Autism Acceptance: Laur Charleston

Laur Charleston, Instructor at Reaseheath College, on the past and future of Autism Awareness in zoos.

Autism Acceptance Month takes place annually throughout April as an opportunity to celebrate, and raise awareness of support incentives for, Autistic individuals. Autism Acceptance Month is integral in enabling Autistic individuals to feel included and empowered in society through the trials and tribulations that coincide in life with a Neurodivergent Brain.

Since the first Autism Acceptance Month in 2011, established by the Autistic-Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) the conversations surrounding Autism have increased, thereby encouraging more organisations to heighten accessibility, training, and support measures for varied ages. No two Autistic individuals are the same, they differ in support requirements and have differing sensory requirements relative to the senses.

It’s been a year since BIAZA’s first Autism Acceptance Week campaign in 2023, which encouraged the implementation of various initiatives throughout Zoos, Safari Parks, and Aquariums designed to accommodate Autistic individuals. As an Autistic individual (And self-confessed Zoo enthusiast!) who has campaigned for Autism, accessibility, and zoos, I wanted to reflect upon the progress that has been made in the past year, with an outlook on where we could go next. *Disclaimer* This blog post will not include all Zoological establishments, just a select few chosen at random. It’s vital that supportive initiatives are encouraged and implemented throughout the year to heighten inclusivity and accessibility; This can also boost morale and confidence in Autistic individuals and their families.

The key is that Autism acceptance is always, and not solely throughout April.

Zoos can be exciting places for Autistic individuals to visit, with various opportunities that encourage exploration, engagement in special interests and the use of stimming (Self stimulatory) behaviours through visual, auditory, and tactile opportunities to support regulation. However, Zoos can also evoke challenges – The sensory overload, busyness, unpredictability, or change may lead to meltdowns or shutdowns in which an individual may struggle to cope and regulate. Noted, all of those factors are prevalent in Autistic adults and not restricted to Children. Problems may arise that a fidget toy cannot fix and something that may be viewed as a ‘minor’ change to a non-autistic individual, may replicate the end of the World for an autistic individual. Scenarios like this can be visualised in the ‘overwhelm bucket’, whereby the frequency of ‘small’ challenges throughout the day add up and cause the bucket to become overfilled.

To recognise BIAZA’s Autism Acceptance Week, some Zoos, including Blackpool Zoo, offered ‘autism-friendly quiet times’ from 10am-12pm during Autism Acceptance Month last year between the 30th and 31st March. An excellent initiative that allows Autistic individuals to enjoy the Zoo in a relaxed, quieter environment that aims to reduce sensory overload and overwhelm. Alongside offering Sea Lion demonstrations without audience participation and switched off music within proximity of Project Elephant and the Zoo’s main entrance. Edinburgh Zoo, Shaldon Wildlife Trust, and Reaseheath Mini Zoo offered sensory bags, filled with ear defenders, various fidget toys, and alternative maps to accommodate additional challenges, including anxiety and sensory overload. All Things Wild and Hertfordshire Zoo partnered with KultureCity to undergo annual training and to offer resources for sensory processing needs.

It's been a year since BIAZA’s first Autism Acceptance Week, an excellent start to a campaign that’ll enhance the lives of a number of people. But, where next?

With Autism Acceptance and Awareness campaigns, it’s imperative that we continue to strive for excellence and that we cater for an assortment of needs and requirements. Below are some suggestions in ways to improve accessibility and inclusivity for Autistic individuals in Zoological environments:

1. More quiet hours/times
2. Increased training for Staff: (Dimensions and KultureCity)
3. Targeted campaigns for Autistic adults
4. More initiatives throughout the year and not restricted to April
5. Conversations with Autistic individuals/things they would like to see in order to feel heard and included
6. More signs in Zoos leading to quiet/safe places and more quiet places to access
7. On the go activities for people to do (Distraction technique) such as noting down which animals have been seen or facts about different species

- Laur Charleston, Reaseheath College

All blogs reflect the views of their author and are not a reflection of BIAZA's positions.