Autism Awareness Month Celebrated with Sensory-Friendly Events

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 44 children are diagnosed on the autism spectrum. In 2017, the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau began a collaboration with regional attractions to provide a supportive and welcoming environment for those with autism spectrum disorder, developmental disabilities, sensory processing disorder, and other neuro-diverse individuals and their families.

Multiple attractions have joined the partnership, including Impression 5 Science Center, Celebration Cinema, NCG Cinema, Michigan State University’s Abrams Planetarium, the MSU Museum, Potter Park Zoo, the Michigan History Center, the state Capitol, the Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center, the Lansing Lugnuts, Preuss Pets and the Wharton Center for Performing Arts.

The Greater Lansing community will be celebrating Autism Awareness Month throughout April with the following sensory-friendly activities as well as a robust calendar of sensory-friendly programming throughout the year. Events include:

• April 9: Falconers Program at Potter Park Zoo.
• April 16: Sensory-friendly movie (“Sonic 2”) at Celebration Cinema.
• April 19: Sensory-friendly Spartan concert at MSU’s Fairchild Theatre.
• April 23: Sensory-friendly movie (“The Bad Guy”) at Celebration Cinema.
• April 24: Two sensory-friendly shows at Abrams Planetarium.

“The Greater Lansing community takes great pride in having numerous offerings tailored to the growing number of neuro-diverse guests and their families,” said Julie Pingston, president and CEO of the convention and visitors bureau. “It is our hope to continue to develop and conduct ASD training for our hospitality partners and encourage sensory-friendly activities by our attractions.”

For a complete schedule of ongoing sensory-friendly activities and attractions, including information on restaurants and virtual tours of over 50 area locations produced by AbleEyes, visit lansing.org/things-to-do/sensoryfriendly/.