Building through making: How one program serves adults with autism

"The program started out of necessity. When their son finished high school, the Lawsons discovered there were no services available for him. They decided to create something themselves, converting a barn behind their house into a studio and starting with four students. The focus was practical: helping people learn to create projects, build things, use their hands, and master tools."

"Janet sees this kind of growth as central to what separates autistry from other programs. "People generally creating programs for individuals with challenges tend to have their first objective to be to keep them safe, which is a valid and very admirable goal, but it doesn't help them grow," she says. Safety doesn't challenge people to develop new skills or explore new ideas."

Autistry provides a studio-based program for teens and adults on the autism spectrum and others with challenges. The program emphasizes making things, practical project work, and hands-on tool use to build skills and independence. The initiative began when founders converted a barn into a studio because no post–high school services existed for their son. Enrollment grew from four students to more than forty over eighteen years. Participants choose individual or group projects, receive instructor feedback, and expand abilities such as designing geometric art independently. The program prioritizes growth through creative challenge rather than prioritizing safety alone.

Read at ABC7 Los Angeles