When we used to take our kids to Chuck-E-Cheese during their early years, they had the time of their lives. As for me, I was looking forward to going home. I can say that now because my babies are grown up. But, to see so many kids around in one place and some of them being so disrespectful to their parents was something I wasn’t used to seeing.
But, there were also the young autistic kids who were having a tough time; I had compassion for them. It was hard on the children and the parents. So many things could go wrong at any time.
Now Chuck-E-Cheese has a solution, and if you are the parent or grandparent of an autistic child, this will be a godsend for you.
Via To Save A Life:
Chuck-E-Cheese’s is every kid’s dream and every parent’s worst nightmare. Especially when it comes to kiddos with Autism. But this new initiative is changing the game for good!
For most parents, going to a place like Chuck-E-Cheese’s can be an absolute nightmare.
Blinking lights, children running around, loud “ding ding dings” when someone wins a jackpot, and don’t even get me started on trying to get the kids to sit down and eat. The overwhelming atmosphere is enough to send anyone into sensory overload.
So you can imagine what the struggle is like for parents with autistic kids. Children who live with a constant sensory overload, taking on the chaos of Chuck-E-Cheese’s—it’s a guaranteed recipe for disaster.
The house of the mouse recently teamed up with the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) to host “Sensory Sensitive Sundays.” The experience is designed to mellow the restaurant’s usual noise, and make it a fun time for kids on the spectrum.
The Attleboro, MA, location launched the event on November 6, and others have quickly gotten on board. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. every Sunday, the lights are dimmed, and noise is reduced. A different location in Glen Burnie, MD, holds a similar event on the second Sunday of every month.
Chuck-E-Cheese’s initiative comes just weeks after Toys’R’Us announced their “quiet holiday hours,” designed with the same goal in mind.
I wish more places would do this; our special children would have more and varied opportunities to have fun and enjoy social situations in different settings. It’s nice that more places are being more all-inclusive this way.
It’s awesome to see people and establishments embracing autism. We need more of this spread the word!
Will you spread the word about this business making an effort to help out parents? Share your comments and add this story to your Facebook/Twitter timeline.
H/T: To Save A Life
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