For autistic, a festival to call their own

Five-year-old Amber Hinkle really took to Sebastian, a miniature therapy horse whose job is to stand quietly and soak up attention from children like her.

Amber, who has autism, kissed and hugged him and brushed his soft coat, an activity some autistic children find calming.

Her parents had driven an hour from their Northampton County home for this, and they were thrilled.

"This is the first place that she's done this well," Melody Hinkle said. It's been hard for the family to go out. Amber has meltdowns and makes loud noises when she's upset. Other people don't get it.

The Hinkles had come to Fellowship Farm in Pottstown for the second annual Autism Fall Fest, an event organized by people who do get it and attended by families who won't look askance at children who make quirky movements and sounds.

Melody Hinkle, who was among about 2,300 people who came Saturday, read on Facebook about the Fest, created by Child Guidance Resource Centers, and thought of her daughter.

"She loves horses. She likes farms," Hinkle said. "We're going to try it."

Stimulation is kind of the point at many festivals. There's lots of noise, loud music, crowds, and exciting activities packed close to one another. But stimulation is hard on people with autism, who can become overwhelmed by too much sensory input.

Scott Stoogenke, head of marketing, sales, and development for Child Guidance, wanted kids with autism - he said 1 in every 68 kids is on the autism spectrum - to be able to experience a festival without falling apart.

"Every single detail of the festival has been modified so that a kid on the autism spectrum will not be overstimulated," he said.

Child Guidance works with thousands of clients a year in the region. Stoogenke estimated that a third to half have autism. The agency owns the 120-acre farm where the event took place.

As soon as they paid admission and entered the festival grounds, families found baskets of stickers with pictures of activities.

Brianna Matey, a Child Guidance division manager, said autistic children often prefer pictures to reading. The kids could choose the pictures that appealed to them and map out their visit. This, too, helps calm children who like to know what's coming up next.

Two pickup trucks loaded with hay provided the hay rides, but the dry stalks were covered with thick, soft blankets so the children wouldn't get scratched. Two fire trucks were a very popular attraction; there were no sirens. A band that played relatively quiet music was located on the periphery, so people could avoid it if they needed to. The restrooms were stocked with paper towels because a lot of autistic kids hate those noisy air dryers.

Children who still felt overstimulated could visit a quiet grove of bamboo or the sensory room, a place with activities that kids on the spectrum find soothing.

Lisa Blackwell brought her 5-year-old son, Hudson, from Wilmington. He loved the hay ride and the tall, slender stalks of bamboo.

"We went into the bamboo forest and he automatically looked up and said 'panda,' " she said. "He really liked the forest and going for walks."

They then tried the sensory room.

Hudson tentatively squished some shaving cream in a bowl. That wasn't a hit. Some kids like to run their hands through a bowl of dried beans. Hudson threw a handful, then helped clean up.

Then he found the bowl of red kinetic sand, an interesting material that managed to be both dry and a little slippery. That kept him occupied, and calm, for several minutes.

Lisa Blackwell wondered where she could get some of that for herself.

sburling@phillynews.com

215-854-4944@StaceyABurling