Understanding autism eases the goal of integration

Imagine what it would feel like to live in a heightened — sometimes painful — state of sensory awareness. It would give you a totally different perspective on the world, wouldn’t it? Put yourself in the shoes of someone with autism for a moment:

You have some extra cash to spend after putting in a long workweek, and so you hit a nearby village to do some shopping.

You spot a clothing store and decide it might be the one for you — so you approach it with enthusiasm.

However, as you move toward the door, sensory overload begins to set in. The sounds of the four or five sets of wind chimes hanging outside the storefront, while designed to create a welcoming feeling, actually feel as if they will burn holes in your eardrums. You take a deep breath to go inside and immediately feel anxious under the fluorescent lights, which are already difficult for most people to bear — but practically blinding for you, and you can hear them hum as you make your way around the store. You head over to the section which carries what you want, but all of the jeans are stacked up as high as the ceiling, totally disorganized — triggering a feeling of chaos for you. In spite of your growing stress, you persevere, and pick out the pair you have long wanted, but don’t see any clear pricing and don’t have the right words to request help from the store manager (who doesn’t seem to be paying any attention anyway).

You begin to feel overwhelmed by the environment, but the store is so packed with items that there is no soothing space in the room where you can just take a deep breath. The sensory overload you are experiencing in this environment is beginning to feel crushing, and it makes it impossible for you to enjoy the experience of spending your hard-earned cash.

You leave feeling overstimulated but totally empty. The manager and team miss an opportunity to extend compassion and support. You miss out on purchasing the jeans you have been saving for, and the store watches another customer walk away from a purchase.

While the Centers for Disease Control report that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) impacts 1 in 68, the truth is: ASD impacts all of us. As people with ASD integrate into our workplaces and communities, it is becoming more critical that we develop “Autism Supportive Environments” to ensure that their needs are accommodated. At Anderson Center for Autism, thanks to funding through the #ThinkDifferently, we have worked with 45 businesses right in Dutchess County to ensure that they are making much-needed changes that will allow people with ASD to be fully integrated into their communities. Oftentimes, it only takes small tweaks to make a tremendous difference. In the storyline noted above, the business might have considered piping in soft music to their entryway, rather than hanging multiple sets of chimes. They may have also installed gentler lighting, built more well-organized systems for inventory, clearly marked pricing on items, and set aside a space in the store with a couple of comfortable chairs where customers could decompress. Those modifications would create an atmosphere that is comfortable with someone with ASD, allowing that individual to enjoy the well-deserved experience of shopping and allowing the store to embrace a new opportunity to do business.

Everyone deserves to live, work, and play in communities that will demonstrate the support that reminds us that we are all part of one human family. As ASD impacts more and more people, we must all educate ourselves on how to be more sensitive and accommodating to the needs of this segment of that human family. Grant funds are available for businesses and organizations who want to become “Autism Supportive Environments” and we are here to help.

Patrick Paul is the chief executive officer and executive director of Anderson Center for Autism in Staatsburg.  For more information on training and resources available to become an “Autism Supportive Environment,” visitandersoncenterforautism.org.