Spring is here! Spring brings us beautiful flowers, warmer weather, most likely some rainy days, and spring break. Maximize your fun with these sensory-friendly events in the Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio areas!
Houston
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Sensory Friendly Carnival Experience
NRG Stadium
March 2nd
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo hosts millions of people each year. A Sensory Friendly Experience is held in select areas of the carnival to promote an accommodating and positive experience for all Rodeo guests with sensory sensitivities or challenges. During this time, there will be minimal lights and sounds permitted in the carnival.
Learn more here.
Sensory Friendly Showing of Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus! The Musical!
Main Street Theater
March 14th, 1:30pm
The Pigeon is having a bit of an identity crisis – he never gets to do ANYTHING, and people just want him to “fly off.” Everything changes when the confident, cool Bus Driver rolls into town, and the Pigeon finds himself with a brand new goal: DRIVE THE BUS! But is it even possible? Time to find out!
These Sensory-Friendly/Relaxed performances will provide children and their families an opportunity to attend a performance modified to meet sensory needs giving access to live theater to ALL children. Each performance offered as Sensory-Friendly will incorporate the following changes:
- Increased lighting in the house/seats throughout the performance
- Lower sound levels
- Additional trained staff on hand to provide patrons with assistance when needed
- Electronic devices such as tablets or smart phones may be used throughout the performance with headphones
- Prompt books for family members to prepare for the show
- Fidget toys are welcome
Learn more and get tickets here.
San Antonio
Sensory Friendly Story Time
Cody Library
March 21st, 2-3pm
Sensory Story Time is for all children, but may be especially welcoming to children who have a hard time in large groups or children with neurodiversity.
Learn more and register here.
Reinforcement for the Whole Family
Encino Public Library
March 21st, 6-7pm
What is reinforcement? How can you use it to build a connection with you and your child? Don’t forget to treat yourself! Parents need reinforcement too.
RSVP here.
Social Skills Group
Apara Autism Center San Antonio North
March 21st – July 11th
Every Tuesday 4:30-6:30pm
Does your child struggle with social interactions or making friends? Join us for a 16 week program focused on building skills in self-awareness, communication skills, social gatherings, and handling teasing or bullying. Topics will discuss current challenges that individuals are facing and provide proactive approaches for problem solving and building personal connections with others.
Sign Up to learn more at https://bit.ly/3HPxuw0
Jamie’s Ranch For Special Kids
Jamie’s Ranch offers a variety of accessible activities for those with special needs in a beautiful ranch setting. There is no cost for special needs kids and anyone that accompanies them. Being able to provide a place for special needs kids to have fun is the vision for Jamie’s Ranch. They strive for all ages and abilities to enjoy a wide variety of inclusive activities. Everything they do is interactive and encourages as much individual participation as possible.
Learn more here.
Dallas
Sensory Friendly Showing of Last Stop On Market Street
Dallas Children’s Theater
March 25th, 1:30 pm
On a Sunday after church in a bustling, ethnically and culturally diverse American city, CJ and his Nana board the public bus for their weekly trip across town to help out at a soup kitchen. Along the way, CJ notices the many differences among people and asks tons of curious questions: Why don’t we have a car? How come that man can’t see? How come it’s always so dirty over there? How?…Why?…With Nana’s fearless and compassionate guidance, CJ discovers that everyone and everything has a unique rhythm and purpose; that the world’s got answers if we listen with more than our ears and see with more than our eyes. This inspiring and imaginative play is based on The New York Times bestseller that won a Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, and a Caldecott Honor.
Showing adaptations include leaving the house lights up a few levels higher than during standard performance and reducing the sound level. We also offer a “Quiet Room” for children who need a break. Tickets are $5 per person.
Learn more and get tickets here.
Studio Movie Grill Special Needs Screenings
March 4th, 12pm and March 11th, 12pm
Dallas locations and Houston locations
The March 4th screening is for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and the screening on the 11th is for Champions. Studio Movie Grill’s sensory-friendly Special Needs Screenings present movies with the lights up and the volume low, and moving around, talking, and even dancing in the aisles is welcome, too. Tickets are free for children with special needs and their siblings, and adult tickets are available at before-noon price at the Box Office only.
Find the location nearest to you and learn more here.
About the Authors
Apara Autism Center is a leading provider of ABA therapy in Texas to children ages 18 months and up. We understand the difficulty of dealing with uncertainty and are prepared to assist you with our collaborative developmental therapy support. If you’re looking for ABA therapy near you, we have centers in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and surrounding areas. Apara Autism Center employs a team of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT) that can assist you with resources to help comfort your child during stressful times. We include parent training as collaborative support for the whole family. If you need more information, don’t hesitate to call (844) 272-7223 or contact us at info@aparaautism.com with your questions or to enroll. We accept most insurance plans and offer full and part time programs as well as in-home therapy options with no waitlist.
