Opening your doors to autism
Children and adults who are autistic can suffer from social isolation, a lack of social opportunities and employment. To address this, Open Up To Autism works with organisations, employers, social care providers and support groups to increase their understanding of autism and how their environment may need to be adjusted. Our mission is to give autistic people the same choice, opportunities and access that other people enjoy
Sports Venues
Sporting arenas are very noisy environments for someone with sensory issues but a lot of people with autism really enjoy and follow sport. For some it is their obsessional topic which they are very knowledgeable about.
There are a variety of ways in which you can look at your venue and what you offer to make it more accessible for both children and adults with autism so that they can enjoy visiting a live match/event.
We work with you to look at how you can help people across the whole autism spectrum and the whole age range so they are able to support your events to their full potential.
Theatre
To enable an autistic person get the most out of a visit to your museum or attraction it is helpful to look at what you are offering to them.
One of our great accomplishments has been developing autism friendly/relaxed performances in the UK but most notably in London’s West End, shows such as Disney’s The Lion King, Wicked, Matilda, War Horse and Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night Time. She has also worked with many regional and smaller theatres around the UK .
We are able to offer guidance through the whole project from inception to the performance. This includes advice on the adjustments needed to a show which is a balanced view of what is better for an autistic audience and what a producer/director may need to keep in the show, training for all involved including the cast and help with marketing.
Museums & Attractions
To enable an autistic person get the most out of a visit to your museum or attraction it is helpful to look at what you are offering to them. Some museums are already opting to open early to allow autistic children and adults enter the building to see certain areas in a quieter relaxed atmosphere.
It is worth looking at what you already offer and can adapt to suit a wider customer base.
Are you in contact with local support groups and schools to find out what they would like you to offer?
Training and Consultancy
People with autism and their families feel that there is a need for more people to have some understanding of autism not just being aware of it’s existence. They often feel judged especially when there is a sudden change in behaviour. There are reasons why behaviours occur and why an autistic person acts the way they do. With a little understanding some of the myths around autism can be busted and you are able to understand why somebody may act that little bit differently to what you would expect