Autism Specific Community Resources

Website: https://www.ableartswork.org/programs

Services: Able ARTS Works provides meaningful day programming for adults (18+) with developmental disabilities. Using the creative arts as a tool to strengthen social and developmental skills, our primary focus is to encourage and support artists with disabilities in their creative expression through inclusive community participation.

Services: An Initiative between Our Nicholas Foundation and Pretty Paints Mobile Art Studio. The initiative is set up to provide art classes, camps, and other courses for local children with ASD to focus on fine motor skills and creative expression.

Website: www.PrettyPaintsParty.com

Website: https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/autism-resources-parents/

Services: Autism resources for parents

Website: https://www.meetup.com/autismsocietysandiego/

Autism Society San Diego is a non-profit organization that originated in 1966 as the National Society of Autistic Children. It served to unite and inform parents on new revelations concerning intervention therapy. Today, the organization serves as the voice and resource of the local autism community. Members include parents, relatives, friends, advocates, medical professionals and educators throughout San Diego County and beyond.

Services: Autism Tree offers a continuum of 20+ free programs to help the autism community with several programs for all ages including:

0-5: Musical Playground Program, Navigating Neurodiversity Program.  

6-12: Adaptive Arts Program, Adaptive Dance Program, Kids Fitness Program, Girls Mentor Program, Sibling Support Group.

Teens & Adults: Adaptive Arts Program, Adaptive Dance Program, Autism Advance, Book Club, Coding Program, Girls Mentor Program, Ready, Set, Go! Program, Sibling Support Group, Teen Time Program.

All Ages: Blue Horizon Program, Book Club Program, Bridge to the Beach Program, Autism Tree's Food, Farming & Nutrition Program, Girls in STEM Program, Heart and Hooves Therapy Program, LEGO Therapy Program, PLNU Soccer Player Mentor Program, USD Athletics Mentor Programs.

Parents & Teachers: In Harmony Program, Lunch & Learns Educational Program, Navigating Neurodiversity Program, Parent Mentor Program, School & Education Resources Program  

Autism Tree also offer over 400+ resource videos on their YouTube channel, including but not limited to our Reading with Autism Tree series, Autism Tree at Home series, and weekly Lunch & Learn series.

Website: https://www.autismtreeproject.org/

Contact: Rebecca and Erricka 619-222-4465

Email: RebeccaB@autismtreeproject.org

Website: https://www.amctheatres.com/programs/sensory-friendly-films

Services: A sensory-friendly film program is available to show movies with more lighting and less sound, while also allowing for guests to walk, dance, and talk throughout the movie.

• Family-friendly films are available on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.

• Films intended for a mature audience are available on Tuesday evenings.

• Social stories for each museum are available in English and Spanish on the Natural History Museum’s website: https://www.sdnhm.org/visit/accessibility/social-stories/, written by a group of high-functioning young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

• Service animals are welcome into the museums.

• Reuben H. Fleet Science Center offers sensory-friendly mornings on the third Saturday of every month from 9 am to 10 am. At 10 am, guests can attend the first IMAX movie of the day with more lighting and lower sound. A quiet room is available if guests become over-stimulated or need a break. For more information, visit: https://www.rhfleet.org/events/accessibility-mornings

• Natural History Museum offers sensory-friendly mornings on the second Sunday of every month from 9 am to 10 am. A special showing of the Ocean Oasis film is also offered with more lighting and lower sound. A quiet room is available if guests become over-stimulated or need a break. For more information, visit: https://www.sdcdm.org/visit/special-needs

Website: https://bandingtogethersd.org

Services: Group music therapy and mentoring program for youth and young adults to promote socialization, emotional expression, community inclusion and communication.

Location: Carlsbad, Point Loma, El Cajon and Chula Vista

Website: https://visitcmod.org/sensory-accommodations/

Services: Sensory Friendly Mornings are an early morning geared toward families with children on the spectrum or with sensory sensitivities. This event is a welcoming, comfortable environment for your child and family to enjoy the Museum in a quiet and accepting setting. Please contact any of our staff members during your visit for questions or additional assistance.

Location: 320 North Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025

Website: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/disability-access-service/

Services: DAS is one of our programs offered at the Disneyland Resort theme parks intended to accommodate those Guests who, due to a developmental disability such as autism or a similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.

