All our team members - creative facilitators, access consultant and a psychologist specialised in autistic youth - have worked with youth diagnosed with ASD through respite and habilitation care for years and have built a trusting relationship with the people I serve. In our artistic experience, we have seen the struggle and frustration that comes with the inability to express and communicate effectively. This anxiety is often articulated by pacing back and forth throughout the room or by repetitively asking questions and perseverating on a topic. This has been exacerbated during the lockdown and increased the feeling of loneliness. We as a group are an ongoing witness of artistic expression being a tool for fulfillment in the youth we work with. The project will provide 35 young adults (18-24yrs) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and residing Aberdeen-wide a creative outlet to experience music as a way of expressing themselves. Through a series of ten music-making sessions over a period of 4 months, it aims to explore how music can empower each participant to explore his/her creativity and exercise personal expression.
