Autism and Sensory Rooms

One of the symptoms of autism, mainly in children, is experiencing an uncomfortable sensation called sensory overload. According to autism.org.uk, this concept means that people on the spectrum struggle with the mental processing of information and are therefore sensitive to certain environments. The sensory issues can lead to feelings of anxiety, pain, and can get as extreme as a meltdown, which could be perceived by others as a temper tantrum. According to heathline.com, there are ways to work around or attempt to prevent sensory overload from setting in, such as being aware of the triggers of a given environment and finding techniques to offset it and to ask for an aspect of the environment to be changed to avoid it altogether. Fortunately, now that society is becoming more aware of autism and its various symptoms, certain public places are providing a support system for those on the spectrum who may have a sensory overload meltdown. 

According to washingtonpost.com, a very recent example of this is within the Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania at its new attraction called Presley’s Place. Presley’s Place is named after a 2 year old boy on the autism spectrum whose father, Jason Rudge, was suggested to try a sensory room by one of Presley’s preschool teachers to help Presley deal with his sensory overload. Rudge works as a heavy-equipment operator at this airport and thought of the idea of having a sensory room at his workplace. According to Rudge in a note to the CEO of the airport, “It just worked immediately.” 

He elaborated, “As we know, an airport can be a fast-moving, busy, and loud environment. I also believe that if Pittsburgh International Airport had a sensory room, it would ease the minds of customers knowing that there is a place for their children to go if needed.” Rudge also commented that this room gave his son a place to calm his nerves and interact with other children, and that children on the spectrum can have issues adapting to the stimuli of an airport environment. Presley’s Place contains a replica of an airplane so that children on the spectrum can feel more relaxed for the real flying experience, as well as individual rooms, family rooms, and a space for adults.

Presley’s Place is just one example of an airport creating a unique concept for the autistic community. According to thearc.org, there is a non-profit organization called The Arc that funds a program called Wings for Autism/Wings for All that provides training to the personnel at airports nationwide on how to help autistic people through the preflight process. This program hosts events that include a rehearsal of an airport, including participants obtaining a boarding pass, going through security, and boarding an airplane. The rehearsal also goes over the various parts of an airplane and the safety regulations while on board for a trip. According to the senior manager of special events at The Arc, Kerry Mauger, she would like to see every airport in the United States have a sensory room. She elaborated, “As much practice as you get going through the airport, there still can be other things that happen on your day of travel.”

Certain amusement parks have started to introduce sensory rooms for their guests on the spectrum. According to usatoday.com, one of these parks is Thomas Land, based on the children’s cartoon character Thomas the Tank Engine, located at the Edaville Family Theme Park in Carver, Massachusetts. Based off of the suggestion of the mother of an autistic child, this theme park now has a sensory room filled with books, puzzles, and a weighted blanket in the event of a sensory overload episode. There is also a bathroom at this park that is designed with manual controls for its appliances, as the loud noises that come from these appliances could be a trigger for sensory overload. 

The concept of sensory rooms, especially in public places, is very beneficial to both autistic children and their families because the sensory overload phenomenon is real and potentially problematic. Knowing that airports and amusement parks care enough to have these rooms within their property is very encouraging and heartwarming. It goes a long way in showing that autism has increased in the public eye and that the issues those on the spectrum cope with are being taken care of as best these places can at the moment.