Tag Archives: family events

Sesame Place Opens Exclusively to Autism Speaks & Variety Club Families on April 26th for Autism Awareness

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Sesame Place, the nation’s only theme park based entirely on the award-winning television program, Sesame Street, opens exclusively to Autism Speaks and Variety Club children and their immediate families for Autism Awareness Month on April 26th, 2015. Registration opens on April 8th, 2015!

Special accommodations will be made to make sure all children, regardless of their disability, have an enriching experience. These accommodations include:

  • Designated quiet areas
  • Volume of public address system and music turned low
  • Characters are instructed not to initiate contact
  • Gluten-free, Casein-free foods
  • Staff training to familiarize the challenges those affected with autism face

There will also be a resource fair for parents to attend while the rest of the family plays.

For more information about the event and registering, visit the Variety Club’s website here or send an email to varietyphila@gmail.com.

TDF Presents an Autism-Friendly Performance of “Aladdin”

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Mark your calendars! On March 8, 2015, the Autism Theatre Initiative of the Theatre Development Fund will present an autism-friendly performance of the acclaimed musical comedy “Aladdin” at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City.  Tickets will go on sale on Monday, February 9th, 2015 at 12:00pm EST.

All tickets for this special performance are being specially priced to ensure that as many individuals, as possible, affected by autism, sensory and communication disorders, or learning disabilities, are able to experience this extraordinary production. This show will be performed in a welcoming, supportive environment for individuals on the spectrum, with sensory and communication disorders, or learning disabilities. Slight adjustments to lighting and sound will be made for the performance. In the downstairs lobby, there will also be a break area staffed by specialists in the field, if audience members need to leave their seats during the show.

For more information about this performance, visit the Theater Development Fund’s website.