Creating a sensory-friendly viewing environment at home can transform movie nights into a delightful, inclusive experience for children on the autism spectrum. Movies offer a canvas for imagination, teaching valuable life lessons and emotional expression in a visually engaging way. To ensure that every child feels comfortable and included during family movie time, consider these nurturing tips designed to make viewing experiences positive and enjoyable for everyone:
Sensory Friendly Movies at Home
Sensory Friendly Movies at Home | Choose the Right Movie
Start by selecting a film that aligns with your child’s interests and sensory preferences. Consider the themes, visual effects, and sound levels. You know your child best—trust your intuition about what will captivate and comfort them.
Movies are a wonderful way to engage children’s imaginations while also developing their communication and social skills. Sensory-friendly films create environments that pay careful attention to sound and visual input levels. Softened volume, dimmed but not fully darkened lights, and a more relaxed approach to audience noise and movement offer a comfortable experience for children with sensory sensitivity. While the sensory-friendly film selection often includes newly released children’s movies, here are some timeless favorites:
- Finding Nemo: Showcases the importance of friendship and resilience. Its underwater settings create soothing visuals.
- Kung Fu Panda: Focuses on self-esteem and determination using humor and high-energy animation sequences.
- Cinderella (Live Action): A classic story retold with a slower pace and fewer sensory-heavy moments.
- Toy Story (series): The Toy Story movies use relatable humor and comforting themes of friendship and loyalty, with character-focused storytelling minimizing overstimulating clashes and conflicts.
- Cars (series): Cars offer an engaging narrative set in a world of automobiles, with well-spaced, high-action sequences.
- Moana: Empowers children by showing a strong, capable heroine on a visually stunning, low-conflict journey.
- The Lion King: Its well-paced and heartfelt storyline is quickly balanced by fun sequences or peaceful moments in the African savannah.
- Beauty and the Beast: Both versions (animated and live-action) provide simple storylines and musical sequences that can captify any child’s attention.
- Wall-E: The mostly non-verbal communication of the main characters makes for peaceful viewing, with an environmental message as well.
- Tangled: The measured pacing of the storyline and visually appealing settings make the watching experience delightful.
- Frozen (series): Featuring catchy music in combination with relatable characters, its engaging narrative strikes a balance between calm sections and action spots.
- Mulan: Empowers children with its strong female lead, fastidious storytelling, and good balance of calm and action sequences.
- Monsters, Inc.: The film presents a fun and fantastical world of friendly monsters, which can be an entertaining and non-threatening experience.
- Ratatouille: Centered around cooking and family relationships, it provides a calming narrative with less chaotic scenes.
- Inside Out: This innovative movie explores feelings and emotions itself, which can help children understand their own emotions.
Each of these movies has different qualities that can be beneficial for children with ASD. However, every child is unique, and it’s essential to pick the right movie based on your child’s interests and sensory preferences. A journey through the world of movies can be a shared adventure, one that brings joy, comfort, and understanding in each reel.
Sensory Friendly Movies at Home | Modify the Viewing Environment
Adjust the room’s lighting to a level that’s comfortable for your child—neither too dark nor too bright. Some children might find a softly lit room more comforting than a completely darkened space.
Soft, cozy seating options can also make a significant difference. Pillows, blankets, and even bean bags can provide a sense of security and comfort.
Control the Volume
Keep the volume at a moderate level, or consider using personal headphones that can adjust the sound to a suitable level for your child. Headphones designed for sensory sensitivity can be particularly helpful in managing sound input.
Allow Movement
Children may need to move, stim, or take breaks during the movie. Creating a judgment-free space where they feel free to stand, pace, or take a moment outside the viewing area can make the experience more comfortable for them.
Idea: Set up a small “activity station” near the viewing area with quiet, sensory-friendly toys. This could be a basket of fidget toys for a child who may need to stim or a mini trampoline placed off to the side for moments when they feel the urge to jump and stim during exciting scenes.
Sensory Friendly Movies at Home
Prepare with a Visual Schedule
Use a visual schedule to let your child know what to expect during movie night. Include steps like choosing a movie, preparing snacks, and taking breaks. Structure and predictability can reduce anxiety for children with ASD.
Idea: Create a simple picture schedule that outlines the evening’s activities: choosing the movie, preparing snacks, and then watching the movie with one or two scheduled breaks. This can help reduce anxiety by establishing a predictable sequence of events.
Snack Wisely
Prepare light, non-distracting snacks. Consider any sensory sensitivities related to food textures or smells. Finger foods that are easy to eat without looking away from the screen can keep the focus on the fun.
Example: Prepare a tray of favorite healthy snacks, such as apple slices with peanut butter or popcorn without the butter for those sensitive to strong smells or textures. Having individual snack boxes can also make the experience special, giving each child control over their snacking without distractions from communal bowls.
Offer Comfort Items
Let your child have their favorite comfort items nearby—whether that’s a special blanket, toy, or even a pet, if possible. Familiar comforts can provide a sense of security.
Sensory Friendly Movies at Home
Pause and Resume
Remember, it’s okay to pause the movie if your child feels overwhelmed or simply needs a break. This flexibility ensures viewing remains an enjoyable experience rather than a stressful one.
Celebrate the Experience
Highlight and celebrate your child’s engagement and participation in movie night, no matter how small it may seem. Positive reinforcement encourages them to feel good about family activities and look forward to the next one.
Sensory Friendly Movies at Home | Connect About the Movie
Talk about the movie before, during, and after the show. This can help with emotional processing and provide a great opportunity for connection and communication. For some movies, discussing the storyline and characters’ emotions may prepare your child for any intense or surprising scenes.
Sensory Friendly Movies at Home
The first question that comes to mind is, if my child is non-verbal how can we share this experience? There are alternative ways to communicate:
Using Alternative Communication Methods:
Offer tools such as picture cards that the child can point to, depicting emotions or key elements from the film. You might have cards with a happy face, a sad face, a character from the movie, or even simple ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to answer questions about their favorite parts.
Gauging Reactions:
Observe your child’s reactions during the movie. Smiles, laughter, looking closely at the screen, or even turning away can be powerful indicators of their engagement and feelings. Reflect back to them after the movie what you noticed, using a calm and empathetic tone.
Interactive Activities:
Following the movie, engage in related activities. This can be drawing scenes or characters, playing with toys that represent the movie, or even acting out scenes together using expressive movements or gestures.
Technology Aids:
There are various apps designed specifically for nonverbal children which can be used to communicate feelings about the movie. These apps can speak for the child based on pictures or symbols they select.
Choice Boards:
Create a simple choice board with options about what they liked. Did they enjoy the music, the colors, or maybe a specific character? They can point out or look at the choice that resonates with them the most.
Social Stories:
Create a social story about going to the movies or watching a movie at home. Social stories help in understanding the sequence of events and can be a beautiful medium to discuss experiences by pointing to or touching parts of the story.
Visual Scales:
Use visual scales to rate the movie, with faces ranging from very happy to very sad or a thumbs-up and thumbs-down indication. This can help gauge not only the child’s enjoyment of the movie but also their preference for future movie selections.
Crafting a sensory-friendly movie environment at home encompasses much more than adjusting the physical space; it’s about creating an atmosphere of understanding, empathy, and inclusiveness. By tuning into your child’s unique needs and preferences, movie night can be a joy-filled, bonding experience for your family, where every member feels valued and included. Let’s cherish these moments, growing together through shared stories and adventures on screen.
