Do you have moments of irritation when you’re in a shopping mall? Do you dislike all the loud noises happening all at once? Well, I do too.
My experiences as a shopper
Shopping malls are as we know to be places where people can come together. We go to have beverages with friends, eat out, look for new clothes and shoes, purchase groceries, get massages, and more. But there’s a downside to malls for some people on the autism spectrum. Supermarkets and malls often have their background music playing at high volumes and there are families with small children everywhere. They make constant loud noises and for some Autistic people, the environment at times can be unbearable to handle. I can relate to this, because I also cannot stand shopping malls. But I go to them anyway, and when I do, I don’t always get frustrated with the noise, I usually just focus on going about my business. However, there are times when the constant noise becomes too much.
It would be great if shopping malls could provide a room where there is no noise at all. A sensory space or quiet room to be exact. Some retail shops, grocery stores and malls are starting to cater to the needs of Autistic people, but many places still aren’t exactly autism-friendly.
Shopping malls usually provide play areas for children and some have parenting rooms where moms can breastfeed, and because of this, families with kids are one of the most commonly seen people that frequent malls. So why not a quiet room for Autistic people and children? The quiet room can offer a welcome respite from the loud noises and bright lights, making the experience more enjoyable and being able to get our shopping list completed.
Working in retail
Working in retail should be more autism friendly too because there are more workplaces that employ Autistic people. Things that should be established to accommodate them would be having the music off for at least an hour for quiet time and provide a calm space for employees if the sensory overload becomes too much.
Employers need to be more empathic with their Autistic workers because they require more training time and guidance to fully adapt to the conditions of the retail environment as it is a field of overstimulation for some people. Lights can be too bright, music can be too loud, customers can be very demanding and there would be many noises going on at once. The combination of all this would lead to stress from Autistic workers who may have meltdowns. They just need more time to become part of the team.
