Shakespeare and Autism Project

The Shakespeare and Autism Project is a groundbreaking, internationally recognized, ongoing collaborative research effort between The Ohio State University Department of Theatre and the Wexner Medical Center's Nisonger Center. The project addresses the issue of whether sensory drama games using Shakespeare's text can effectively break through the communicative blocks of autism in children. The primary activity of the Shakespeare and Autism Project involves teams of trained Ohio State students and instructors playing Shakespeare drama games with children on the spectrum, using the Hunter Heartbeat Method, created by Kelly Hunter, Artistic Director of Flute Theatre in the UK. The Nisonger Center researchers administer tests throughout the workshop process to generate data and determine the work's effectiveness in piercing the core features of autism.