AIM brings adaptive arts and movement education directly to special education classrooms, nonprofit organizations, and community events.

AIM partners with schools and community organizations to create engaging, accessible arts experiences for Disabled and Neurodivergent young people. Our professional teaching artists bring both artistic expertise and extensive experience working alongside people with a wide range of access needs.

Whether we're working with a special education classroom, a community-based organization, or a special event, we collaborate with partners to create programming that is responsive to the people we're serving.

In-School Residencies

AIM collaborates closely with special education teachers, visual and performing arts teachers, and other school staff to develop programming that reflects the specific strengths, interests, and access needs of each classroom community.

Residencies are flexible and can include:

• Music

• Drumming

• Dance and movement

• Musical theater

• Improv and storytelling

• Visual art

• Yoga

• Sensory exploration

• Creative social-emotional learning

Lessons are designed to support a wide range of access needs through visual supports, predictable routines, multimodal instruction, opportunities for choice-making, and self-directed participation.

Our teaching artists prioritize relationship-building, consent, autonomy, and co-regulation while maintaining high artistic expectations and creating meaningful opportunities for creative expression.

More Than an Arts Class

For many Disabled and Neurodivergent young people, opportunities to build authentic peer relationships and participate fully in community can be limited. AIM creates spaces where young people can connect with one another through shared creative experiences. Through collaborative art-making, movement, shared routines, performances, leadership opportunities, and moments of play and creativity, participants experience the arts as a place where they belong.

We want young people to be able to participate as their whole selves, without needing to mask, suppress their communication or movement, or earn their place in the community.

Our Approach

AIM's programs are grounded in a Disability Justice approach and center:

Consent & Autonomy: Participants are supported in making choices about how they participate, communicate, move, and express themselves.

Accessibility: Access is built into the program from the beginning rather than added as an accommodation afterward.

Multimodal Participation: There is no single “right” way to participate. We use movement, music, visual supports, sensory experiences, verbal and nonverbal communication, and other modalities to make creative participation possible.

Belonging: We create spaces where Disabled and Neurodivergent young people can build relationships, contribute to their communities, and experience the arts alongside their peers.

High Expectations: Accessibility does not mean lowering artistic expectations. We believe Disabled and Neurodivergent young people deserve meaningful opportunities to develop artistic skills, take creative risks, and create work they are proud of.

Cost & Access

$200 per hour

Sliding-scale options are available.

Many AIM programs are available at no cost to King County public schools and nonprofit organizations serving K–12 students in King County.

Programming can be designed as a one-time workshop, short-term residency, ongoing partnership, or special event experience.

Let's Partner!

Interested in bringing AIM to your school or organization?

Contact us at info@aim-seattle.org to learn more or talk with us about creating a program that fits your community.