Just a little special attention can go a long way with autistic children. This is why the National Autistic Society urges toy retailers to do more.
The non-profit organization hopes that more toy retailers and retailers in general will join the efforts. “Retailers, on the whole, could do a lot more than what they are doing at the moment,” Daniel Cadey, autism access development manager at The National Autistic Society, told ToyNews.
The news follows the initiative from Toys R Us for quiet hour for autistic kids. But that was last year and the hopes of the NAS are that there will be more to come. “I would say some are not doing enough at the moment but we are starting to see a little more understanding across the UK, with certain stores doing something”, Cadey says.
The NAS held a special survey with over 7500 autistic people and their families. The shops topped the list of places where people most wanted to see changes. Only 16% thought that the public actually understands autism.
Retailers seem to be listening. Langleys Toys will host a special Autism Quiet Hour later today. It’s from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. The stores will be quieter, with dimmed lights and personal service.
The main problem is that this is once again a one-off type of event. In order to be really beneficial, such events should be more regular. This will provide more options for autistic kids and their families.
