Taking Autistic child to the Cinema

So, you want to take your Autistic child to the cinema?

(Duh!, otherwise why would you be clicking on this post?)

Great!

Alright. We will speak about the best ways to go about this.

Before we get into anything, I have taken my Autistic child to the cinema twice now in around 1 year.

My Autistic child is a huge fan of going to the cinema and has has a very positive experience. Both the times that we went.

That is not to say it was an easy decision to take.

Nor was it an easy decision to try to make reality.

But we decided that we wanted our Autistic child to be able to try everything (somewhat) at least once in their life.

I do not want my Autistic child to have a fear of the unknown. Or apprehension about what something may be like.

My Autistic child might enjoy some activities more than others. That is true.

But we will never figure out what those activities are unless we take them to try it out first.

Some background information

My child was displaying symptoms of Autism from an extremely early age.

We figured our child might be a little bit different as early as from the age of 11 months.

I have Autism and I saw a lot of similarities in the way that my child would act and the way in which I would act when I was a child.

We had a lot of the same habits.

Because of this, we decided to go through the route of getting an official diagnosis for my child.

I wanted to do this because I wanted my child to receive the best possible help that was available.

When I was a child, and especially as an Autistic child at that. I never received any help at all.

Going through life was a struggle and I could not understand why my thought process or thinking was so different than my peers.

It almost feels as though you are going through life looking forward through a semi sheer curtain.

You can see what is ahead of you but the little stones and bumps you will absolutely miss and you will trip all over them.

Once my child reached the age of 2, we received an official Autism diagnosis.

After the diagnosis, we received help from professionals and specialists.

Therapies we did for my child included:

Speech and Language Therapy
Behavioural Therapy
Social Therapy
Pivotal Response Treatment Therapy
Applied Behavioural Analysis Therapy

I have several posts on how to do Therapy with your child at home by yourself.

You can find them here:

Speech and Language Therapy:

Pivotal Response Treatment Therapy:

Behaviour and Social Therapy:

We went to therapy outside the house at least 3 times a week, have a specialist coming into the house at least once a week as well as a specialist who attends the school my child is at to help them there.

Some may argue that this might be too much for a child, however. I need to mention that my child absolutely loves these sessions and looks forward to them.

As well as requesting more sessions, more times a week.

We try to at least do 90% of all the Therapy sessions in a playful manner and through games. I think this is why my child loves doing it so much.

Actually my child, asks me regularly when their therapists (they asks for them by name) are coming to our house, so that they can play together.

My child really does not see it as work. But as fun and games!

It is also worth mentioning that my child, in 2 years, has progressed significantly.

2 years ago my child could only say Mama and Papa. Now they are speaking in full clear sentences.

Research

Some time ago, I came across possibly one of the best parenting books for gentle parenting that I have read in a while.

This book is called, “Between Parent and Child” by Dr. Haim Ginott.

It details all topics under the sun that might come between a parent and a pre teenage child. And the solutions for what to do and say when problems arise between them.

It provides solutions for parents to help develop a good and trusting relationship with their child.

More than this, related to this post on taking your Autistic child to the cinema. It is good to do some research on sensory stimulation.

Not just in relation to Autism and Autistic children but how children process sensory stimulation generally.

Going to the cinema is a massive stimulatory experience.

The sound, crowds, movements and visuals are big factors in giving a person the cinema experience.

So, before you take your Autistic child to the cinema, I also recommend you read this book, “Sensory Processing 101” to understand general sensory processing in children.

Then I recommend you take a little read of, “Sensory Issues and High-Functioning Autism Spectrum and Related Disorders“. This book helps us further understand sensory stimulations and sensory overloads when it comes specifically to our Autistic children.

Now onto the CINEMA

The cinema is definitely a lot of fun.

This can be agreed on by many different characters!

And I think everyone alive should get to go to the cinema at least once in their lifetime. Including children with Autism who can handle it.

Like, I said before, my Autistic child absolutely loves going to the cinema and also asks for it sometimes.

This despite all the stimuli that comes with going to the cinema. And the fact that in general, my Autistic child hates stimuli.

BUT

As stated before. The cinema has a lot of different Sensory stimulations.

There are many factors that go into getting the ‘cinema experience’.

However, I do not believe all of these pose a problem for an Autistic child.

Some might, but others might actually be an advantage for anyone with Autism.

For example, when the movie is about to start and the screen expands and the lights dim out.

It makes an individual feel like they are not in a crowded cinema. Even if the cinema is quite crowded.

Because your visibility of others also becomes a bit more limited. And because the screen takes up the whole bloody wall. It is very hard to get distracted during the movie because it is practically the only thing you can see.

This on top of having your own snacks during the movie, as well as how loud the movie is, really helps cancel out the stimuli that comes from the other attendees at the cinema.

Even better for my child that they prefer is when we are going to watch the movie in IMAX and the chairs are moving, as well as feeling some slight rain and wind.

Because then they become so completely immersed in the movie that is it as though they are in it.

What might be problematic AND their solutions

Noise

The thing I found most challenging with taking my Autistic child to the cinema was the level of sound coming from the speakers.

Lets be honest and say the cinema is loud!.

Really frigging loud.

I mean, deafening, drumming on my eardrum kind of loud.

Although, I also have Autism myself so that might be why the level of loud bothers me so much.

Solution to noise

I have found bringing noise cancelling headphones can work wonders.

No, you will not be cutting out all the sound entirely.

