Showerthought: Why do autism friendly initiatives sometimes make things harder?

I keep seeing businesses promote quiet hours or sensory kits, which is great. But last month, at a store that bragged about being inclusive, my friend's son had a shutdown and the staff just awkwardly hovered. They meant well, but without proper guidance, it added to the stress instead of easing it. Makes you wonder if some of these programs are more for PR than real support.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_oliver12d ago

Stop slapping on labels without real training.

hannah_williams29d ago

A friend's kid had a shutdown at a store's quiet hour, proving @umabailey's point about half measures.

umabailey29d ago

At our town's new playground, they put in a 'quiet zone' sign but placed it right next to the loudest slide. It's a perfect example of how well-meaning changes can miss the mark completely. I see this all the time with disability access too (like curb cuts blocked by parked bikes). Businesses want to look caring without doing the hard work of training staff or fixing real problems. So when your friend's son had that shutdown, the staff's awkward hovering just showed they had no clue what to do. It turns what should be help into another hurdle, which honestly makes things worse for everyone involved.