When Whitney King would take her son, Jo, to the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, he would often cover his ears. Despite asking to go, almost as soon as they arrived, he was ready to leave.
Jo has autism. Noisy children, unexpected sounds from animals and the high-pitched whistle from the zoo’s electric train created sensory overload.
“I didn’t see his frustration as much during the early mornings when fewer people were there,” King said, which sparked an idea.
As operations manager of the Autism Society of Tidewater Virginia, she approached zoo staff with what are now Sensory Friendly Mornings, which will be held on Sunday and Nov. 8.
Between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on those days, the zoo will limit capacity by selling timed tickets that must be purchased in advance. Lights inside some of the buildings will be dimmer. The Virginia Zoo Express train will be parked but available for guests who want to touch it. Animal ambassadors, including tortoises and skinks, will be part of interactive programming offered on a small scale.
“This was a step for us to provide that space for people in our community who might feel a little underserved,” said Kirstin Pendleton, senior marketing and digital specialist at the Virginia Zoo.
King said making animals available for touch helps participants make a connection between what they’re feeling and seeing.
This is the second year of the event, which is in partnership with the Autism Society of Tidewater Virginia, Complete the Puzzle, and Destination Family Services, all of which will have resource tables by the zoo fountain.
King taught at a school for autism and severe behavior challenges before she was pregnant with Jo, noting, “my purpose found me.”
The Virginia Beach resident created sensory-friendly field days for schools and hosted pop-up events designed to prevent overstimulation. She wanted to broaden the number of experiences for children and adults, which led her to connect with the Virginia Zoo.
The zoo hosted two sensory-friendly mornings last year and maxed out its attendance of 650 for the three hours.
“We get so many compliments and people just raving about how much fun their family had, being able to take their time and go through the zoo and not having to worry about it being too overstimulating,” King said.
While no animals will be removed from their homes those mornings, staff will alert visitors to the louder animals, including the Siamang gibbon, many of the birds and Savannah, a gregarious cow in the petting area.
“She tends to moo a bit when she’s hungry,” Pendleton said. “Since she’s in the petting area, she’s particularly close to people. Sometimes she will randomly do it when a keeper walks by.”
As a certified sensory-inclusive facility, bags with noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools and weighted laptops are available year-round at the membership office.
King stressed that Sensory Friendly Mornings are not limited to people with autism.
“I like to remind people that you don’t need to have a specific diagnosis to appreciate something that is sensory friendly,” she said. “If this is an experience that would help you enjoy the zoo while minimizing symptoms of anxiety, then feel free to grab a timed ticket.”
The zoo offers free admission for people with an ADA-recognized disability and one companion. Standard Zoo general admission will resume at 12:30 p.m.
Visit the Virginia Zoo for tickets and more information.
