Businesses are doing their bit on the quiet to help with autism
Nick Ward welcomes participation in a national event
Shops, cafes and other businesses can be a sensory overload for many autistic people. They can be crowded, unpredictable, loud, bright and can mean an extremely stressful experience – with staff and the public not knowing how to help.
Sadly, this means many autistic people and their families find visiting shops too stressful and simply avoid them altogether. They close themselves off and their world shrinks. That’s one of the reasons why twothirds of Scotland’s 58,000 autistic people told us that they feel socially isolated.
This needs to change and that’s why we’re delighted that more than 1,250 businesses across Scotland are taking part in a week of Autism Hours from 5 to 12 October, where retailers and businesses can offer a more autismfriendly shopping experience.
Holding an Autism Hour means making small adjustments, like dimming lights, turning off loud music, setting aside a quiet space, and making sure staff are extra aware of autistic customers.
We’re delighted too that the Scottish Parliament is participating this year by looking at how they can make a visit to the building more autismfriendly.
Since starting out in 2017, thou