Autism is as much a part of humanity as the capacity to dream.
—Kathleen Seidel
Fascinate-U Children’s Museum opened The Mindful Meadow on June 24. The Mindful Meadow is a sensory-friendly, nature-themed room designed to give children a calm and inclusive space to re-center and experience calmness during their visit to the museum. The exhibit is supportive of children experiencing autism processing challenges, such as anxiety and overstimulation. The tranquil environment consists of soft lighting, weighted animals, sensory-friendly toys, and a compression canoe.
The prevalence of Autism in the United States is 1 in 31, and in North Carolina, it is 1 in 39. The frequent sensory characteristics of persons experiencing Autism are heightened or diminished sensitivity to sensory input, hypersensitivity, loud noises, bright lights, strong smells, sensory overload creating meltdowns and shut downs…