Visual visitors guide will help people with autism at the theatre
A new visual guide to help people with autism and associated conditions will prove ‘ valuable’ to families.
Launched by the Hawk’s Well Theatre. the guide will help people with every stage of their visit to the theatre.
The use of a visual guide for the Hawk’s Well Theatre will greatly assist children and people with autism spectrum disorder to plan in advance their visit to the theatre.
“It will help them to understand what will happen during their visit so that they will be more confident of having an enjoyable and successful evening’s entertainment.
“It will also create clarity and predictability for someone with autism which in turn can reduce anxiety about a trip to the theatre.
The guide was created by Damien Quinn who says “The Hawk’s Well Theatre was immediately supportive of the suggestion of creating a visual guide for the theatre for people with autism thus enabling the theatre to create a more inclusive environment for all of their patrons.
“From experience of working with children with autism, creating social stories is a proven evidence- informed intervention which supports the person with autism to gain a successful experience in any social situation.
“The visual guide is a way of clearly communicating information about the theatre in a way that is meaningful to people with autism.”
This initiative was launched to coincide to World Autism Day on Sunday April 2nd 2017.