Family Autism Night

Thursday, September 30th | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Once a month, we host a special night for our neurodiverse friends and their families. Come by the museum and play in a sensory-sensitive environment with the support and help from our community partners who specialize in the autism spectrum and other special needs. We will have staff on hand to help you enrich your learning and play experience to its fullest potential. 

Specifically, for: Families with children of all ages who are on the autism spectrum and with other disabilities. Pretend City will be closed to the public. 

This special evening is an opportunity for children and their parents/siblings/caretakers to have some fun in an autism-friendly environment along with other families. Many of our community partners, who specialize in supporting children on the autism spectrum, will be on-hand to enrich your family’s play experience with welcoming smiles and practical support. Watch a video tour of our museum here. 

• Art Studio Sessions (5 PM – 7 PM)*: Be sure to stop by the Art Studio to enjoy an array of textures like pom-poms and feathers as we make fly swatter art!
• Storytime (6:15 PM)**: We’re gathering to read a book about Thanksgiving and share what we’re each giving thanks for this year.

Grown-up Tip: Thanksgiving can be overwhelming not only for adults but for little ones too.  Family, friends, crowds, busy schedules, and lots of food. Now is not the time to force new foods or an empty plate.  Instead, offer small portions with only 2 or 3 items.  This allows your child to explore taste and texture at their own pace. And it’s important to remember, it can take up to ten times for a child to enjoy or even try a specific food; and so many of the celebratory holiday foods, like cranberry sauce, turkey, and pumpkin pie, only come around once a year which makes them very new to a child. 

RSVP: HERE  max: 250 guests  *Only guests with a reservation and a confirmation number will be admitted. 

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: We have a reoccurring predicament that we need your help with! Consistently, 250 guests register, but then never attend. To mitigate this, we’ve decided to open registration closer to the event’s date on the 8th so parents can better gauge their ability to attend. We know that a child’s temperament, nap schedule, energy level, will and desire to play can be unpredictable – we don’t want to discourage you from signing up for that reason! We simply want to spread awareness: When you sign up knowing that you likely won’t come, you are taking the spot another neurodiverse family might use! Thank you for your consideration and kindness!

Fee: FREE to behavioral therapists and children on the spectrum or with other disabilities and their immediate families

Play Partners: Kyo Autism Therapy and Behavior Coach Deniece Ibanez

Play Partners: Kyo Autism Therapies, our experienced stage staff of trained early childhood and child development educators, and grown-ups! Kyo Autism Therapy: ABA is a highly effective treatment that helps people with autism to develop language and daily living skills. ABA can also be used to decrease challenging behaviors, such as aggression or self-injurious behavior. The goal of ABA is to increase independence and quality of life for the child with autism and their family. At Kyo, ABA therapy is also naturalistic and fun! The Kyo team uses child-centric, play-based activities to help children meet their goals. By incorporating each child’s interests throughout treatment, therapy sessions are both highly effective and engaging.