Hockey team creates tool kit to create more sensory-friendly game for fans
The gleaming bright white of the ice, the sharp thwack of a stick to the puck, and the loud roar of the crowd are all hallmarks of an arena hockey game, but for people with autism spectrum disorder, this can make attending a game almost unbearable.
It's something Corey Walker, the Northern B.C. regional coordinator for Autism B.C., knows intimately. Walker has Asperger's syndrome and he says a live hockey game can be overwhelming for him.
"I can get really nervous, and my heart starts racing and I start shaking. I don't think straight and I get, you know, sweaty and all that kind of stuff," Walker said.
"For people with more severe sensory issues, it could actually put them into a full blown fright or panic."
The WHL's Prince George Cougars wanted to help out their fans with sensory-sensitivity. Cougars vice-president Andy Beesley said he understands there might be some people who are uncomfortable coming to hockey game.
His team approached Autism B.C. to create a sensory kit that they'll be loaning out free of charge to anyone who wants one.
The sensory kit contains special glasses that reduce the glare from the rink, noise-cancelling headphones, stress balls and puzzles, and for children, colouring books and crayons.
"When they get a little anxious they can colour a few pages in the book and that kind of takes the focus off maybe all the noise for a few minutes and helps them to calm down," explained Walker.
The team has also offered to give tours of the arena before the game. Walker says this is a helpful exercise for people on the autism spectrum.
He says people with sensory issues — particularly those who are autistic — have a hard time with the unexpected.
A tour and explanation of what's going to happen and when gives the hockey fan time to mentally prepare.
"A lot of times with autism, we use what is called social stories, which basically is a short little story that kind of explains what happens in life in a particular situation and why it happens and what you should do," Walker said.
"This is kind of like [a] hands-on social story."
Walker says he hopes the kits allow families who have members with autism to have more opportunities to spend time together.
"It's something you're sharing together as a family you can enjoy," he said.
Listen to the interview with Corey Walker:
