AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me)
For a child with autism a busy supermarket, with its glaring lights and background noise, can be overwhelming. Now, stores are making changes to make it easier for families, writes John Daly.
NOISE. Activity. Lights. Hubbub. Such are the surroundings all of us encounter on any visit to a busy supermarket.
For people with autism, however, entering an arena of such all-encompassing distraction can present major obstacles — an alien landscape with challenges around every corner.
For Nicole Duggan and her 4-year old autistic son Riley, the everyday task of visiting their local supermarket in Cork’s Glanmire has been made a great deal easier as a result of a new initiative by nationwide retailer SuperValu.
The supermarket chain is supporting the autism community in Ireland through a robust awareness campaign, developed in conjunction with AsIAm, to tackle issues of understanding and inclusiveness by raising understanding and awareness of the condition among its customers and staff. With over 50,000 families in Ireland living with autism, those affected face barriers to inclusion due in part to the attitudes of a public who may not have first-hand experience of the condition.
SuperValu is hoping to break down those barriers through an ongoing awareness campaign highlighting different in-store scenarios that may be triggers for an autistic person. “This is a very important initiative not just for Riley and his future development, but for all the other people with autism across the country,” says Nicole.
Indeed, during our walk around the Glanmire SuperValu on a normal weekday afternoon, the combined challenges of crowds, noise and general bustle made for an often disturbing occasion for Riley.
Heralded as ‘world-class’, the initiatives already in place in SuperValu stores have been designed in conjunction with the Middletown Centre for Autism and include autism-friendly shopping times in stores; development of store maps to pre-plan visits indicating the main and quiet areas; de-sensitisation of store sounds at designated shopping times to assist in de-stressing; and a reduction in the standard ‘beep’ sounds at the tills.
The retailer has also developed staff E-learning modules to tackle a general lack of awareness around autism and educate on steps needed to make a difference, added to by an expert panel established to meet three times a year to ensure that all initiatives are impactful and relevant for families with autism.
“The general public are always very willing to help, it’s just that all too often they are ignorant about what autism means,” Nicole explains.
Riley was diagnosed when he was 2 years old. “He’s four now, non-verbal, and he has a lot of sensory sensitivities. These last two years have been some of the most challenging times that I think I’ve ever faced. When autism was mentioned, after I stopped crying, I threw myself into the fight. The fight for assessment, the fight for diagnosis, the fight for inclusion. I realised people did not understand my little boy, they didn’t understand why certain noises and lights affect him or why he would cover his ears and hum when they would say hello to him. They simply did not understand his needs and how to help him. One thing was for sure, I was not going to let my son grow up in a world where people did not get him. I was going to teach people.”
Developed in partnership with Adam Harris, founder of AsIAm, a series of SuperValu videos aim to shine a light on how an autistic person and their families have to manage non-inclusive and judgemental attitudes during the day-to-day task of grocery shopping. “We are striving to increase awareness of autism and helping people understand ways in which they can be more inclusive for our community,” Adam explains.
“It is low understanding and the resulting lack of empathy which can lead to many members of the autism community opting out of participation through fear or embarrassment. As I Am is a one-stop shop for the autism community in Ireland, providing the public and those with the condition to a portal of information, and serving as a platform for people affected to share their stories and views.
“World Autism Month gives us an opportunity to celebrate the autism community, highlight the challenges autistic people face in society and educate the wider public to have a better understanding of the condition.” This year, AsIAm wants to harness the month to ask individuals, organisations and communities to make lasting changes to attitude and behaviour, beyond simply being ‘aware’, he says.
“Every day the autism community adapts to a world which is often not designed to meet its needs - a world which can so often disable people, sometimes without even realising it. Small changes in how people think and act can be the difference between the autism community being able to participate or not. We want to show wider society what these changes are and how they can be implemented.”
AsIAm sums up its aims under four key headings: Educate through increasing and improving accessibility of information to equip people with autism and their families to understand the condition better; Empower those in the AS community by providing the tools to help them reach their potential; Advocate by acting as a hub for the autism community in Ireland to draw on common areas of concern and to develop public awareness; and Community to provide a safe and pleasant space to share concerns and ideas with others with similar experiences.
Throughout the month of April, SuperValu was informing their customers and staff of the need to use plain language, be patient and be accepting — three simple steps that can make a major difference to an autistic person’s in-store experience.
“While we continue to roll out the Autism Friendly shopping times to our store network, we recognised that there was a greater role we could play in creating change,” said SuperValu Marketing Director, Des O’Mahony.
"Through our regular meetings with AsIAm and The Middletown Centre for Autism, we identified this awareness campaign as a way we could help. The supermarket is a big trigger zone for the autism community and while we are already making sensory changes we realised how important it was to make attitudinal ones among customers and staff.”
For Nicole and Riley Duggan the path to greater acceptance and understanding continues, and one upon which the maternal love of a mother for her child will be demonstrated on every step of the journey.
“Riley may be autistic, but he is a little boy first,” says Nicole.
SuperValu is the title sponsor of the AsIAm Conference on October 20 in The Grand Hotel, Malahide.
Tickets for the conference are available to buy from www.AsIAm.ie. To find out more about the autism-friendly initiatives, visit www.supervalu.ie/autismfriendly.
Source: How supermarkets are making it easier for families with autistic children
For a child with autism a busy supermarket, with its glaring lights and background noise, can be overwhelming. Now, stores are making changes to make it easier for families, writes John Daly.
