responsibility to the public to ensure equitable access to their collections through unique programs and services. In recent years, art museums have become increasingly committed to articulating their social value as agents of inclusion in the cultural sector. Museums continue to be a locus where tailored programs can affirm the abilities of visitors with special needs and others who are frequently underserved. These programs, while aimed at addressing the unique needs of visitors, including those with autism, also benefit the museum. As the museum becomes more accessible, relevant, and significant to its public, its operations become increasingly supported and sustained by the community. The museum— an inclusive environment that supports lifelong learning—promotes meaningful experiences reflecting the complexity of both artworks and its visitors, supports multiple perspectives, and builds lasting relationships.
FIG. 3 “Story dice” created by participants of Sensory Scouts to practice storytelling
1 Lois H. Silverman, The Social Work of Museums (London: Routledge, 2010), 20. 2 It is possible that the odds of being born with autism have not actually increased, but rather that parents and doctors are now better equipped to accurately diagnose autism than in previous years. As awareness of ASD has increased, more cases have been recognized and diagnoses made. 3 “Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Data & Statistics,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), http:www.cdc.gov/ncbddd /autism/data.html. 4 “Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Facts about ASD,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), http://www.cdc.gov /ncbddd/autism/facts.html. 5 Margo A. Mastropieri and Thomas E. Scruggs. The Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for Effective Instruction (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill, 2000), 92. 6 See Uta Frith, Autism: Explaining the Enigma (Oxford, UK: Basil Blackwell, 1989). 7 Ian Dempsey and Phil Foreman, “A Review of Educational Approaches for Individuals with Autism,” International Journal of Disability, Development and Education 48, no. 1 (2001): 103–16. 8 Frith, Autism: Explaining the Enigma, 154–55. 9D iagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000), 50–56. 10 The phrase “community of learners” comes from psychologist Jerome Bruner. Bruner endorses the approach to education in which students work together according to their abilities to help one another learn. Jerome Bruner, The Culture of Education (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996), 24. 11 Jeremy Roschelle, “Learning in Interactive Environments: Prior Knowledge and New Experience,” in Public Institutions for Personal Learning: Establishing a Research Agenda, ed. J. H. Falk and L. D. Dierking (Washington, DC: American Association of Museums, 1995), 37–51. 12 See Jan Osborne, “Art and the Child with Autism: Therapy or Education?,” Early Child Development and Care 173, no. 4 (2003): 411–23.
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