For nearly a decade, Dionne O’Dell has led the Sense-Ability Ensemble at Michigan State University, which develops multisensory theatrical works for audiences often excluded from traditional performance spaces.

O’Dell is an Academic Specialist in MSU’s Department of Theatre who specializes in teaching children’s theatre and writing and directing plays for youth and community, and Routledge has now published her first book, “The Sense-Ability Ensemble’s Guide to Creating Theatre for Audiences that are Neurodiverse,”which explores how the Sense-Ability Ensemble creates theatre from the ground up for neurodiverse audiences. The book will be released on July 1, 2025.

In addition to her book, O’Dell also will be featured on “A World of Difference: Embracing Neurodiversity,” a series that is produced by neurodiversity-affirming Beacon College and is distributed by PBS. The show empowers and celebrates neurodiverse families around the world. The episode with O’Dell will air on July 5, 2025. O’Dell was simultaneously given the Beacon College Difference Maker Award.