By Wendy Greenberg
Yashvi Bharariya has a talent for filmmaking, but the driving force behind her documentary, One Thing at a Time, is the message of acceptance of neurodivergent individuals, and the creative thinking that can help them thrive.
One Thing at a Time puts the spotlight on Expressive Arts, a class given through the Plainsboro Recreation Center, through which the participants find joy and confidence.
A screening of One Thing at a Time will be held on Saturday, June 27, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Plainsboro Public Library, 9 Van Doren Street, Plainsboro.
Following the screening of the short film, there will be a moderated panel discussion featuring Expressive Arts instructor Debra Orenstein and Bharathi Vemulapalli, a West Windsor-Plainsboro School District special needs educator, in a discussion moderated by the student filmmaker. Admission is free and light snacks will be provided.
Bharariya, who is a rising junior, has mostly taught herself the art of filmmaking. “It was an exploration,” she said. “I filmed the entire documentary on my phone. I did research on editing and structure, and had taken an elective in middle school.”
Her strong vision for the film guided her through the process. The film looks at the class, a few participants, a sibling, and has commentary by New Jersey school and clinical psychologist Matthew Strobel and Orenstein, known as “Miss Debra.”
Bharariya began helping in the Expressive Arts class, from a call for volunteers from a youth club she in which she participated.
“I admit, at first, I was scared,” she said. “I did not know what to expect, because of the lack of awareness towards neurodiverse people. Their behaviors are not generally accepted or supported. “
But she said, after volunteering, “I was so touched because the participants appreciated all the support and assistance so genuinely. It was very emotional to see that authenticity, and I kept going back.”
Bharariya volunteered for the last two years, and intends to continue this summer.
Prior to volunteering, she was briefed, along with other new volunteers, on what to expect and how to assist participants.
The class in Plainsboro has been ongoing for about 15 years. It originated with drama but now includes movement arts and sensory activities.
A lot of participants have been with the program since they were teens, said Orenstein, and some are in their 30s. “The years go by and you fall in love with the participants and their families,” she said. “Each one can do different things, some all within one class hour. I create based on what’s going on. I try to meet them where they are, but sometimes we go to plan B.”
Orenstein, who holds master’s degrees in social work and education, was formerly an adaptive physical education teacher and a special education teacher with the New York City Board of Education, in addition to teaching creative arts programs elsewhere.
In April she was honored by New York’s Roosevelt Island’s Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance as a community leader in the arts with the MSTDA Star Award, presented biennially to a prominent local figure to recognize their life achievements and contributions to the community and culture of the arts.
In the Plainsboro class, she said that many of the neurologically divergent participants need to move. “They go to a day program or have jobs, but they are not moving enough. Sometimes they do sensory art, like shaving cream drawing, because their upper bodies need to move too.”
The goal of the class is “process-oriented expressive experiences — to give them a creative outlet, experiences that might not be in their daily routine,” said Orenstein.
The benefits to the participants are “socialization with their peers, and also with typically developing volunteer teens, and self-realization through experiences.” Orenstein seeks a connection, either with others in the group, or through eye contact, or sharing an instrument or even sharing scarves while dancing, which are among the many colorful and lively sensory items used for self-expression, she said.
In the film, Orenstein advocates for taking the concepts of expressive arts and inclusion to be part of workplaces and school programs.
Bharariya has helped with art-related projects, clapping to music, sports, floor games, theater games, and crafts like making Mother’s Day cards, all while developing social skills and self-confidence through group, partner, and individual experiences.
With the film, Bharariya said, “I wanted to extend the message that shows that this kind of acceptance doesn’t have to be restricted there. I want to show that the ideas have life outside the special needs programs, in the workplace, in communities.”
This summer, she is interning at Philadelphia Asian American Film Foundation, and will continue to submit the documentary to film festivals to spread the message of acceptance.
“For the participants to only find this [support] only there (in the class) is really not fair,” she said. “I wanted to highlight the wonderful work that Debra does, and inspire to spread it.”