• Schedules listing sign language interpreted show times are available at Guest Relations. Additionally, interpretation can be requested two weeks in advance by calling (714) 781-4636.

• For guests with vision and hearing disabilities, Braille guides, handheld audio description devices, assistive listening devices, and handheld video captioning are available to check out at Guest Relations.

• Service animals are welcome into Disneyland, but are restricted from riding some attractions. For information regarding portable kennels, call (714) 781-7662.

• Disability Access Service is available at Guest Relations in City Hall at Disneyland Park and in the Chamber of Commerce near the main entrance of California Adventure. This service allows for guests to schedule times for attractions to eliminate waiting in crowded lines. This can be used in addition to the FASTPASS Service. If these services do not meet all of your needs, special accommodations can be made at Guest Relations.

• A Rider Switch program is available for anyone who is unable to go on a ride. One adult will wait in a designated area with the child while the rest of the party goes on the attraction. When the party has finished the ride, they will switch.

• If a guest needs to take a break from the busy environment, ask a Cast Member for the nearest quiet location.

• First Aid can store any medication requiring refrigeration. It is located near Main Street, USA at Disneyland Park, and next to the Chamber of Commerce at California Adventure.

• A booklet containing details about all of the attractions can be found on the Disneyland website or at Guest Relations. Details include scents, loud noises, periods of darkness, flashing lights, bumps, elements of surprise, and any type of restraint that may be experienced on an attraction.

Website: https://efrconline.org/

Services: The EFRC help empower families of people with all disabilities – from birth through adulthood – with information and support. They connect families to services and resources that may be right for them, given their unique needs.

Website: https://www.fleetscience.org/events/accessibility-mornings

Early access to galleries at 9 a.m.   

On the third Saturday of every month, we open our doors one hour before the museum opens to the public for a sensory-friendly Fleet experience. And if you want to stay and enjoy the museum all day, you can!

Accessibility Mornings features a special film screening of a documentary at 10 a.m. with house lights on and the soundtrack volume low.

The Fleet Science Center strives to be an inclusive place where people of all needs and abilities are welcome and respectfully accommodated daily. Science is for everyone.  

Admission is free for one visitor and an accompanying guest. Regular admission rates apply for additional visitors.  

Website: https://www.gooddogservicecanines.org

Services: Good Dog! Service Canines helps children with disabilities and their families live better lives through service dog companionship.

Email: info@gooddogautism.org

Contact: 760-913-9090

Location: 855 South Main Ave Ste K-162 Fallbrook, CA 92028

Website: https://www.generationsramona.com/

Services: Generations Afterschool Program children will have the opportunity to care for animals including goats and chickens, play outdoors, participate in physical fitness, gardening and art and crafts. Age-appropriate activities will be available for students to participate in daily.

Location: Ramona

Contact: Kelly Londenberg at (951) 678-8666

Email: autismtoday@aol.com

Website: https://www.ieautism.org/

Services: Teen & Young Adult Social Group - This group meets twice a month at different locations. Alternates between fun, social events and speakers on informational topics geared to adults and teens on the spectrum.

Website: https://www.knotts.com/help/accessibility

Services: A Boarding Pass Program is available for all guests with disabilities, which allows access to rides at specified times through an Alternate Access Entrance to avoid crowds and waiting in the regular queue. The Boarding Pass Program can be accessed at the Information Center upon arrival to Knott’s Berry Farm and grants access for the guest and up to 4 companions.

The KidTrack wrist band program is accessible at the Information Center to assist in reuniting group members if anyone gets separated.

The Parent Swap program is accessible at the Information Center and will allow one adult to ride while another waits with the child at the exit. When the adult has finished the ride, he or she will swap allowing the other adult to ride.

Service animals are welcome into Knott’s Berry Farm and can be taken on the Calico Railroad, Stagecoach, Sky Cabin, Calico Mine Ride, Merry-Go-Round, and Grand Sierra Railroad.

Strobe lighting and special effects are used on the Timber Mountain Log Ride, Calico Mine Ride, Xcelerator, GhostRider, Silver Bullet, and the Pony Express.

Guests are not permitted to wear sound-limiting headphones on the rides. However, disposable ear protection is available at the Information Center and First Aid.

First Aid near the GhostRider exit can store any medications.

