AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me. To read the full article, click the link at the bottom of the page)
‘It’s not difficult to make autism-friendly arrangements such as having a quiet room and helping children know what to expect’
When members of an autism support group saw that the Ombudsman for Children’s Office was advertising a free family event in Dublin in November, they thought it would make an enjoyable Saturday outing.
But the OCO Universal Children’s Day Event didn’t quite live up to its inclusive-sounding title. On checking in advance that it was going to be autism-friendly, Wicklow Triple A Alliance was disappointed to be told it wasn’t.
“I kind of assumed it would be,” says one member of the group, who has a seven-year-old son with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
It’s not difficult to make autism-friendly arrangements, she explains – such as having a quiet room, putting up photographs and descriptive text online to help parents show children what to expect, and, perhaps, allowing them in early so they get a chance to settle before the crowds arrive.
This Greystones mother was annoyed they were told nothing could be done about the event in Wolfe Tone Square this year, but, on the positive side, the OCO told her they would work on it for next year.
In response to a query from The Irish Times, the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) said that as part of the celebrations of Universal Children’s Day in November, it organised an open-air concert featuring the National Children’s Choir and Ma Samba Youth Band, to which all children of every background and ability were welcome.
“However, it was not possible on this occasion to make specific provisions for children with autism. Providing a quiet room and autism-friendly atmosphere is something we will include as part of our Disability Summit, which will take place in 2018, and as part of next year’s Universal Children’s Day event.”
Greater understanding about what can be done to make activities and venues more autism friendly is slowly seeping into mainstream events and businesses. It may require physical adaptations and restricted sessions, but also a change of attitudes, through increased awareness and staff training.
Parents of children with ASD are used to judgmental looks when their child is having a meltdown in public, but they could still do without the smug assumptions. It would be even better if, with a little more consideration and planning by others, that meltdown could be avoided in the first place.
Some 300,000 people in Ireland wake up every morning knowing that autism will be part of their day, says Niall Murphy, acting head of operations at Autism Ireland (which is in the process of changing its name from Irish Autism Action). That figure is based on at least 1 per cent of the population having ASD, plus those who live with them.
More businesses and institutions are beginning to take the needs of this constituency on board and trying to make their life a little easier.
For instance, in this the season of pantomimes, The Helix in Dublin has led the way. For its “sensory-friendly” performance of “The Beauty and the Beaston Tuesday, December 19th, the auditorium lights will stay on, the cast will hold back on their louder shrieks and nobody will bat an eyelid at a child or three rolling in the aisles.
“It is a show we look forward to every year,” says Claire Tighe, producer of the Helix panto and chief executive of TheatreWorkX Productions, who came up with the idea six years ago. The first time she made the adaptations she was just hoping they had got it right, but was reassured by the feedback, including one family who told her how they could never have done an outing together like that before, having one child with ASD and one without.
The technical changes required are not huge and what’s probably most important, Tighe adds, is that these families feel completely welcome.
Others following suit include University Concert Hall Limerick, which has a sensory friendly matinee of its pantomime Cinderella, on January 5th and the Ark in Dublin organised three “relaxed” performances of its Christmas show Tracks in the Snow, the final of these being on December 17th.
Even Santa is playing his part with, for example, a sensory day in his workshop at Aillwee Cave in Co Clare on December 21st and he did something similar in Airfield last weekend (Dec. 9th).
Supermarket shopping is an all-year-round challenge for those with sensory issues and several chains now have designated autism-friendly times.
SuperValu, which has 40 of its 219 shops already doing this, recently announced that these will be extended to more stores, along with initiatives that it has developed in conjunction with the Middletown Centre for Autism in Co Armagh. These include store maps, “de-sensitisation” of store sounds at designated times, reduced beep sounds on tills and staff awareness training.
Full Article: ‘Think autism’: shops, cinemas and other places where all children are valued
‘It’s not difficult to make autism-friendly arrangements such as having a quiet room and helping children know what to expect’
When members of an autism support group saw that the Ombudsman for Children’s Office was advertising a free family event in Dublin in November, they thought it would make an enjoyable Saturday outing.
But the OCO Universal Children’s Day Event didn’t quite live up to its inclusive-sounding title. On checking in advance that it was going to be autism-friendly, Wicklow Triple A Alliance was disappointed to be told it wasn’t.
“I kind of assumed it would be,” says one member of the group, who has a seven-year-old son with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
It’s not difficult to make autism-friendly arrangements, she explains – such as having a quiet room, putting up photographs and descriptive text online to help parents show children what to expect, and, perhaps, allowing them in early so they get a chance to settle before the crowds arrive.
This Greystones mother was annoyed they were told nothing could be done about the event in Wolfe Tone Square this year, but, on the positive side, the OCO told her they would work on it for next year.
In response to a query from The Irish Times, the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) said that as part of the celebrations of Universal Children’s Day in November, it organised an open-air concert featuring the National Children’s Choir and Ma Samba Youth Band, to which all children of every background and ability were welcome.
“However, it was not possible on this occasion to make specific provisions for children with autism. Providing a quiet room and autism-friendly atmosphere is something we will include as part of our Disability Summit, which will take place in 2018, and as part of next year’s Universal Children’s Day event.”
Greater understanding about what can be done to make activities and venues more autism friendly is slowly seeping into mainstream events and businesses. It may require physical adaptations and restricted sessions, but also a change of attitudes, through increased awareness and staff training.
Parents of children with ASD are used to judgmental looks when their child is having a meltdown in public, but they could still do without the smug assumptions. It would be even better if, with a little more consideration and planning by others, that meltdown could be avoided in the first place.
Some 300,000 people in Ireland wake up every morning knowing that autism will be part of their day, says Niall Murphy, acting head of operations at Autism Ireland (which is in the process of changing its name from Irish Autism Action). That figure is based on at least 1 per cent of the population having ASD, plus those who live with them.
More businesses and institutions are beginning to take the needs of this constituency on board and trying to make their life a little easier.
For instance, in this the season of pantomimes, The Helix in Dublin has led the way. For its “sensory-friendly” performance of “The Beauty and the Beaston Tuesday, December 19th, the auditorium lights will stay on, the cast will hold back on their louder shrieks and nobody will bat an eyelid at a child or three rolling in the aisles.
“It is a show we look forward to every year,” says Claire Tighe, producer of the Helix panto and chief executive of TheatreWorkX Productions, who came up with the idea six years ago. The first time she made the adaptations she was just hoping they had got it right, but was reassured by the feedback, including one family who told her how they could never have done an outing together like that before, having one child with ASD and one without.
The technical changes required are not huge and what’s probably most important, Tighe adds, is that these families feel completely welcome.
Others following suit include University Concert Hall Limerick, which has a sensory friendly matinee of its pantomime Cinderella, on January 5th and the Ark in Dublin organised three “relaxed” performances of its Christmas show Tracks in the Snow, the final of these being on December 17th.
Even Santa is playing his part with, for example, a sensory day in his workshop at Aillwee Cave in Co Clare on December 21st and he did something similar in Airfield last weekend (Dec. 9th).
Supermarket shopping is an all-year-round challenge for those with sensory issues and several chains now have designated autism-friendly times.
SuperValu, which has 40 of its 219 shops already doing this, recently announced that these will be extended to more stores, along with initiatives that it has developed in conjunction with the Middletown Centre for Autism in Co Armagh. These include store maps, “de-sensitisation” of store sounds at designated times, reduced beep sounds on tills and staff awareness training.
Full Article: ‘Think autism’: shops, cinemas and other places where all children are valued