Because the cinema is way too loud to be able to be shut out entirely.

No matter how much you spent on those noise cancelling headphones and no matter how good they claim to be.

But bringing noise cancelling headphones will certainly cut out all the other attendees sounds, as well as your own chewing sounds. (If you prefer to eat at the cinema that is)

AND, it will significantly reduce the noise level of the movie.

The thing about headphones for an Autistic person is that they can almost feel like a hug for the head.

They are a huge comfort object for most people who are Autistic.

So bringing them as a comfort object, especially if your Autistic child is a little nervous or it is their first time, is definitely something that I recommend.

Flashing Lights

Almost every single movie that I have seen have bright flashes in their scenes.

This is true for almost all genres of film. But it is especially true for cartoons and action films.

There are bright coloured scenes and many bright contrasting colours in the same shot.

It kind of feels like an attack on the eyes.

AND on some occasions it has even made me feel slightly nauseous.

Flashing lights can also be quite dangerous for anyone who has epilepsy. As it can cause an epileptic attack.

These things can make watching the movie quite uncomfortable. Especially because the rest of the room is very dark so the bright colours and flashing lights appear even more so than if the lights were turned on.

Sometimes, these flashing bright lights can feel like an attack on the eyes and can become quite overwhelming.

This makes the movie slightly harder to enjoy.

Solution to Flashing lights

Sunglasses.

Now I do not mean room darkening sunglasses.

I certainly do not mean for you to go and bring those sunglasses for your Autistic child that make you able to look directly at the sun without feeling anything in your eyes.

There are semi darkening sunglasses which cancel out the cinema room even more than the already dim lights. That make the rest of the people who are sitting in the cinema almost disappear. And that make the flashing bright lights not uncomfortable to look at.

You do not want really strong sunshades. Because they will change the quality of the movie as well as distort the colours.

And so you will not be able to enjoy the movie the way it was intended to be enjoyed. But without feeling like there is an attack on your eyes.

Crowded Cinema Rooms

Sitting in a crowded cinema can actually be quite uncomfortable.

To be surrounded by strangers in a very small setting and very close to each other can be quite unsettling for an Autistic person.

Also, the more crowded the cinema room is. The more stimulation you will feel.

For example:

People eating, LOUD FOOD. Or chewing loudly because they chew with their mouth open.
Even speaking. And yes I know you are not supposed to speak during a movie but some people do and they simply do not care!
Or people getting up in front of you or walking by you to get to the bathroom or to leave for whatever reason.

etc

Solution to Crowded cinemas

The solution for this is both of the above. Those can really help cancel out the rest of the crowds.

So headphones and sunglasses.

However.

It is also worth considering making time for the cinema during the workday or school day (for those not in school).

There are times of the day, especially in the mornings where the cinemas are not crowded at all.

Avoid premiers and a first viewing of new movies. Or even old revived movies.

Because these tend to be the most crowded.

Wait for the movies to have been showing for a few days at the cinemas.

Choose times in the mornings on a workday/school day.

Make sure that the movie is child appropriate (if you are going to the cinema with your kid)

Wait time for movie to start

When you go to the cinema. Before the movie starts, there is a wait time of at least 30 minutes of ads.

During this time, people are usually still getting up and going to the toilets or finding their seats.

As well as talking. AND the room is not dim lit so the lights make all the other people visible as well.

It is probably by far my least favourite thing about the cinema. The beginning 30 minutes before the movie starts.

And lets speak about those adverts. They’re unpredictable. And they are still loud and most are just annoying.

Also when you are bringing your Autistic child to the cinema, I find that the length of the movie (especially children’s movies) are enough.

What I mean by this is that the ‘cinema experience’ is going to enjoy the movie you paid to watch. Not half an hour of adverts you are not interested in.

My Autistic child can get quite restless sitting in the cinema seats for an extra long amount of time because of these.

But I actually think this might be a common thing for other children who are not Autistic also.

The solution to reduce wait time

Most cinemas have a policy that you have to buy the tickets in advance before the movie starts. Of course. But they also include the 30 minutes of the adverts that they display before the movie.

So while you still must buy your tickets in advance, you do not have to enter the movie immediately.

On occasion we have explained to the person who checks the tickets, our situation and they have understandably allowed us to enter the room right towards the end of the advertisements.

However, it is worth noting that different cinemas have different policies and it also depends on each individual who happens to be the one checking the tickets during your particular time there.

Some are much stricter than others.

Otherwise, you can always take your time buying your snacks, and going to the toilet beforehand.

Disclaimer

I think all children deserve to go the cinema at least one time.

And I also think that there are a lot of ways to make it as enjoyable as possible for your child.

You can always have a discussion with your child beforehand and ask them what they think would be more helpful in making them comfortable when it comes to going to the cinema.

It is generally a good idea to help your Autistic child in trying new activities and exploring new areas of life that they can participate in.

That way they can also experience the world and have the opportunity to try things that average children do also.

If your child decides that they really do not like going to the cinema, then that is that.

And that is Okay.

But they should never not try it first. At least once in their life.

Autism Friendly Screenings

There are Autism specific screenings. Or Autism friendly cinemas.

You just have to try to find the one closest to you.

In these screenings, they choose movies which they do not think will cause any sensory overloads.

And the lights are not so bright.
The room is not so dimmed.
And the sound is not so loud.

A little disclaimer for these, is that they get sold out very quickly and it can be quite hard to get tickets for them.

Otherwise, this will be the best thing to introduce your child to the cinema.