We believe that theatres can and should make reasonable adjustments to enable autistic people to enjoy their theatre experience. This guide explains some of the small adjustments that can make a huge difference to an autistic person’s visit. 

About autism 

Autism is a lifelong disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. All autistic people have difficulties with communication and social interaction. Many autistic people have sensory issues with noise, smells and bright lights, which can be painful and distressing. They can experience intense anxiety and extreme unease around unexpected change. 

What theatres can do 

To meet the needs of autistic people and their families, we recommend that: 

• all staff attend an autism awareness session 
• suitable seating is provided, for example at the end of an aisle to enable a person to move away if needed with minimal intrusion to other audience members 
• a quiet room is available in the theatre for people to go to if needed 
• the autistic person, their parent or carer is asked if they need assistance or adjustments 
• visual supports are provided to explain what behaviour is expected at the theatre. This should explain that individuals may be asked to leave if they make an excessive amount of noise. 
• there is a policy in place that includes staff giving the individual a warning that if excessive sound continues, they will be asked to leave. 

Theatre staff should only ask people to leave if the reasonable measures are not improving the situation. 

What staff can do 

• Keep sentences short and to the point. "Would you like me to show you where the toilet is?" could be shortened to, "Toilet?" 
• Recognise that an autistic person might have trouble understanding some jokes, sarcasm or common turns of phrase. Sayings like "It's raining cats and dogs" could be really confusing. 
• Some autistic people enjoy talking about their favourite topic. If you’d like to, and if you have time, listen. You may need to set a time limit on this, or deliberately change the subject. 
• If a person is feeling anxious, ask if there’s anything you can do to help, or suggest a quiet room where they can go to relax. 
• Understand that an autistic person’s behaviour is often the result of them trying to understand the world, take in information or cope with sensory issues.  
• A sympathetic, understanding and friendly attitude from the staff can be very reassuring and welcoming. 
• If an autistic person becomes distressed or agitated during a performance, consider asking people in the neighbouring seats to move, as trying to move someone on the autism spectrum when they are feeling particularly anxious could cause more problems. 

Practical suggestions 

Booking form 

Ask visitors to let you know ahead of their visit if they have a disability. There should be space on the form for people to be able to say if they have a disability which you should know about, and what the disability is. 

Say that you will do what you can to make their theatre visit as pleasant as possible. 

If you have already located a good quiet room, you may like to let the visitor know that it exists to give them the choice of booking a seat nearer to that area. 

Before the visit 

Autistic people can often get anxious about going to new places. An introduction to the theatre, ahead of the performance, can help to manage this anxiety. This could be the day before or earlier on the day of the performance. Be open to suggestions and what works for both parties. 

You could take photos of the outside and inside of the building for families and schools to look at before the visit. These could be available on your website. 

Explain what visitors can expect from a trip to the theatre, and what quiet rooms or facilities are available. Have a person who can be the dedicated point of contact for visitors who have additional questions or needs. This will make it easier for those visitors to get a quick answer to their questions before their visit. 

On entry 

Have some cards ready at the box office to indicate that the visitor is autistic. These may be just a plain coloured card. The parent or carer can collect one of these and hand it to the usher near to where they are sitting to alert them to the fact that they should make allowances if needed. There are National Autistic Society I am autistic cards which some people will use. 

Quiet room 

Ensure that your staff know where they can direct people to a quiet room or space. These areas need to be easily accessible from where the person is sitting. Consider any lighting, smells or distractions in that area which might affect someone on the autism spectrum (for example the smell of foyer food). 

Interval 

If a parent or carer is on their own with someone autistic, check to see if they would like to have a drink or ice cream brought to them, as it may be too difficult for them to get to the vendor. 

Cast and crew 

Front of House should alert the company manager so that they can tell the cast and crew that some attendees coming to the performance are autistic and, if possible, where they will be sitting. 

Training 

Our Cultural Access Manager can offer training and consultancy on how to make your theatre autism friendly and what adjustments are needed to your performance. Please contact autism.friendly@nas.org.uk for further information. 

Next steps 

• Visit out What is autism page