HAMBURG, NY (WKBW) — For families with a child with autism or any individual with sensory sensitivity, heading to the fun-filled Erie County Fair can be a difficult family outing. That is why the Fair is now offering this Sensory Room for the first time this year.
“You know the Fair is chaotic with the lights, the sounds, the people all around,” explained Gabriella Rizzo, occupational therapist, Autistic Services.
@ErieCountyFair opens it’s gates this Wednesday. A new addition has been added — a Sensory Room for anyone with sensory sensitivity. @WKBW Going to the 2022 Erie County Fair? Here is what you need to know https://t.co/X6w5l5TFq8 pic.twitter.com/nyaTl3axLW
— Eileen Buckley (@eileenwkbw) August 8, 2022
The Fair’s new Sensory Room is welcome news for many families with children on the autism spectrum as it will offer a special space for those needing a break.
“With autism or even people that just have general sensory processing difficulties — their threshold might be a little lower, so what might be a little sound like this could be amplified for them — having all those sounds out there could be really difficult,” Rizzo noted.
Autism Services helped the Fair design the Sensory Room along with the Autism Institute at Canisius College and the Autism Society of America.
This room is designed to offer families a chance to escape to a sensory-friendly environment.
“Even a five or ten-minute break could make a difference to have the individual just calm and relaxed and then sometimes just having those breaks can allow them to go back out and have fun,” Rizzo remarked.
The room features calming lights, wall padding to drown out the noise, and weighted blankets.
“So having that deep pressure on you helps your body regulate and calm down. If there are no weights in it, even just the fuzzy texture also helps to provide like a calming sensory input,” Rizzo described.
There’s also a digital ‘bubble wall’ for added comfort and quiet.
“Having the bubble wall as well creates like a calming effect. The bubbles coming down and moving and the lights are changing, so it just provides a different sensory experience."
The Sensory Room also features two small side rooms for even quieter for those with sensory impairments. It will be open during the entire stretch of the Fair
And the Fair is taking it one step further — it will host sensory hours on Tuesday, August 16 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
“We’re turning down the sounds. We’re turning down the lights — just trying to make it a little more sensory sensitive for those who get overstimulated a little easier,” replied Jessica Underberg, CEO, Erie County Fair.
The Fair leader says she believes this will be a great advantage for families who might have avoided the Fair in the past to enjoy it with all their children.
