Leila Chapman discusses facilitating experiences for visitors with autism at museums and attractions. She provides an overview of autism as a spectrum condition, common difficulties including issues with social communication, interaction, and imagination. Chapman also describes characteristic behaviors such as sensitivity to routines, senses, and special interests. The document offers tips for supporting people with autism, such as using clear language, visual aids, sensory-friendly spaces, and staff training. The goal is for all to have an inclusive, engaging experience.

1. A view from a sibling:
Facilitating experiences for visitors with autism.
Leila Chapman
KCA London
leilas@kcalondon.com

2. Who I am:
Twelve years experience in operating and creating
visitor experiences
Started career at the Science Museum, London
Part of the KCA London partnership

3. Who I am not:
A doctor
A psychologist
A pathologists
A therapist…

5. What’s the big deal?
New data suggests 1 in 110 children have a ASD
(National Centre on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities)

6. The potential to provide positive experiences
Huge potential for science centres, Museum and
attractions to provide inclusive, engaging and life
enhancing experiences for people with autism and
their families.

7. What am I going to talk about:
What autism is
Common difficulties for people with autism
Characteristic behaviours for people with autism
What we can do
Hints and tips

8. What is autism?
A lifelong developmental disability that affects how a
person communicates with, and relates to, people
around them.
Also affects how they make sense of the world around
them.
‘..the world is a mass of people, places
and events which I struggle to make
sense of’.

9. What is autism?
Spectrum condition – may share characteristics, but
condition will affect them in different ways.
ASD

10. What is autism?

11. Common areas of difficulty

12. Common areas of difficulty
Characteristics vary from one person to another but
generally divided into three main groups:
•Difficulty with social communication
•Difficulty with social interaction
•Difficulty with social imagination.

13. Social Communication
Difficulty with verbal and non verbal language.
Many have a very literal understanding of language,
thinking people mean exactly what they say.
Find it difficult to understand:
• Facial expressions or tone of voice
• Jokes or sarcasm
• Idioms, metaphors and figurative speech.
‘My teacher told me to pull my socks up.
I bent down and did just that.’
‘The sign said remain seated. That’s why I did not get
off the bus.’

14. Social Communication
Mathematics and physics may appeal to people with
ASD:
“Communicating science concepts is easy – everyone
speaks the same language. When you go to a foreign
country people make an effort to speak clearly and
without ambiguities, because they know that if they
don't, you may not understand.”
Michael Barton, It’s Raining Cats and Dogs

15. Social Communication
Some people may not speech, or have limited speech.
May understand what other people say to them, but
prefer to use alternative means of communication
themselves:
•Makaton
•Picture Exchange Communication symbols (PECS)
•Noises
•Repetitive movements

16. Social Communication

17. Social Communication
Others will have great language skills, but may find it
hard to understand the give-and-take of conversations.
Echolalia.
Talking at length about their own interests – and
nothing else.
Little or no eye contact.
Preoccupied with a thought or object.

18. Social Communication

19. Social Communication
2002 study (NAS, UK) explored why Thomas the Tank
Engine is so popular with children with autism and Asperger
syndrome:
•Characters have friendly faces, often with exaggerated
expressions.
•Expressions are set for some time, and often accompanied by
simple narration explaining the emotion (‘Thomas was sad’)
•The characters play predictable roles.
•The narration is calm and clear, and changes are
'signposted' clearly.
•The stop-action photography allows the background and scenery
to remain still, allowing for greater focus on the "big picture" with
less distraction.

20. How can you support social communication for
people with autism?
Think about the language you use in graphics and
presentations: be clear, consistent, and give time to
process.
Be creative with communication – icons, images, body
language, colour.
Makaton!
Patience, kindness.
Work hard to make links to the everyday
– systems learning.

21. How can you support social communication for
people with autism?
Video labels for mechanical exhibits.

22. Social Interaction
Socialising doesn’t come naturally – we have to learn
it.
People with autism often have difficulty recognising or
understanding other people’s emotions or feelings, and
expressing their own.

23. Social Interaction
They may:
•Not understand the unwritten social rules, such as
standing too close to other people.
•Appear to be insensitive.
•Prefer to spend time alone.
•Do not seek comfort.
•‘Inappropriate’ behaviour.

24. Social Interaction
Common to exhibit unusual behaviours or interests.
Repetitive behaviours also common:
•Hand flapping, rocking, jumping up and down;
•Compulsory behaviours: Arranging items in a certain
order or manner;
•Ritualistic behaviours that are limited in focus, such as
a certain object or television programme.
May want to make friends: but don’t know how.

