For autistic children, being in a busy, loud place can be incredibly overwhelming, particularly for those with sensory sensitivities.
And due to this, sadly many kids can miss fun days out – which really isn’t fair.
That’s why Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, is doing something very special to help autistic children enjoy the zoo experience: opening a full hour earlier each Saturday especially to cater to autistic visitors and their families.
“This is a great opportunity to enjoy the peace and quiet of the zoo before it opens to the general public,” says the Zoo's manager of guest experience operations, Stephen Williams.
And according to a spokeswoman for the Zoo, the staff have been working closely with Autism Spectrum Australia, to enable them to give these visitors the best experience possible.
“We have trained over 120 of their staff members to better equip them to work with visitors and families on the autism spectrum,” she says.
We love this idea, and we applaud this zoo for thinking outside the box and finding a simple way to adapt for children with special needs. We hope this inspires other venues to follow suit.
Bravo!
