utistic Services Inc. students from the adult and children programs will take the stage at 7

The Tin Man John Lordi acts out a scene during play practice for Autism Service's production of the Wizard of Oz which will take place at 7 p.m., Friday, June 16 at Depew High School. Photos by Joe Eberle p.m. Friday, June

16 at Depew High School, 5201 Transit Road in Depew.

Thirty-five people with A

autism spectrum disorder, ages 5 to 35, will perform "The Wizard of Oz."

Autistic Services, located at 4444 Bryant Stratton Way in Clarence, started the musical program four years ago when Executive Director Veronica Federiconi decided to tackle the task.

According to Federiconi, people with autism are challenged in many ways, often having trouble with emotions and communication.

"Communication is difficult for them," she said. "So many love music and dance, so I brought the possibility of a musical to the staff."

The first year they performed "Grease." The children and adults auditioned for the characters they wanted and were very excited, Federiconi said. They memorize an abbreviated script, and the staff worked with them on expressing the emotion of the character they were portraying.

John Landauer will play piano during Autism Service's production of The Wizard of Oz. Landauer is blind and taught himself to play the instrument. People with autism are very good at being precise, said Federiconi. They learn quickly, but it is a challenge for them to express emotion.

They learn dance routines and have the opportunity to give suggestions and tweak the script, she added.

Nonverbal actors also participate; for instance, one holds a sign with her lines on it.

The first year the performance was "phenomenal," Federiconi said.

"(Some) parents were doubtful it could be pulled off," she added. "Then, the night of the performance, it all came together."

The audience's laughter and applause heightened the actors' confidence to do their best, she said.

It was made into an annual event with previous performances of "The Sound of Music" and "The Lion King."

This year, the actors and staff voted in January on "The Wizard of Oz," and have been rehearsing once a week for six months.

Aaron Brown, left, and Stacey Mania take direction from Autism Service's Executive Director Veronica Federiconi during rehearsal in the gym. It becomes a routine for autistic men and women.

They review the script, sing along with the songs and choreograph the steps.

"They have amazing voices," said Federiconi. "The people that don't like to talk, get up and sing, read the script and get comfortable with it."

Autistic children and adults have trouble with expression; initiating conversation is usually a challenge. However, it is easy for them to follow the script, according to Federiconi.

"This is a great path for expression," she said. "Empowering them is really great."

The performance encourages their creative side and gives them a voice to talk about something - they want to be involved.

"We have so many talented individuals," said Federiconi, who is an advocate for the arts program at Autistic Services Inc.

The arts program gives the students an opportunity to step away from the classroom and allows them to express themselves in other ways.

The school program is for autistic adolescents ages 5 to 21, and the facility has services for all ages.

"Autism is not going away," Federiconi said. One in every 166 people is exposed to autism.

It is a neurological disease that usually affects the communication, cognitive and social skills. People with autism process information differently than the typical human being, said Federiconi.

There are ranges of autism spectrum disorder. Some people are borderline autistic and can be very intelligent and capable, then there are extreme cases where the individual needs hands-on assistance.

People are usually diagnosed by age 3, and the condition is four times more prevalent in males than females, Federiconi said.

The purpose of the musical is to raise autism awareness in the community and for people to enjoy the actors' capabilities.

"It is neat that they get to entertain the community, versus having to go somewhere to be entertained," said Federiconi. "It's an exciting time for all of them."

e-mail: JSchmelzer@beenews.com