Workshop teaches debate skills to help people with autism

If you ask Long Beach resident Max Stein, who is on the autism spectrum, about the misconceptions of mental disabilities, he’ll tell you that the structure of thinking and communication with others can be different and challenging. That factored into his decision to attend the Find Your Voice Autism Debate Workshop in Port Washington on March 20.  

The program was offered by Spectrum Designs, a nonprofit that offers neurodiverse people employment opportunities. It is designed to adapt traditional debate and public speaking techniques for those on the spectrum, using visual tools and strategies informed by research into the challenges of communication.  

Stein, 30, who works part-time — fulfilling odd jobs — for Spectrum Designs, which is headquartered in Port Washington, said that the workshop reflects how people should converse regardless of their behavioral status. “It helps foster communication between any group of people by reinforcing how people should speak to each other,” he said.  

During the one-hour session, 12 Spectrum Designs employees and staff members from across Long Island, including Stein, took part in seven interactive exercises with a group of autistic people from East Rockaway, Port Washington, West Hempstead and Kings Park. The sessions included Lights Out Listening, a technique intended to manage sensory overload and improve focus, as well as activities centered on reflecting others’ perspectives and building effective rebuttal skills. Participants who completed the session received certificates. 

One exercise, Stein recalled, helped participants understand how to craft an argument using a “three-legged stool.” Stein said he had to focus on sound reasoning to support his argument — why strawberry is the superior ice cream. He debated a friend, Max Casap, a fellow Spectrum Designs part-timer, of East Rockaway.  

“We needed to make sure our arguments had a literal and metaphorical leg to stand on,” Stein said. “It helped us fine-tune our arguments to circumvent the opposition while making sure we stay on point and stand up to scrutiny.” 

Ava Lefkowitz, a longtime volunteer at Spectrum Designs and student debater at Paul D. Schreiber High School, in Port Washington, created exercises like the three-legged stool program to help those on the spectrum — particularly those who have aged out of school — strengthen their ability to express themselves and advocate for their needs as they move into adulthood and build independence.  

Lefkowitz said she hoped to expand the program and continue working with the neurodiverse community, which she described as one of the most rewarding aspects of her work. “Self-advocacy is an important life skill for anyone,” she wrote in email to the Herald. “The ability to be heard and understood is especially important for members of the autism community.” 

Lefkowitz said that bringing the workshop to Spectrum Designs was especially meaningful.  “I have always believed Spectrum to be the gold standard in inclusive employment,” she said.  

 Leaders of the organization said the workshop aligns closely with its mission of supporting both employment and personal growth. Marissa Borzykowski, chief of staff of the Spectrum Designs Foundation, said that programs like Lefkowitz’s are essential in helping autistic people develop lifetime skills and empowering them to communicate effectively in the workplace. 

Patrick Bardsley, Spectrum Designs’ chief executive officer, emphasized the importance of helping employees find their voices. “Self-advocacy is something we all must learn, and it can be especially challenging for those on the autism spectrum,” Bardsley wrote in an email. “This innovative workshop engaged and empowered our employees to find their own voices — a life skill that will help them tremendously both inside and outside of work.” 

 Stein said he believes many people view those with mental disabilities as “created incorrectly” or “malfunctioning.” He noted that communication can be difficult at times, which is something everyone needs to understand. "More people need to try to accommodate that,” he said. “We are people too, just trying to live our lives alongside everybody else."