"Autism friendly cinemas"

I think like always, the help is geared towards those on the more low-functioning end, so for instance a child at that end of the spectrum maybe can't sit through a film and needs to run around making noises to let out some of their stress.

What about "high-functioning friendly screenings" ?!

It wouldn't bother me being the only person in the cinema if it meant I got to concentrate on a film.  In fact I get so absorbed in what I am watching it can be a little bit strange coming back to the real world as I really feel like I am in the film.  This is why I cannot bear the distractions because once I hear distractions I focus heavily on those and it makes me angry.

IntenseWorld said:

We have a local cinema that does autism-friendly screenings for children.  We would find it a nightmare though as what they call autism-friendly means allowing the children to get up out of their seats and pretty much do their own thing.

It's like this where I am. Too many noises are a distraction and depending on the outcome of these many noises, sends me into shutdown.

All 3 of us need concentration on the film and hate distraction.  I hate the rustling of popcorn etc. too, people coughing, peoples' children talking and crying it drives me mad.  I also hate it if anyone sits in front of me as I find their head silhouette too much of a distraction from the film.

Same. I once had the pleasure of having to hear someone talk nearly all the way through a film. They were somewhere at the back and I was near the front. If you want to talk, just go outside and don't ruin it for the rest of us.

At one of the cinemas I sometimes go to, you have an allocated seat. I once had one in the same row as a number of a young children. (it was a childrens film I went to see) I couldn't sit there because there were too many people around me.

I can't understand why cinemas do Autism friendly cinemas when we're all different. Other disabilities, I can understand; because there's not such a huge spectrum. (generally)

I think the volume in cinemas must be influenced by the staff running them.

I remember years ago looking at hi-fi in Tottenham Court Road in London, and asking for a demonstration in several shops to find the demo set incredibly loud, at which I couldn't really judge sound quality. I also remember the rather mocking and patronising response of the salesman showing me the system, as if I was out of touch with what was "cool" or "hip" to them. You must know the slogan "If it's too loud you're too old".

However I found out afterwards there is a recognised syndrome associated with big hi fi retail areas such as Tottenham Court was then, of premature deafness across a large part of the hearing range in young people recruited as salesmen. They effectively burned out before they were thirty, but then there were always more young recruits to take their place.

Which leaves me wondering if the staff in cinemas have progressive hearing sensitivity loss and it actually has to be that loud for them to think it is OK.

Or else its just me and I'm too old.

We have a local cinema that does autism-friendly screenings for children.  We would find it a nightmare though as what they call autism-friendly means allowing the children to get up out of their seats and pretty much do their own thing.

All 3 of us need concentration on the film and hate distraction.  I hate the rustling of popcorn etc. too, people coughing, peoples' children talking and crying it drives me mad.  I also hate it if anyone sits in front of me as I find their head silhouette too much of a distraction from the film.  Another one, is someone sitting behind me moving and pressing/digging their feet into the back of my seat, drives me insane.

The bugbear I have about the cinema itself is the volume of especially the adverts, we all sat in a row screaming out loud at how loud they were once when we went.

A few years ago I had some correspondence with one of the American autism organisations (to support a student travelling in the States) and they kept me on their mailing list some time after- a lot of what they offered was autism friendly cinema. Regrettably I've lost the contact with it and didn't look into what this involves.

It sounds sensible to me. I cannot sit comfortably mid-cinema, I usually try to find seats near one side, to put the sounds to one side. Often these seats aren't popular with the majority who crowd in centre screen.

I find the noise around me very distracting, if I have to sit centrally, all that rustling of popcorn and sweet packets, people talking through the film, and all the fidgeting and movement. Also being tall I cannot stretch out, whereas if I get into relatively empty spaces to one side I've room to change position now and then.

I'm usually okay with the lighting in the cinemas I go to although I tend to find that it's too dark to find your way back to your seat if you've had to get up and leave the room (as I have ADHD as well, it's something I quite frequently do).

One of the things I hate is having to sit too close to strangers so the increased spacing between seats is something I'd welcome.

Is anyone else bothered by some of the smells in the cinemas? Sometimes it's so bad that it makes me feel quite sick.

I'm sure I made a rant about this - because it only caters for some people - such as the lights. I'm fine with the lights in "normal" cinema screenings. It's the volume that bothers me. Even with ear plugs in.