Not Just a Toy: Puppets for Autistic Teenagers

The benefits of puppetry for children in therapeutic and educational contexts are well established, with puppets shown to have improved children’s learning, their relationships with adults and other children, and their self-confidence and communication. Adding to this research is an emerging body of evidence that shows the many benefits of puppets for autistic children both as a form of early intervention and as a teaching strategy in the early years of schooling. This paper examines the qualitative literature that describes the value of puppets for autistic teenagers and young people to see how the object of puppets may maintain relevance for older students in secondary school and as they transition out of school and how puppets can enhance the already established advantages seen in younger children. An online search was conducted of peer-reviewed journals through the university library, followed by an additional search using the same keywords on Google Scholar. The review highlighted the possibilities of puppetry for many educational purposes and the wellbeing of autistic adolescents and young people. Also found were a significant gap in the research and the need for further studies that apply puppetry to this diverse population.