The Houston Zoo Lights opens Friday Nov. 22.
This year, every night of the attraction, there will be quiet paths between attractions for kids who get overstimulated. Then, on December 2nd, that will be a special sensory-friendly day.
That means on December 2nd only, the Zoo will limit the number of tickets sold so it’ll be smaller crowds.
Music will be softer and flashing lights will remain static.
“So that is smaller crowds, quieter music, limited flashing lights. But every night during zoo lights, we have some sensory-friendly options. So calming nooks around the path. Bypass options around some highly stimulating areas and then some signage ahead of that highly stimulating area so folks can get up, get a sense of what’s to come,” said Houston Zoo spokesperson Jackie Wallace.
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This year, BlueSprig worked with the zoo to determine the best possible experience for people with special needs.
What is BlueSprig?
BlueSprig is a national provider of applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). With a presence in 19 states, including multiple locations in the Houston area, our mission is to change the world for children with autism through compassionate, individualized ABA therapy.
What changes did you make to this year’s Zoo Lights?
Our clinical leadership team conducted a comprehensive tour of the zoo with staff from the Houston Zoo to gain a greater understanding of the zoo’s spaces and to identify any potential areas for improvement. From there, we offered recommendations aimed at enhancing the zoo’s offerings to ensure a positive experience for all guests, especially those with autism. Recommendations included offering sensory-friendly activities for zoo guests, adding signage for sensory-friendly spaces and creating sensory guides that assist visitors when navigating the zoo.
“We’re super proud that in this past year we’ve become a certified autism center through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards,” Wallace said. “With all of our events, and especially with Zoo Lights, looking at ways that we can continue to grow and expand our ability to be more friendly to our highly sensitive guests.”
