Leo’s story

All pictures are for illustrative purposes only as these stories have been anonymised.

“Leo is autistic and experiences anxiety in unfamiliar situations. He has never travelled beyond Whitby other than school day trips and finds new experiences overwhelming. He is not good with food that is different or new to him!

At first, Leo was hesitant about unfamiliar food and singing in another language. He chose to engage through listening and recording sounds, carefully capturing rhythms in the kitchen. As his confidence grew, he began suggesting how sounds should be layered and structured, shaping the group composition. A music leader noted, “Once he felt safe, he began thinking compositionally, and this is his strength. Making music helped him to try things he would never have done previously.”

By the final session, Leo was singing with the group and happy to taste new food. His parent shared, “He would never normally try new foods. He asked if we could cook it again. That’s huge for him.” Leo said, “It felt less scary because we were doing it together.”

Through the project, Leo grew in confidence, flexibility and cultural awareness. He strengthened his listening, ensemble and vocal skills, and left with a clear sense of pride in what he had helped to create. He was really curious about Supriya, and wanted to ask lots of questions about her live and her experiences. This was a remarkable opportunity for a child whose lived experiences are extremely limited.”