Our first sensory friendly movie experience

A couple weeks back, I realized that we had some movie vouchers coming up to their expiration. Watching movies as a couple was never really a big thing for theWife and I, although I do love watching a good movie every so often. Either way, with two young kiddos we have always struggled to make our way to the theatre. To make matters more complicated, the Little Boy has a huge fear of watching movies (can read here to catch up on possible reasons).

Even when we are at home, the Little Boy would either run away in fear, break down or have some other similar traumatic experience when we attempt to watch a movie. With this in mind, we generally just avoided TV and movies in general.

However, with the vouchers expiring, theWife and I decided that maybe if we brought the kids to the theatre, it would be a slightly better experience. So we searched the listing for possible films. We found that Cineplex has a special program every other month catering to people or families suffering from sensory sensitivity or autism. This was a special pilot program in partnership with Autism Speaks Canada. (More info here)

In learning about this program, we jumped on it. We hyped it up with the kids that we are off to see a special show. The Little Boy didn't seem to figure out it was a movie until part way through.

So how was the experience? Personally, I didn't feel it was much different than a normal theatre experience. I was expecting the lights to be dimmed but instead it was off as normal. However, I did feel that they toned down the speaker volume, which is good. Overall, I think the best part about the experience was the fact that there were no lines, no hustle and bustle of a normal theatre, translating to a smoother experience for the kids who may otherwise have been overwhelmed. Also, during the movie, it was comforting knowing that talking and kids' noises are tolerated and allowed. It was awesome being able to talk throughout the movie with the Little Boy and explain to him what is happening on the screen and calm any fears he may have.

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. I think it is a great way for families to have a more casual viewing experience, akin to a home theatre. It is an excellent place to ease in anyone that may be uncomfortable with crowded and busy places, as theatres are prone to be. And it is awesome to see the staff so friendly to people with life challenges that are a bit different and willing to make accommodations. Hopefully this pilot program will continue and it will be rolled out to more theatres.