Cinema hosts autism-friendly screenings

A Paisley cinema is helping put people with autism in the picture.

Showcase Cinema is among the venues hosting dedicated autism-friendly cinema screenings in partnership with charity Dimensions.

The charity is a national not-for-profit support provider for people with learning disabilities and autism. And Showcase Paisley features its newest autism-friendly screening on the second Sunday of every month.

Their next showing is The Lego Ninjago Movie on Sunday at 10am.

Nick Barratt, head of behaviour support at Dimensions said:“Autism-friendly screenings is so important for both families and individuals who can feel excluded from the traditional cinema experience because they find the experience too stressful due to sensory overload.

“The screenings enable them to watch a wider variety of films, more frequently, in an environment conducive to their needs. “We have seen how successful such initiatives can be. So far, we’ve had over 300,000 visits to local cinemas for an autism-friendly screening. We are excited about the prospect of building upon that further.”

The showings allow Dimensions to advise on adjustments for people with autism and sensory differences to enjoy watching films in an environment conducive to their needs.