A theme park in Ohio has caused major upset among parents, who have taken to Facebook and other online support groups to express their frustration regarding a policy at Kings Island, a theme park north of Cincinnati, which has instituted a policy change that doesn't accommodate the needs of autistic children, according to USA Today.
Previously, the park allowed riders with disabilities to enter a ride area with a companion through an alternate side entrance and ride after a brief wait, according to parents. That changed this summer, when the park started requiring disabled riders to request a boarding time, equal to a ride's anticipated wait time for all guests in line, and return at the designated time.
"I'm not asking for free admission to the park or everybody stop the world for him to get on," Marcy Mullins, the mother of an 11-year-old autistic son, from Harrison, Ohio, told NBC. "I would like to just see him happy, and if he can ride a ride a few times, it would mean the world to me."
The policy change is particularly problematic for autistic children, who thrive in an environment with routine and order. They have a difficult time waiting in line, according to parents.
Officials from the theme park's parent company, Cedar Fair Entertainment, located in Sandusky, Ohio, the boarding pass policy has always been in effect but that it may have been enforced inconsistently at the company's amusement parks throughout the U.S. and Canada.
This year, all Cedar Fair parks, which include Knott's Berry Farm near Los Angeles, Cedar Point near Cleveland and Kings Dominion near Richmond, Virginia, must abide by the policy, according to Stacy Frole, the spokeswoman for the company.
Disabled riders can eat or go on other rides with shorter wait times before returning to the original ride. Only one boarding pass is issued at a time.
Bill Shepherd goes to Kings Island with his son up to 15 times each summer. His son, Gage, struggles with crippling anxiety and impulse and aggression issues. According to Shepherd, the boarding pass policy doesn't work for people with autism spectrum disorders, like his son.
"Once Gage discovered he couldn't get on, he was biting his hand, angry and lashing out," Shepherd said. "He mostly hurts himself, but he scares everyone around him."
About 1 in 88 American children have some form of autism spectrum disorder, according to the federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The brains of people with autism aren't able to filter sensory stimuli, according to Dr. Stephen Strakowski, the chairman of the department of psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati.
"I don't think they really understand autism or the implications of what their change does to kids with autism," Shepherd said. "This has taken away one of those really good outings that's helped him."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
