Finding My Voice and Forming Our Place: Understanding the Effects of a Musically-Focused Participatory Arts Project on Wellbeing for Young People with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Interest in the role of arts in healthcare has increased, with evidence demonstrating the effect of participatory arts approaches on wellbeing. These approaches may hold particular potential for young people with ASD, who experience higher levels of mental distress and social isolation and may particularly benefit from the arts. Turtle Opera 2019 was a 10-session participatory music and drama project for young people with high functioning ASD, held in Oxford in Spring 2019. Thirty participants, comprised of young people with ASD taking part in Turtle Opera (n= 10 ), their parents (n=13) and project staff (n=7), attended one of three focus groups aimed at understanding the effects of Turtle Opera 2019 on the wellbeing of the young people. Data was thematically analysed, resulting in the identification of five themes: 1) Stronger Self, 2) Forming Friendships and Relationships, 3) Finding my Place and People, 4) Structure for Success and 5) Why the Arts? We concluded that Turtle Opera 2019 provided a structured creative context within which young people’s wellbeing was affected on an intra- and interpersonal level. Further research is required to better understand the mechanisms underlying these processes and meaningfully capture wellbeing outcomes in this group