Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04284-7 BRIEF REPORT The Immersive Theater Experience for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Ivy Giserman‑Kiss 1,2  · Michelle Gorenstein 1,2  · Elyana Feldman 3  · Mikaela Rowe 1,2  · Hannah Grosman 1,2  · Jordana Weissman 2  · Audrey Rouhandeh 1,2  · Emma Wilkinson 1,2  · Kristin Meyering 4  · Allison Durkin 5  · Emily Isenstein 6  · Alexander Kolevzon 1,2,7,8  · Joseph D. Buxbaum 1,2,8,9,10,11  · Paige M. Siper 1,2,8 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019 Abstract Despite growing public awareness of ASD, many caregivers of children with ASD struggle to fnd opportunities for participa- tion in community activities with appropriate accommodations. The current study evaluated the experiences of individuals with ASD who attended immersive theater performances specifcally designed for individuals with ASD. Parents and teachers of 256 children and adolescents completed questionnaires regarding their pre-show expectations and post-show satisfaction with the performance. Analyses revealed that, on average, parents’ and teachers’ levels of satisfaction signifcantly outweighed their pre-show expectations. Based on researcher observations, audience feedback, and past research, a list of best practices for successful theater programming for individuals with ASD was compiled with the goal of widespread dissemination to increase accessibility of theater performances for neurodiverse audiences. Keywords Autism spectrum disorder · ASD · Theater · Theatre · Accessibility · Immersive theater Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impair- ments in social-communication and reciprocal social inter- action as well as the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests (American Psychiatric Association 2013). The core symptoms of ASD are pervasive across contexts and often interfere with a child and family’s daily activities. In particular, children with ASD have reduced participation in recreational and community activities, compared to children with both typical development and other developmental disabilities (Little et al. 2015; Potvin et al. 2013), and are more likely to experience social isola- tion (e.g., Orsmond et al. 2013). For example, Hilton et al. (2008) found that compared to typically developing children, children with ASD participated in a more limited range of activities, with fewer participants, and in a narrower range of geographic locations. Recent research has revealed that a number of specifc factors contribute to decreased participa- tion among children with ASD, including limited language Ivy Giserman-Kiss and Michelle Gorenstein have contributed equally to this work. * Paige M. Siper paige.siper@mssm.edu 1 Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA 2 Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA 3 Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, New York, NY, USA 4 College of Education, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA 5 Yale Law School, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA 6 University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY, USA 7 Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA 8 Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA 9 Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA 10 Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA 11 Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA