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New England Chuck E.Cheese's dials it down to delight kids with autism

February 1, 2017

Chuck E. Cheese's locations in New York, New England and New Jersey are launching Sensory Sensitive Sundays in conjunction with the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, known as CARD. The innovative offering for younsters with the diagnosis, as well as those with related conditions, gives these children the chance to have fun at the kid-centric restaurant in a quieter, more subdued environment than what typically exists there, according to a company press release.

People with autism and related conditions tend to be challenged by many types of social interaction and communication and also tend to show repetitive behaviors. But the symptoms of these types of conditions run the gamut when it comes to severity with some autistic individuals experiencing few difficulties with daily life, while others have more impactful symptoms that may even prevent them from speaking, according to Autism Speaks,an advocacy organization. However, some of the world's greatest thinkers and artists, like Mozart and Picasso, have been diagnosed by experts to have had autism from studies of their historical records, while today, people like actors Dan Aykroyd and Daryl Hannah, as well as famed director, Tim Burton have been diagnosed.  

Chuck E. Cheese's and CARD initially ran a successful pilot program of the Sensory Sensitive Sundays at an Attleboro, Massachusetts, location last November. As a result, they decided to expand the offering to 54 Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants in the northeast, officially launching on Sunday, Jan. 8. 

Sensory Sensitive Sundays provide an environment more suited to kids with these types of diagnoses since they typically appreciate smaller crowds, less noise, dimmer lighting, limited costumed characters and no shows or music as is usually available during other times at the chain. 

The Sunday events are set for two hours before the chain opens, from 9 to 11 a.m. on the first Sunday of every month. The brand said in a news release it hopes to expand this program nationwide later this year. Sensory Sensitive Sundays are now taking place at all locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. 

Photo source: iStock