Movie Theaters Now Offering Autism-Friendly Screenings

It can be difficult for autistic kids to enjoy going to a movie theater because the high definition graphics and sound can give them an experience of sensory overload. So some theaters are now offering occasional screenings of children's movies in an autism-friendly environment:

The house lights stay on, the sound remains low, and there are no ads or previews before films. The screenings are beginning to catch on.

The sensory-friendly trend started two years ago, after a Maryland mother got kicked out of a movie theater when her autistic daughter became overwhelmed and disruptive during a showing of Hairspray. The mom got in touch with the Autism Society, a national advocacy group, which in turn contacted the AMC theaters chain about offering a low-key movie option once a month.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129479228 | Photo (unrelated) via Flickr user romulusnr used under Creative Commons license