In honor of Autism Awareness Day Noelle, from Adafruit’s Kitting team, put together this activity guide!

Autism in entertainment

Representation matters! Here’s a list of a few shows that have characters with Autism.

• Atypical is a really sweet Netflix original series about an autistic teenage boy named Sam, who is trying to navigate teenage independence, love, friendship and high school.
• The Good Doctor is a medical drama about surgeon named Shaun who is autistic, who is also diagnosed as being a Savant, who becomes a member of a very prestigious hospital.
  Check your local listings for more info.

• Sesame Street added their first autistic muppet named Julia in 2017. What makes Julia pretty unique is that not only is Julia one of the few autistic female characters we have seen represented on a popular show like Sesame Street. Additionally, Julia is voiced by puppeteer, Stacy Gordon who also happens to be the mother of an Autistic child.
  Check your local listings for more info.

Autism Friendly Things To Do

Music for Autism

Music for Autism is enhancing quality of life and raising public awareness through autism-friendly, interactive concerts developed specifically for individuals with autism and their families. The concerts feature professional musicians, including Tony Award winners, Grammy-nominated classical artists, and Pulitzer Prize winners. To ensure equal access for all, every Music for Autism concert is fully subsidized. Families note that the concerts help fill a major psychosocial void, enabling them to enjoy enriching activities that are inclusive and to experience the joy and power of music as a family.
(excerpt from via www.musicforautism.org)

***Check out this link http://www.musicforautism.org/our-mission/ to find locations, dates, times and more.

Sensory Sensitive Sundays at Chuck E. Cheese

Chuck E. Cheese is proud to support families who have children with autism and special needs. We now offer a sensory- friendly experience on the first Sunday of every month. Our trained and caring staff is there to make sure each guest has a fun filled visit.

(excerpt from www.chuckecheese.com)
***Check out this link https://www.chuckecheese.com/deals-offers/sensory-sensitive-sundays to find details and locations.

TDF Autism Friendly Performances

What makes a show “Autism Friendly” – Slight adjustments to the production are made, including reduction of any jarring sounds or strobe and spot lights that shine into the audience. House lights are faintly dimmed but remain on. TDF works closely with professionals in the field and with consultants on the autism spectrum to make each show accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

TDF creates resources for each production that help prepare audience members for a day at the theatre. A team of volunteers and autism specialists are available throughout the theatre. Break areas are available to anyone who may need to leave their seats during the performance.

To personalize the experience for attendees, downloadable social narratives (in Word format) with pictures of the theatres and productions are available in advance of the performances. TDF also produced a video social narrative that describes how best to navigate Times Square. (via www.tdf.org)

***Check out the link https://www.tdf.org/nyc/40/Autism-Theatre-Initiative-TDF-Theatre-Accessibility-Program-Tap to find out more details.

I recently took my son to an autism friendly performance of Aladdin and not only was the show fantastic, the volunteers were very friendly and accommodating. They even passed around sensory balls for the audience members.

And more . . .

PBS NewHour did this really cool segment on how Donkeys are helping children process their feelings.

May we all continue to spread that awareness and show kindness to all those who are different from us.

Thanks again to Noelle for helping put together this excellent Autism Awareness material. Get involved and be excellent!