A powerful teaching tool: puppets could offer valuable support for autistic teens

As we seek to improve support and opportunities for autistic individuals, the use of puppets as a tool for communication, self-expression, and interaction becomes a compelling avenue worth exploring, Sydney University’s Dr Olivia Karaolis says.

Dr Olivia Karaolis, a special and inclusive education lecturer at the Sydney School of Education and Social Work at Sydney University has been researching how, used in educational and therapeutic settings, puppets could potentially provide autistic teens with a tool to communicate, express their identity and interact socially in ways that are uniquely their own.

She kindly gave us permission to share this article published on Education HQ News about her work. (link retrieved Jun 2024)

And this further article from the University of Sydney.
(link retrieved Jun 2024)

In WPTS’s work with youth, particularly our VIEW program, we have certainly observed the power of puppets.