Website: https://california-support.legoland.com/hc/en-us/sections/360000073131-Disabled-Guests

An Assisted Access Pass is available at Membership Services, allows the guest and up to 5 additional guests to choose their rides and schedule times virtually in order to avoid waiting in busy, crowded lines. No proof of disability is required.

First Aid and Baby Care Center can be utilized as a quiet area if a guest needs to take a break.

Service animals are welcome into Legoland and can be taken on Fairy Tale Brook, Hideaways, Pharaoh’s Revenge, and Coast Cruise.

Special accommodations are available for individuals with vision and hearing disabilities, such as American Sign Language interpreters, through reservation two weeks in advance by emailing experience@LEGOLAND.com.

Website: https://optionsforall.org/our-programs/films-media/

Services: If you want an opportunity to learn the skills used to work in the film industry or explore your creativity, make new friends, and have fun working as part of a film crew, this is the program for you. For adults, 18 and over, with an intellectual and/or developmental disability. The individual must express an interest in film and media production.

Website: https://www.outsidethelens.org/

Services: The mission of Outside the Lens is to amplify youth voices through photography, filmmaking, and digital media art, catalyzing change within themselves, their community, and the world

Location: 125 14th Street, San Diego, CA 92101

Website: https://www.mlb.com/padres/ballpark/disability-access-guide

The Guest Services Center located near sections 108, 208, and 313 offers services including assistive listening devices, interpreting services, lost children/adults, stroller/wheelchair storage, etc.

Services animals are welcome into the stadium.

All staff members are trained in ensuring a sensory inclusive environment.

Sensory bags are located at Guest Services, and include picture cards for individuals who are nonverbal, a map locating loud and quiet zones throughout the stadium, noise-limiting headphones, fidgets, feelings thermometer, and location wristbands for parents to write their phone numbers on.

All family restrooms do not have automatic faucets, to accommodate individuals with auditory hypersensitivities.

A calming water wall is located at the Home Plate Gate.

A social story is available on the Padres website to prepare guests prior to attending a game or event at Petco Park: http://www.mlb.com/documents/1/2/2/310647122/Padres_Sensory_Booklet.pdf

Website: https://www.pretendcity.org/special-needs/

Sensory tools are available for checkout upon entering the museum, including noise-limiting headphones, weighted animal-shaped shoulder pads, weighted vests, sorting and patterning activities, etc.

All staff have been trained in facilitating family social-emotional play, crisis de-escalation strategies, and providing additional support if needed.

On the last Monday of every month (except May and December), the museum hosts Family Autism Night from 5 to 7:30 pm to provide an inclusive, sensory-friendly environment. During the event, many of the museum’s community partners, who specialize in supporting children on the autism spectrum, are on-site to assist families throughout the evening.

Additional sensory-inclusive events are offered during the holiday season, and can be found on the museum’s website (ex: Sensitive Santa in December).

Service animals are welcome inside the museum.

Website: https://www.revisionsandiego.com

Services: Revision’s mission is to provide inclusive access to art, culture, social practice and environmental education through the framework of a creative workspace. Revision partners with San Diego Regional Center to provide inclusive studio access and creative training, in line with our mission statement, to all citizens including individuals with intellectual disabilities 18 years and older.

Location: 3609 4th Ave. San Diego, CA 92103

Contact: (619) 994-3218

Email: revisionworkspace@gmail.com

Website: https://www.sdzsafaripark.org/visitor-info/guests-disabilities

If the individual requires a companion, complimentary passes are available at the Safari Park entrance. No proof of disability is required.

Service animals are welcome into the Safari Park.

Special assistance for low vision and American Sign Language interpreters are available through reservation one week in advance by calling (760) 796-5621.

Written scripted information for all shows and tours may be picked up at Guest Services.

Guest Services and Health Services in the Ranger Base can assist in finding a quiet area if needed at any time.

Health Services in the Ranger Base can store any medication requiring refrigeration.

Website: https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/visit/guests-with-disabilities

If the individual requires a companion, complimentary passes are available at the zoo entrance. No proof of disability is required.

Service animals are welcome into the zoo.

Special assistance for low vision and American Sign Language interpreters are available through reservation one week in advance by calling (619) 231-1515, ext. 4526.

Assistant Listening Devices (ALD) are available at Wegeforth Bowl and 4D Theatres during scheduled shows.

