TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Autism

CDC Says Autism Rates Climbing Again in 2020

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Young boy playing with lego blocks.

Data collected by the Center for Disease Control’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network shows an increase in autism diagnoses among children. According to the CDC report, 1 in 54 children have the developmental disorder, an increase from the rate of 1 in 59 reported just two years ago.

Alison Singer, president of the Autism Science Foundation, told Disability Scoop that the higher rates of diagnosis are actually positive, because fewer children are falling through the cracks. “We know that the earlier children are diagnosed and the earlier they start intervention, the better their prognosis,” she said.

OUR TAKE: As the number of children diagnosed with autism increases, demand for accessible, sensory-friendly spaces is likely to increase. Businesses can get ahead of the curve by investing in these resources now, making it easier for families touched by autism to participate and take part in activities outside the home.

To read the full story, click here.

Special Needs Kids Meet Special Needs Animals to Form Healing Connections

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Jamie Wallace-Griner and her husband, David Griner, are the owners of Safe in Austin, an animal sanctuary and rehabilitation center located in Texas. Their mission is “to rescue animals from severe abuse or neglect, rehabilitate and rehome the ones that are able, and offer a safe and loving forever home for the rest.”

What makes Safe in Austin truly special, according to an article in Good News Network, isn’t the care it offers to the rescue animals, but rather the companionship those animals provide to the sanctuary’s visitors.

Wallace-Griner said, “Our animals provide healing to trauma, at-risk, and/or special needs children by way of unconditional friendship and a clear, loving, example of what they are looking for most… hope.” One of those children is her own son, who has autism and enjoys interacting with the animals.

Although the sanctuary has moved to private, small group tours during the pandemic, Wallace-Griner still wants to ensure the animals are accessible to those most in need. She regularly invites potential visitors out to meet the animals on a “healing hearts tour” if she believes it will help in their situation.

To learn more about Safe in Austin and Wallace-Griner’s work, click here.

What Exactly Is Sensory-Friendly Shopping?

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Malls and shopping centers are struggling for business. Parents are stressed out trying to maintain some sense of calm in their homes during the pandemic. Together Champions Autism Network, a South Carolina based advocacy group,  created a Sensory-Friendly Shopping Days this August with Tanger Outlets Myrtle Beach. Both local residents and visitors found it refreshing. Read more here

OUR TAKE  Use this ‘pause’ in business to learn more about sensory-friendly events and think of how to integrate simple sensory precautions at all of your events. The basic definition: fewer people and less buzz—loud music and fountains are off, people offering samples, crowded dressing, or bathrooms are all minimized. All of those things can feel like an assault on a child’s system, making shopping with them nearly impossible. 

Start by getting to know some of the local organizations that work with people with disabilities and ask them what they’d like to see. If the event is small and manageable, it should be do-able in the current pandemic. Use this socially distanced, sensory-friendly day of shopping for parents of children with autism as a model in your area.

More Travel Options! Six Flags Becomes ‘First Family of Autism-Certified Parks’

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schoolage boy and girl in different seats on a ride with big yellow headlights
Photo Courtesy Six Flags

Many of the country’s largest family-friendly attractions have trained staff to be knowledgeable and sensitive to the needs of autistic travelers. Six Flags can now proudly say they are autism certified and in fact, they are the first family of parks to earn the designation. The accomplishment was proudly reported on by their hometown news station. See the full story, here. 

OUR TAKE: What a difference a year makes! More and more attractions are now Autism Certified Centers where a majority of staff are trained to fully interact with visitors and appreciate neurodiversity. They follow a trend TravelAbility Insider saw last year in which everything from marketing agencies to Mall of America adopted the training. 

See our archive of autism-related industry posts, here.

Also have a look at this new post from TravelAge West, titled “More Options for Autism Families”, here.

Inside Look at ‘Business Unusual’ Workdays with Neurodiverse Employees During COVID-19

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an infinity sign for neurodiversity in rainbow colors
The rainbow infinity sign is a symbol for the neuro-diversity movement in general.

Overwhelmed, scared, but also relieved—that’s how Zeinab Ali said he felt when he began to work at home during the pandemic. Zeinab, who prefers to be referred to as #actuallyautistic, gave tips and coping strategies to make the transition easier for everyone on the Inclusive Employers blog, here.

OUR TAKE: It’s interesting to note that this company (and hundreds more) has  taken on a new symbol (the infinity symbol) and do not prefer person-first language. A new generation of disability activism, in which people refer to themselves as autistic versus “living with autism” is emerging in the workplace. 

Wondering about the reasoning behind the Infinity symbol? We were too. Fun fact: the rainbow-colored Infinity symbol represents the diversity of the autism spectrum as well as the greater neurodiversity movement. For the travel industry, So what language is best and where? Ask your customers in the autism community—they are the real experts. 

To find more stories about autism and family travel visit our archive.

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