Increasing autism friendliness

Post Reply New Topic

hi
I co-edit a UK based magazine for parents of young children with autism and we are writing a feature on what parents can do to help educate companies/shops/businesses and places they may go with their child, to help them become more autism aware.
Enough of the time, we rant that people don't understand autism but just by giving them a few things they can implement to make the experience more comfortable for people with autism, we can help educate them and spread the knowledge!!

what would you like them to know? What can business/shops/restuarants/shops etc do to help you feel more secure/understood/accepted?

General info and tips such as being flexible about where you might want to sit, understanding that queuing may be difficult, if they ask to put the music down a bit, not to moan etc.

Any ideas?

Also, so you have any success stories of places that have taken on any suggestions to make the experience more enjoyable for you and what you or someone else did to support them.

thank you!
Tori
Aukids Magazine
www.aukids.co.uk

Well, people should know that NTs are predisposed to not like autistics; to leave them out; to ignore them. They should know that even though this rejection is instinctive, it isn't fair - and even, in civilised society, often illegal.

They should know that kids who grow up knowing about autism will still grow into autistic adults, but ones who can be gotten along with.

come on guys - 150 views and only 1 reply? and that one was negative.
This is a chance to let people know what you want them to know about autism, give them some help in what they can do to make your lives a bit more comfortable.

Perhaps you can teach the public that autism isn't a horrible disease or illness that needs to be cured or eradicated. You can also teach the public that autistics have the same feelings as everybody else, therefore they should have the same rights. We need to teach NTs to accept the entire spectrum of human diversity and that everybody should be made to feel welcome by everybody, no matter what their differences are.

I take offense at the comment that NT's are predisposed to not like Autistics. This is a major simplification and is simply not true. If you don't want us to lump you all into the same category just because you have autism maybe you shouldn't lump us NT's all together as if we were all the same person. Some people might be prejudiced against people with Autism, just like some people are racist, that doesn't mean it's the instinct of every person out there.

Movie theaters can offer autism sensitive showings (leaving the lights on plus keeping the sound levels low)

Same with restaurants; some here offer autism sensitive nights where they section off part of the place, keep the music low, create space for people who move around if they need to stem.

I think some of the other things are going to be a stretch. If I saw someone cut in line and they said it was because they were autistic, I would be very pissed off. I can wait in line.

The intent of the original poster is noble, but I wonder if it is possible. Yes, the literature shows that NTs are more understanding of some of the behaviors associated with autism when they understand what autism is, but getting businesses to change their standard procedures might be asking too much. The idea for autism friendly events is a good one, though.
Would a more comprehensive, world-wide awareness of what autism is and what it can look like go toward increasing acceptance?

I second the recommendation for autistic-friendly events, such as sensory-friendly movie screenings.

As well, in terms of promoting acceptance, don't assume that when someone with autism does something out of the ordinary, that they are doing it intentionally or that it's someone's fault. Too often, I hear of the scenario of the parent trying to control their kid's meltdown in a public place, and even when they explain the kid is autistic, they will overhear someone saying it's bad parenting, or that the kids should know better.

Nine times out of ten, the kid simply either 1) does not know of all the expected behaviours required 2) is experiencing overload and has not found a method to control it. It is not due to defiance, stubbornness, or that they are intentionally trying to be a brat. They just haven't found the strategies that work for them yet...and it is tough to do so at a young age. Promoting acceptance and empathy for the people experiencing these behaviours, instead of making assumptions about them, should be a must if we, as society, are going to move forward in accepting people on the spectrum.

Self-regulation is important for people who are older. It is important to know what your triggers are when you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, and what your plan is to calm down. For example, although I don't have sensory issues, I have racing thoughts and anxiety related to social situations: when I feel the need to "escape" I simply pretend to go to the bathroom for a few minutes and come out when I'm done.

PS: I was a little irked by some of the above comments. These are people who genuinely want to know this information, and who seem to have the best of intentions. If they had biased or stereotype-reinforcing intentions, they would not be asking autistic people themselves, but instead be asking parents/support workers etc.

I don't know how practical this is but just thinking off the top of my head what would make me feel more comfortable:

1 Make it quiet!! ! Quiet places. Quiet!! ! Noise regulated. Have a quiet room - with not too much stuff in it.
2 And making the material of the clothing in stores visible with signs so we don't have to pick it up to know what it is made of.
3 And selling clothing without tags or with the washing instructions printed directly on the clothing. I HATE tags.
4 low light? Not too many bright lights. hmmm.
5 Crowd control - control the pushing and shoving and crowded enviorment that shops sometimes get. Especially near the area where you go to get condoments for things like coffee - I find those places sometimes get uncomfortable in popular establishments
6 Not too many reflective, shiny surfaces, I don't know if other Aspies havea problem with them but I find them distracting.
7 Try to keep within a color scheme that you find everyday or within a natural color scheme. Don't go crazy with colors.
8 Plain and neat and minimalist is the best for me - that goes for decor and employee uniforms as well
9 Have a selection of foods you can eat bland.
10 For places with Autistic employees or customers - sensitivity training for not laughing or pointing of getting weird if someone rocks, or paces, or repeats words. Not getting strange about refusing to look you in the eye. Being sure to treat us like everyone else.

A place with these things would make me very happy.

Well, if you're still reading this thread, Tori (I probably wouldn't be, given the intitial reception of this post), for me, personally, the best thing a shop could do is turn down the music. I have walked out of many stores simply because their music was too loud - a lot of the time forgoing the purchase I was about to make.

But do I think any change would be made even if the store owners knew about this? No. Not at all. All I know is that NTs have no idea of the meltdown potential of loud music...

Autists are like any other group of people: Many of them are nice and intelligent, and many of them aren't.