How Dance and Music Help Autistic Children Thrive: My Experience in Theatre Arts

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When I first started working with autistic children through dance and music, I quickly realised how powerful these art forms can be in supporting their development. Over the years, running a theatre arts school and collaborating with Liverpool council to create workshops for SEN children via Arts2u Theatre Company, I witnessed firsthand how music and dance open doors for children who often struggle to communicate or connect in traditional ways. My work with colleges and schools on alternative curriculums in theatre arts further deepened my understanding of how these creative approaches build bridges to higher education and beyond for some.

This post shares my personal journey and insights into how dance and music influence autistic children, backed by practical examples and supported by research. I hope it offers useful ideas for dance educators and schools looking to create inclusive, meaningful experiences.

How Dance and Music Create Connection

One of the biggest challenges for autistic children is social interaction and communication. Dance and music provide non-verbal languages that can bypass some of these barriers. In my workshops, I noticed children who rarely spoke or made eye contact began to respond to rhythm and movement. The shared experience of music and dance creates a safe space where children feel understood without pressure to conform to typical social norms. It is not a performance class or the pressure to finish a movement or routine. It was about being present - engaging and connecting with others.

For example, during a workshop in Southport, a young adult with limited verbal skills started mimicking me to everyone's delight. So I went with the flow, making it a fun challenge - they had to do what I did. I challenged their physical capability in motion of movement and dynamics in a short space of time. Before refocusing the body, breath and mind to refocus for the session. This simple action created a spark of interest and their own creativity. They explored movement in ways they had restricted themselves before. It created paths of experimentation. This was their safe space, a place to build trust and confidence. Over time, this interaction grew into self -generated movement. Dance allowed this expression of humour and connection - we didn't need the spoken word.

dance practice showed significant alleviation of overall symptoms of ASD

Research also supports improvements in some aspects of known symptoms (which for society can be seen as negative behaviour ... this infuriates me). A study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 47. found that dance appeared to show significant improvement to ASD symptoms, however empathy was unchanged. (Chen et al., 2022). This, together with multiple other research papers on creative arts, shows that artistic expression (dance) increases control, focus, body awareness, self expression and engagement.

Building Confidence - Creating a safe space

Many autistic children experience anxiety and low self-esteem, especially in groups. Dance classes provide a supportive environment where children and young adults can build confidence without pressure, and every effort celebrated :)

There are many times as teachers yourselves, you find children who prefer to watch for a few weeks before making the brave step to join in (this is a whole new immersive world we create for them, so it can be confusing and scary at first). This is OK. They are still engaging in their way. They are watching, learning, assessing. Only when people feel confident and trusting, do they allow you to work your magic as a teacher. Although these sessions are not West End performance standards, the pride from myself, and the pride I see within the participants when they have achieved and reached the end of their performance is a huge turning point in their self-confidence. Every class has this building block. As a teacher, you are able to be part of the magic your participants bring to you!

Dance and music also teach discipline and focus. Learning choreography or following musical cues requires attention and practice, skills that transfer to other areas of life. This structure helps people feel more in control, reducing frustration and improving behaviour.

Picture from The Ring Masters Blog

The Lasting Impact of Dance and Music

I had the honour of talking to Toby Gorniak on my Dance Inspire Podcast back in 2018 - who is an inspiration to the dance community - Full episode here . He also had the success of the BBC Young Dancer winner Max Revell. However i wish to draw you closer to the impact and journey of how dance influenced one of Toby's autistic dancers Ollie Venning (street name Ollie V). I recommend you read the full article celebrating his achievements and career path here.

For dance educators and schools, embracing music and dance as tools for inclusion is beneficial to your school.

If you are interested in developing workshops or curriculums for autistic children, start small, listen carefully, and build from there. The impact you make can last a lifetime :)

Tailoring Dance Classes for Autism

I am not wanting to inform an experienced and professional teacher how to teach, each and every one of you have your own super power in meeting the needs of your children. Please view this as what it is, my sharing of past knowledge.

• Using clear, simple instructions with visual aids

• Allowing extra time to process and respond

• Incorporating repetitive movements to build familiarity

• Offering choices in music and movement styles to respect individual preferences

• Creating quiet spaces for breaks when sensory overload occurs

• Creating quiet moments within the sessions to help prevent sensory overload

• Involve family (if possible). Involving family can help encourage trust and confidence at home, which supports further progress

  
  

My latest post on LinkedIn about the new 2026 autism budget presented by Baroness Kate Rock is here

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Thank you for reading. I no longer teach or run my theatre school. I still adjudicate in theatre art competitions. I have the passion for the dance industry in my soul, so where life takes me my creative self follows.

Currently I am in safety. Safety and wellbeing of your business, staff and participants. I am a member of SAFER DANCE UK who provide free templates, help and monthly webinars on safe practices for dance educators and parents.

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Until next time...