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The traders of this city in the south-west of the Republic of Ireland have been trained in the reception of autistic people. An initiative that began five years ago in a supermarket, thanks to a client who was studying autism at university… Extract from the magazine “Nous, les Européens” broadcast Sunday, November 21, 2021 at 10:40 am on France 3.
The parents of a young Irishman, diagnosed with autism at the age of four, have decided to return to Ireland, while living in Asia, so that one of their three children can grow up in this autism-friendly country. “. And they settled in Clonakilty, in the southwest of the island, a town where everything is done to accept and better integrate autistic people.
When Traolach feels agitated, he puts on his helmet to isolate himself. Gambling, other people, and street noise quickly become too much information for his brain to handle. It is a sensory overload that stresses him. That morning, the hearing headphones that isolate him are not enough… He quarrels with his brother. His mother suggests that he sit quietly on a public bench so that he can relax.
A specially dim light at certain hours for autistic people in the supermarket
Traolach’s mother is not afraid of the eyes of others. Here, no one looks back when a child wears a helmet and has a seizure. The traders have been trained in autism and have something to help them at hand. The waiter at the cafe, where the family stopped, brings a relaxation box that will help the child calm down. There are balls to focus on touching and special glasses to rest from the neon lights. The attention paid to autistic people can be found on all the windows. It all started five years ago in the city’s small supermarket …
Traolach finds his cart there, on which his shopping list is hung. He can calmly browse the illuminated rays with a specially subdued light for autistic people at certain times. This family supermarket has inspired supermarkets all over Europe. “My parents got this idea from a client who was studying autism in college, owner Eoghan Scally told ‘We Europeans’ magazine (replay). When she explained to them the changes to be made in the store, we realized that they were very simple and that they did not cost us anything. “
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