Want to take your child with sensory sensitivities to performances but not sure how they’ll do? Or maybe you’re taking your child and a friend who requires special accommodations? Washington Parent has created a list of theaters that have sensory accommodations to make sure that everyone can enjoy the show.
The DMV area has many options for sensory-friendly productions which may include:
- Reduced sound level for startling or loud sounds
- Lighting adjustments (especially a reduction of strobe lighting)
- The ability for patrons to move and leave their seats
- Designated quiet areas
- Limited crowds and visitors
- Social stories which help explain the event and prepare the child for what to expect
- The use of assistive technology devices for communication during the show
Maryland
Adventure Theatre
7300 MacArthur Blvd. (Glen Echo Park), Glen Echo, Md., 301-634-2270
Select performances are slightly adjusted for children with sensory sensitivities and are prescheduled every season. Most performances, however, do provide some accommodations in this area.
The Clarice Center for the Performing Arts
8270 Alumni Drive, Suite 3800, University of Maryland, College Park, Md., 301-405-2787
Sensory-friendly performances are offered for select events. These offerings are designed to create a performing arts experience that is welcoming to people on the autism spectrum or with sensory sensitivities.
Imagination Stage
4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, Md., 301-961-6060
Accommodations start before the show begins with a previsit social story so that kids know what to expect once they arrive. During the show, the sound level and brightness of the stage lights are reduced, staff raise glow sticks before something surprising happens on stage and quiet areas are available for anyone who needs a break.
The Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md., 301-581-5100
Sensory-friendly performances are scheduled periodically. Strathmore Kids events offer a welcoming “no-shush” environment and relaxed house rules. “Get Ready for the Show!” resource materials are available on each event page one month prior to the event.
Olney Theatre Center
2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md., 301-924-3400
Sensory-friendly performances are scheduled each season for select shows and include many of the adjustments listed at the beginning of this article. Tickets for these performances are at a reduced price and refundable until the show begins.
The Puppet Co.
Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, Md., 301-634-5380, box.office@thepuppetco.org
Offers sensory-friendly versions of its Mainstage shows on select dates. The lights are dimmed, the back door of the theater is propped open for easy exit if a break is needed, loud sound effects are toned down and some visual effects are omitted.
Virginia
George Mason University Centre for the Arts
4400 University Drive, Fairfax, Va., 703-993-1000
Family-friendly performances during the season. Includes free companion pass for personal care attendants and sensory kits.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, Va., 703-993-7700
Has sensory-friendly performances that include a kit with fidget items such as a stress ball, fidget spinner, pop it and pen/notepad that may be taken home.
Washington, DC
Ford’s Theatre
511 10th St., NW, Washington, D.C., 202-347-4833
Sensory-friendly performances on select dates and a free sensory-friendly museum program for people who might benefit from an adjusted environment, including those with autism.
The Kennedy Center
2700 F St. NW, Washington, D.C., 800-444-1324 or 202-416-8727
Their website includes resources such as social stories, a virtual tour of the building and maps with designated quiet spaces. During these shows, people may talk and move around, strobe lighting is reduced, lights are kept on and sounds are quieter than a typical performance. Kennedy Center staff are also trained to assist families who need extra support.
Diana M. Martin, MFA, has been an adjunct professor and freelance writer for more than 20 years.
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Diana M. Martin, MFA, has been an adjunct professor in the Writing, Reading and Learning Center at Montgomery College and a freelance writer for more than 20 years.