25. How can you support social interaction for
people with autism?
Train your staff – visitors will take their lead.
Provide a space where they can take a break from the
hub of activity.
Multiuser exhibits can break barriers to interacting with
others.
Popular items or objects (trains, buses):
trail opportunities?

26. How can you support social interaction for
people with autism?
What exhibits operate use repetitive movements?

27. Social Imagination
Allows us to understand and predict other people’s
behaviour, make sense of abstract ideas, imagine
situations outside of immediate routine.
For people with autism, it can be hard to:
•Understand and interpret other people’s thoughts,
feelings and actions;
•Predict what will happen next;
•Understand the concept of danger or threats;
•Engage in imaginative play;
•Prepare for change and plan for the future;
•Cope in new or unfamiliar situations.

28. How can you support social imagination for
people with autism?
Be extra aware of danger or risk on gallery.
Avoid terms such as ‘imagine’ or put ‘yourself in place
of’…
Think about props and gallery extensions – what objects
or tools can help connect science principles to everyday
life?

29. How can you support social imagination for
people with autism?
Ask descriptive questions based on sensory discoveries:
‘is it rough or smooth?’, ‘is it new or old?’, ‘is it heavy or
light?’… will encourage investigation.

30. Characteristic behaviours
Vary from one person to another, but common
behaviours are:
•Love of routines
•Sensory sensitivity
•Special interests
•Learning disabilities

31. Love of routines
‘One young person with autism attended a day service.
He would be dropped off by taxi, walk up to the door of
the day service, knock on it and be let in.
One day, the door opened before he could knock and
a person came out, rather than go in through the open
door, he returned to the taxi and began his routine
again.’

32. Love of routines
May prefer a fixed daily routine so that they know what
is going to happen in a confusing and unpredictable
world.
Coming to your attraction rather than following normal
routine can be an ordeal in itself!
Can cope better if prepared in advance.

33. You are coming to Mishkat!

34. Mishkat is about energy. We use energy to
watch television, drive cars and cook food.

35. Energy is all around us. We can capture
energy from the sun, wind, water and from the
heat under the ground.

36. You can explore where energy comes from and
how we use it at Mishkat.

37. You will be met by our friendly hosts at
reception. They will keep your bags and coats
safe and show you where the toilets are.

38. In the Group Space, you will meet our
Facilitators. They are here to help you discover
about energy.

39. You can fly a plane, send a rocket into space,
make a hot air balloon float into the air... there
are lots of fun things for you to do and see!

40. In the Energy Hall, there is a wavy table for you
to touch and play with.

41. You will also go into Powering Our Future,
where there are lots of things fo you to touch
and explore.

42. Sensory sensitivity
‘Peter loves dancing at parties. But attending a party
make him anxious, as he is terrified that there will be
balloons. For weeks beforehand, he will cover his ears
with his hands and shout ‘bang!’”
People with autism may experience sensory sensitivity
in one or more of the five senses.

43. Sensory sensitivity
A person’s senses are either intensified
(hypersensitive) or under-sensitive (hypo-sensitive).
Hypersensitive:
A person with autism may find certain background
sounds unbearably loud or distracting – it can cause
anxiety or even physical pain.
Sensory stimulating places may be too overwhelming.

44. Sensory sensitivity
Eureka! Children’s Museum Break to Play project

45. Sensory sensitivity
Provides a welcoming environment for children with
ASD and their parents, carers and siblings, in what
would otherwise be a challenging environment.
Sessions offer families the chance to play together with
additional support from the Eureka! team.
First programme took place on Saturday mornings
Experiences were tailored to the needs of their family.
Ear defenders offered to explore the galley.

46. Sensory sensitivity
Hypo-sensitive
May not feel pain or extremes of temperature.
Some may rock, spin, flap hands to stimulate
sensation, help with balance and posture or deal with
stress.
May also find it harder to use their body awareness
system, making it difficult to avoid obstructions, stand
at appropriate distances or carry out fine motor tasks.
.

47. Sensory sensitivity
.

48. Special interests
Many people with autism have intense special
interests.
Can change overtime, or be lifelong.
May be unusual…
.

49. Special interests
Interest can be channelled into subject areas:
Buses – Transport
Rubbish – Recycling
Pebbles – Geology
.

50. Final thoughts
Don’t leave out the siblings or parents!
Be creative with communications.
Invest in staff.
Create an ethos of empathy not sympathy.
Consider the entire visitor experience – pre visit,
queuing, on gallery trails..

51. Final thoughts
Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Children of autism grown and become autistic adults.
Although there are characteristics, they are individuals.
No substitute for kindness and patience.
.

52. Thank you!
leilas@kcalondon.com
.