MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Every month, the Champion Autism Network, or CAN, hosts sensory friendly bowling birthday parties for families with members on the autism spectrum.
Regina Glazer, a CAN board member and mother of a 7-year-old on the spectrum says the parties have given her son the opportunity to celebrate with friends.
“I honestly have never tried to have a birthday party for him because I don’t know who would come,” Glazer said. “It’s really a heartbreaking concept that these kids, because they are socially not always at the same level as their peers, they don’t have kids who come to their birthday parties.”
CAN’s executive director, Becky Large, says oftentimes people with autism can become overwhelmed with too much stimuli, like sounds, lights and smells. According to Large, this can make families want to avoid social outings.
“When you leave the house and your child becomes uncomfortable because of the over stimuli, they may have a temper tantrum, and the public at large doesn’t understand that and thinks you’re a horrible parent or your child is just an evil child, and it’s met with a lot of criticism and judgement, so you just decide not to leave the house, and that’s not good for anybody,” Large said.
During the sensory friendly bowling birthday parties, the music is off, the lights stop flashing and attendees have a corner of the bowling alley to themselves.
“By modifying the environment to support the person with autism, the families can come out, they understand autism, so it’s kind of a joyful experience because everybody gets it. If you have a tantrum or meltdown- big deal, we all get it, it happens, and so it just reduces a lot of stress and a lot of chatter in the back of your mind about judgement and attitude.”
Large says the parties give families a chance to spend time with one another.
“We also provide the parents the opportunity for that traditional family experience that they had growing up that they never thought they’d be able to have with their child with autism,” Large said.
Glazer says the families who have attended the parties each month for the past two years have become each other’s support system.
“We’re all used to each other, we all know each other, and everybody accepts your child for who they are, and that’s a big deal,” Glazer said.
For a list of the Champion Autism Network’s upcoming events, click here.
