For kids and adults with autism, simple things like shopping are a real struggle. In order to help them, a certain Superstore in the UK known as Asda is going the extra effort of making their store autism-friendly.
What the store does in order to accommodate their customer with autism is that they would have a "quiet hour" in the store. The music will be turned off and so will the escalators, as these are the things that overwhelm a person with autism. The display TV's will be turned off also, and customers will be given a map with pictures instead of words. This will help make shopping more pleasant for them.
According to Parents.com, the inspiration to make their store as such is because of an incident some six months ago. Simon Lea is the manager of the said store, explained that she saw the boy in the store having sensory issues at that time. The clerk told the father that his son is having some discipline issue to which the father replied that his son couldn't help the situation and that it was because of his autism.
It's a great thing to know as well that people are beginning to get it. Although most people will not be able to understand what goes on in an autistic mind. Other nearby stores in the area store have been reported that they are now following suit with Asda taking the lead as reported by Independent. They are implementing quiet hours as well.
Parents who have children with special needs such as this could attest that the struggle is real when your child is having sensory issues and you are in a public place. Jamie Pacton, contributor writer for Parent.com expressed her wish that store clerks will be kinder to parents with kids that have autism. She also hopes that the US store will follow when they hear this kind of news.
For a better understanding of autism, sensory overload and meltdowns watch the video below. It will give you an idea about the struggle behind autism especially in public places.