Adult changing facilities are available, and medication requiring refrigeration can be stored at Health Services near the Reptile House.

The following exhibits have added tactile elements to enhance the experience: Northern Frontier, Elephant Odyssey, Koala Exhibit, River Hippo Exhibit, Centennial Plaza, and the Galapagos Tortoise Exhibit.

Several sensory items are available to check out at Guest Services with a valid driver’s license (ex: stress balls, fidgets, sound-limiting headphones and ear plugs, weighted lap pads, etc.).

Shuttle services are available for guests with disabilities.

Website: https://seaworld.com/san-diego/park-info/accessibility-guide/

If the individual requires a companion, complimentary passes are available at the park entrance. No proof of disability is required.

A Special Access Program is accessible through Guest Services at the entrance of the park. This program allows guests with disabilities to be placed in a virtual queue in order to avoid waiting in crowds or busy lines. Guests are able to access other attractions during the wait time and return to the ride when their spot in the virtual queue will allow them to walk right onto the ride. The Special Access Program may be utilized by the guest and up to 5 companions.

Service animals are welcome into Sea World and can be taken on the Aqua Scout, Bayside Skyride, Oscar’s Rocking Eel, Skytower, and the Wild Arctic.

Special assistance for low vision and American Sign Language interpreters are available through reservation two weeks in advance, by calling (619) 225-3272.

Written scripted information for all shows and tours may be picked up at Guest Services.

Website: https://sesameplace.com/san-diego/help/autism-resources/

Services: Noise-Cancelling Headphones, Low Sensory Parade Viewing, Low Sensory Areas, Quiet Rooms, Accessibility Guide for Guests, Ride Accessibility Program, Dining Options, and more.

Website:  https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/plan-your-visit/guests-with-disabilities

An Assisted Access Pass is available at Guest Services, which allows the guest and up to 3 companions to choose their rides and schedule times virtually in order to avoid waiting in busy, crowded lines. A doctor’s note is required stating that there is some type of disability, but is only necessary upon the first visit to a Six Flags theme park.

The Kid Swap program allows the entire party to ride while one adult waits with the child at the boarding zone. When the ride is finished, the adult who waited with the child will be given the chance to ride.

American Sign Language interpreters are available upon request 7 days in advance by calling the Operations Office at (661) 255-4711.

Website: https://specialneedsresourcefoundationofsandiego.com/accessible-san-diego-tourist-travel-offers-discounts-kids-family-companion-passes/

Many San Diego parks, museums and attractions offer accommodations for families with disabilities. These local spots have amenities such as companion passes, early entry, discounted admission, sensory features and social stories. Visit each website for specific amenities offered. Pre-registration may be required.

Website: https://thinkplaycreate.org/visit/access-programs/

Accessibility Mornings occur quarterly throughout the year from 8 am to 9:30 am. During the event, guests are provided the opportunity to engage in a variety of high-sensory activities. Designed quiet rooms are also available for any guest needing a break

Website: https://www.theoldglobe.org/arts-engagement/discovery-programs/sensory-friendly-initiatives/

Service: Sensory-Friendly Performances

Website: https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/faqs/how-do-you-accommodate-guests-with-disabilities/

Specially equipped quiet rooms are located in the Family Services Center for guests who may feel over-stimulated, including sensory toys and weighted blankets upon request.

An Attraction Assistance Pass is available at Guest Services, allowing the guest and up to 6 additional guests to choose their rides and schedule times virtually to avoid waiting in busy, crowded lines. No proof of disability is required.

A Child Switch program is available for anyone who is unable to go on a ride. One adult will wait in a designated area with the child while the rest of the party goes on the attraction. When the party has finished the ride, they will switch.

Special accommodations are available for individuals with vision and hearing disabilities, such as American Sign Language interpreters, through reservation one week in advance by calling Guest Relations at (800) 864-8377, ext. 9.

Written scripted information and embossed Braille for all shows and tours may be picked up at Guest Services.

Service animals are welcome into Universal Studios park, restaurants, shops, and attraction queues.

Website: https://unscriptedlearning.org/

Services: A program designed for Teens and Young Adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or other social delays. Connections uses improv theatre techniques to help students master creative thinking, listening, and social awareness and helps individuals develop a variety of social and communication skills in a fun and safe environment.