Museum launches free program for people with special needs

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is launching a new program that allows people with special needs and their families to explore the Miami museum without the hassle of big crowds.

The quarterly program, called “Just for Me Mornings” launches Sunday at 8 a.m. at the six-story museum, 1101 Biscayne Blvd.

“The program invites individuals and families with special needs for an engaging, sensory-friendly experience at the museum, without the crowd,” said Angela Colbert, senior director of learning at the museum. “We hope this program will become a fanfavorite.”

The event gives visitors access to select exhibitions and a show at the planetarium. Programs include the interactive exhibition “Brain: The Inside Brain,” which explains how the complex organ works on an emotional and thinking level and how it has involved.

That exhibit also features a six-foot-tall artificial humanoid to explain the relationship between the brain and sense of touch. And there’s the “brain lounge” where people can see what happens to brain of a professional basketball player as he reacts to making a shot.

At 9 a.m., there’s a screening of “Dynamic Earth” which shows the planet’s atmosphere, biosphere and oceans.

Narrated by actor Liam Neeson, the presentation uses computer simulations and satellite-based visuals that are cast inside the planetarium dome.

Admission is free for individuals with special needs and their families, but an RSVP is required because space is limited. To register, visit frostscience.org/event/ just-for-me-morning/