NOISE. Activity. Lights. Hubbub. Such are the surroundings all of us encounter on any visit to a busy supermarket.
For people with autism, however, entering an arena of such all-encompassing distraction can present major obstacles — an alien landscape with challenges around every corner.
For Nicole Duggan and her 4-year old autistic son Riley, the everyday task of visiting their local supermarket in Cork’s Glanmire has been made a great deal easier as a result of a new initiative by nationwide retailer SuperValu.
The supermarket chain is supporting the autism community in Ireland through a robust awareness campaign, developed in conjunction with AsIAm, to tackle issues of understanding and inclusiveness by raising understanding and awareness of the condition among its customers and staff. With over 50,000 families in Ireland living with autism, those affected face barriers to inclusion due in part to the attitudes of a public who may not have first-hand experience of the condition.
SuperValu is hoping to break down those barriers through an ongoing awareness campaign highlighting different in-store scenarios that may be triggers for an autistic person. “This is a very important initiative not just for Riley and his future development, but for all the other people with autism across the country,” says Nicole.
Going to the supermarket, something that the vast majority of people take for granted, can be a place loaded with over-stimulation for Riley in everything from noise levels to bright lighting.
Indeed, during our walk around the Glanmire SuperValu on a normal weekday afternoon, the combined challenges of crowds, noise and general bustle made for an often disturbing occasion for Riley.
Heralded as ‘world-class’, the initiatives already in place in SuperValu stores have been designed in conjunction with the Middletown Centre for Autism and include autism-friendly shopping times in stores; development of store maps to pre-plan visits indicating the main and quiet areas; de-sensitisation of store sounds at designated shopping times to assist in de-stressing; and a reduction in the standard ‘beep’ sounds at the tills.
The retailer has also developed staff E-learning modules to tackle a general lack of awareness around autism and educate on steps needed to make a difference, added to by an expert panel established to meet three times a year to ensure that all initiatives are impactful and relevant for families with autism.
“The general public are always very willing to help, it’s just that all too often they are ignorant about what autism means,” Nicole explains.
Now, with the initiative and the designated shopping hours, at least when people see a child acting differently they will hopefully understand what’s going on.
Riley was diagnosed when he was 2 years old. “He’s four now, non-verbal, and he has a lot of sensory sensitivities. These last two years have been some of the most challenging times that I think I’ve ever faced. When autism was mentioned, after I stopped crying, I threw myself into the fight. The fight for assessment, the fight for diagnosis, the fight for inclusion. I realised people did not understand my little boy, they didn’t understand why certain noises and lights affect him or why he would cover his ears and hum when they would say hello to him. They simply did not understand his needs and how to help him. One thing was for sure, I was not going to let my son grow up in a world where people did not get him. I was going to teach people.”
Developed in partnership with Adam Harris, founder of AsIAm, a series of SuperValu videos aim to shine a light on how an autistic person and their families have to manage non-inclusive and judgemental attitudes during the day-to-day task of grocery shopping. “We are striving to increase awareness of autism and helping people understand ways in which they can be more inclusive for our community,” Adam explains.
“It is low understanding and the resulting lack of empathy which can lead to many members of the autism community opting out of participation through fear or embarrassment. As I Am is a one-stop shop for the autism community in Ireland, providing the public and those with the condition to a portal of information, and serving as a platform for people affected to share their stories and views.
“World Autism Month gives us an opportunity to celebrate the autism community, highlight the challenges autistic people face in society and educate the wider public to have a better understanding of the condition.” This year, AsIAm wants to harness the month to ask individuals, organisations and communities to make lasting changes to attitude and behaviour, beyond simply being ‘aware’, he says.
“Every day the autism community adapts to a world which is often not designed to meet its needs - a world which can so often disable people, sometimes without even realising it. Small changes in how people think and act can be the difference between the autism community being able to participate or not. We want to show wider society what these changes are and how they can be implemented.”
AsIAm sums up its aims under four key headings: Educate through increasing and improving accessibility of information to equip people with autism and their families to understand the condition better; Empower those in the AS community by providing the tools to help them reach their potential; Advocate by acting as a hub for the autism community in Ireland to draw on common areas of concern and to develop public awareness; and Community to provide a safe and pleasant space to share concerns and ideas with others with similar experiences.
Throughout the month of April, SuperValu was informing their customers and staff of the need to use plain language, be patient and be accepting — three simple steps that can make a major difference to an autistic person’s in-store experience.
“While we continue to roll out the Autism Friendly shopping times to our store network, we recognised that there was a greater role we could play in creating change,” said SuperValu Marketing Director, Des O’Mahony.
"Through our regular meetings with AsIAm and The Middletown Centre for Autism, we identified this awareness campaign as a way we could help. The supermarket is a big trigger zone for the autism community and while we are already making sensory changes we realised how important it was to make attitudinal ones among customers and staff.”
For Nicole and Riley Duggan the path to greater acceptance and understanding continues, and one upon which the maternal love of a mother for her child will be demonstrated on every step of the journey.
“Riley may be autistic, but he is a little boy first,” says Nicole.
He cries when he falls, he laughs when he is happy and he adores Mickey Mouse. He is, however, wired differently. Autism does not define him — it is a part of him.
SuperValu is the title sponsor of the AsIAm Conference on October 20 in The Grand Hotel, Malahide.
Tickets for the conference are available to buy from www.AsIAm.ie. To find out more about the autism-friendly initiatives, visit www.supervalu.ie/autismfriendly.
Source: How supermarkets are making it easier for families with autistic children
