The nonprofit CM Performing Arts Center, in Oakdale, is launching a new program that uses theater to help children with autism build communication skills.
SPARKLE, which stands for Supporting Performance, Arts and Recreation for Kinesthetic Learning and Expression, was inspired by a breakthrough in the organization’s long-running education program — a young nonverbal girl on the autism spectrum began speaking after six months in their theater classes.
“As she drove by our theater she was saying, ‘friends, dance, friends, dance,” Marc Ausset, the group’s CEO, recalled. “Through theater and performing arts, she was able to develop a way to start speaking.”
Ausset said the girl’s progress showed how creative spaces can unlock new ways of communicating. The breakthrough encouraged the organization to explore how the arts could support more children.
The organization aims to replicate that success on a larger scale. The program will teach children that communication extends beyond speech.
“It’s your body language, your facial expression, how you move your body while speaking,” Ausset said.
He believes these tools can help children who are nonverbal, neurodiverse or on the autism spectrum express themselves more confidently.
Launching SPARKLE will require significant funding and facility improvements.
“Developing a program at a large scale like this takes a lot of funds,” Ausset said. The organization is applying for grants and seeking private donors.
The program will be overseen by special education teacher Sarah Minto, with additional certified teachers and assistants to be hired. Ausset hopes the program can open by this summer. Progress depends on how quickly funding is secured.
For Ausset, the mission is rooted in inclusion and belonging.
“I’m most excited to open the doors to children who traditionally in the theater community are marginalized,” he said.
Ausset said SPARKLE reflects the organization’s long-standing commitment to creating welcoming spaces for all students. He sees the program as a natural extension of their mission to uplift every child who participates.
He wants SPARKLE to be a place where every child feels seen. He said the organization celebrates every child who walks through its doors.
“We don’t like to say that people are accepted in our theater, we like to say that people are celebrated,” Ausset said.
Safety and trust are also priorities for everyone.
“All of our teachers are fully background checked,” Ausset said.
A moment during a recent showcase demonstrated what the program can teach. Three students stopped mid-performance to help the young girl who inspired SPARKLE through her dance routine.
Ausset said moments like these show the heart of what SPARKLE is meant to be. He believes the program teaches children with autism how to support one another just as much as it teaches performance skills.
“We realized we’re doing way more than teaching kids dance moves,” Ausset said.