by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

Sensory friendly movies are special showings where you can bring your child with special needs and not have to worry about behavior, sitting still, being quiet, etc. You can bring your own food - a godsend for families of children with allergies or special diets.  This is a wonderful concept and I hope it will catch on. (Right now it's AMC theaters doing this once a month in selected locations.) 

Here's some more information from the Autism Society of America website.  Visit the website at the link below to find out where and when the next sensory friendly movie will be playing in your area - and have fun! 

AMC Entertainment (AMC) and the Autism Society have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment on a monthly basis with the "Sensory Friendly Films" program.

In order to provide a more accepting and comfortable setting for this unique audience, the movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and the sound turned down, families will be able to bring in their own gluten-free, casein-free snacks, and no previews or advertisements will be shown before the movie. Additionally, audience members are welcome to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing - in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden^®” policy will not be enforced unless the safety of the audience is questioned.

For more information, visit http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sensoryfilms .