London Shops Take Part in National Autism Event

INTU shopping centres have announced they will be taking part in the national Autism Hour event later this year. The company runs the UK’s largest shopping centres and has partnered with the National Autistic Society to promote autism-friendly shopping.

Stimulants and Sensitivity

INTU will take part in the October 2 event at its 14 shopping centres, including two in west London – Uxbridge and Watford. During Autism Hour, the centres will turn down music and other noises, turn off announcements and dim the lights. They will also teach their staff about autism.

Autism is a life-long developmental disability that affects people’s interaction with and perception of the world. It ranges on a spectrum from mild to severe.

Many autistic people are oversensitive to stimuli like sounds, touch, smells, taste, light and colour, which happen to be the basic ingredients of a shopping centre or High Street.

An excess of them can create sensory overload that leads to “meltdowns”, which can be similar to anxiety attacks. Autism also makes social situations challenging: big, noisy crowds and bright public spaces are huge triggers.

Shopping isn’t just difficult for those with the condition. Carers, family and friends can also find it overwhelming and stressful. Some find the amount of preparation and attention required for something that seems so simple to neurotypical people is often not worth the effort. The judgemental attitudes of the ill-informed don’t help either. Samantha Tomlin told the National Autism Society that her 12-year-old son’s meltdown at Christmas made her feel so judged she didn’t take him shopping for a whole year.

A Place in Society

Physical disabilities are usually more noticeable than mental ones and unfortunately people tend to make judgements based on what they can see. A child having a tantrum in a shop is something we’ve all witnessed but a sensory meltdown can often be more extreme, far more difficult to handle and exhausting for those involved. This over stimulation isn’t limited to children; autistic adults get it too and often suffer even harsher judgements from outsiders who don’t understand the condition.

Autism Hour allows autistic people, their families, friends and carers to enjoy shopping without the fear of unexpected noise, smells and bright lights. Shops like Toys’R’Us, Asda and Tesco have previously joined in but this is the first year to include entire shopping centres.

The event isn’t just about enjoyment as it’s also educational. Creating a safe space for autistic people to shop means those with limited social interaction can gain confidence and independence. Learning how and where to buy your own clothes and food can obviously help increase self-sufficiency.

Familiarity with a place reduces stress for autistic people, so an introduction that’s tailored for them makes future excursions easier to handle.

Inclusion and Acceptance

There are an estimated 700,000 people in the UK with autism and both major parties made manifesto pledges concerning the condition. The Tories promised to reduce stigma and discrimination while Labour went further by announcing it would end isolation and make Britain the most “autism-friendly” country in the world.

Unfortunately all sorts of people and problems have taken a backseat to the Brexit steamroller but firms like INTU are helping to shine a light on these swept-aside promises. An hour a year dedicated to 700,000 people isn’t enough but the step from a few shops to 14 national shopping centres is a huge one in the right direction.

Find out more about the upcoming Autism Hour and how you can be involved here.

by Jo Davey

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