Inclusion of autistic people: necessary calm

Lights, loudspeaker announcements and music may be too loud in businesses for people with autism. Florence Gendron, herself an autistic person, is calling for awareness so that she can carry out her daily tasks without pitfalls.

According to Florence, aged 18, these stimuli in businesses can be so strong that they can prevent some autistic people from frequenting businesses and public spaces.

The young adult suggests establishing time slots dedicated to those who have special needs to accommodate them. It is with this initiative that she contacted various businesses in Sherbrooke, in the hope of improving her condition and those of others, who encounter the same challenges.

I have a TSAso I know well what it’s like to have that and my goal is to allow people to be able to go to places without having to worry, for example, that they shouldn’t go grocery shopping because there is too much light or too much noiseexplains Florence Gendron.

Sometimes, [les personnes autistes] don’t even go there alone anymore. They are no longer even able to do it because the anxiety is too great. Reducing stimuli allows them to maintain autonomy or develop autonomy and not be completely exhausted when they finish their grocery shopping.describes the worker at Autisme Estrie, Caroline Gelly.

Dimming the lights a little could be interesting. Also turn the sound down. What would also be fun is people’s openness.

According to the Autisme Estrie organization, such steps are important and this openness that Florence covets must begin with education.

I think a lot of things go through education and awareness, insists the speaker at Autisme Estrie. This is one of the keys to autism: the more people understand, the less they will judge and the more autistic people will be able to be themselves in society without hiding.

Businesses in the region are adapting

A handful of businesses have taken measures to accommodate autistic people. Among them, certain St-Hubert restaurants are transforming their dining rooms, two hours a week, to make them more inclusive.

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The Sherbrooke branch should offer these calm moments to its customers by next year. We train our employees, in case something happens and what is an autistic person. We dim the lights a little at lunchtime, we turn down the music, we also have sensory kits that are available for customersunderlines the director of communications and the St-Hubert Foundation, Josée Vaillancourt.

Autistic people are always asked to adapt to society because society is made like that. It’s like it’s always up to them to adapt.

I think that if there are small adjustments which, probably for traders, do not make a big difference, it will allow autistic people to have a life like everyone else.insists the speaker.