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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

autisim cinema trips

59 replies

wonderingsoul · 31/07/2013 12:12

i hope you dont mind me posting this, but as its one of the buiset fourums i posted it here and special needs.

whilst browing my local cineworld i came apoun this and thought it was a great idea. at the moment its only once a month, but hopfully it'll turn weekly.

www.cineworld.co.uk/blog/autism_friendly_screenings

OP posts:

saintlyjimjams · 31/07/2013 14:18

Ah than you for reminding me. Our local cinemas have just started doing them. I'll take my man and his hair legs and shoutiness and he can have his first ever cinema screening.

I shall be if the tut tut brigade find their way in there though. Although at someone taking their toddler to an autism screening because they think a quieter showing would be better. Oh well I suppose at least they go home educated :rolls eyes:

ifyourehoppyandyouknowit · 31/07/2013 14:18

Some Odeon's do this too (and have been for a while), and there are theatre's who are introducing more accesible shows for families with children with additional needs (like Jamies link). I think it's brilliant and about time, just like having audio description screenings and subtitled screenings etc, cinemas providing a range of screenings so that everyone can have the chance to go and watch a film.

Beastofburden · 31/07/2013 14:20

lol at hairy legs. DS2 is over six foot now and VERY hairy and I now realise what a blessing it is that DS1 was in a position to do his own suncream.... what is it about hairy legs that gives you that emulsion effect?

smokinaces · 31/07/2013 14:25

Don't forget to get your CEA cards too, so you only have to pay for your Childs ticket and not your own.

Luckily ds1 is very good in the cinema, but we have to pick seats carefully in advance and things. We wouldn't be able to go to one without bookable seats - its why we always use Odeon over cineworld at the moment.

AudrinaAdare · 31/07/2013 14:27

I've just told DH who said that he'd march over and tell them to leave while making the point that in ten years time their children will be taking themselves to the cinema and to count themselves lucky.

We've got them in our area but they tend to start at 9 a.m on a Saturday morning fifteen miles away. DS has massive sleep problems. Weekend morning lie-in swaps are sacred and vital! We'll go to one at some point though.

Love the idea of the Lion King. I was very excited about it but DS loathes and detests London. He hates it almost as much as having his hair cut so much trickery will have to be employed.

purplejar · 31/07/2013 14:30

It's a nice idea and would have been good for us when DS was younger as he tends to make comments through a film and often gets tutted. But he's 14 now and the autism friendly films are always PG type animations, which he finds too babyish now. He's just been to see Pacific Rim and will be going to see Wolverine, I wish they'd understand that they need films for autistic teens too!

Pagwatch · 31/07/2013 14:37

I think these are a brilliant idea even though we can't actually use them.
Ds2 needs to sit in a seat we book on line, needs it dark, loves the ads and can't cope with too much noise or movement from the audience.

If they ever did Gestapo organised showings he would be first in line - 'sit there, eyes forward, no you can't go to the loo......shhhhhhhh!!!!!!'

Eyesunderarock · 31/07/2013 14:45

Pag, mine too.
At one memorable showing, he stood, turned round and boomed at the woman with three tweenagers
'For God's sake woman, can't you control your offspring? I want to watch the film'
He was about eight I think, and they were being very noisy.
But the rest of us were just thinking it.

insanityscratching · 31/07/2013 14:47

Pagwatch that's exactly the reason why I can't take my two with autism to the autism screenings. They are great cinema goers but they would prefer it if everyone else sat still, didn't move, speak or eat either.

Pagwatch · 31/07/2013 15:10

We should organise our own !

I love that eyesunderarock. 'control your offspring' is impossible to hear with being a little contrite. Did she look abashed?

Eyesunderarock · 31/07/2013 15:21

This is the posh end of Sussex, she looked somewhat taken aback.

smokinaces · 31/07/2013 15:23

I'm glad its not just my ASD boy who likes it dark and silent and in a certain way!

Cadsuane · 31/07/2013 15:27

The GFT in Glasgow also do these one Saturday morning a month. If they have a Glasgow Kids card or a Young Scot card then you get a child and accompanying adult get in free.

Pagwatch · 31/07/2013 15:33

We should get on to this

Regular screenings
Autism friendly screening
Sit the fuck down and shut up screenings.

Eyesunderarock · 31/07/2013 15:35

When he was younger, he used to want to sit around row 3 in the dark with no one else around and absolute silence. He's eased up a bit, but there was a long phase of watching films on DVD instead of the cinema.

eccentrica · 31/07/2013 15:39

This sounds great, did you know the National Theatre also do 'relaxed performances' for people with ASD?

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/your-visit/access/relaxed-performances

Pagwatch · 31/07/2013 15:40

God, that is familiar Eyes.

We once had to sit alone in an empty screening watching teenage mutant ninja turtles (god help me) in row 1.
I had to sit through that crap and couldn't even move to a more comfy seat, and we had to watch all the credits. At one point a woman came in with her crying child because she either thought the viewing was empty or we were too sad cases to worry about.

He keeps every cinema ticket and can tell you who he went with from 10 years back. And quite the collection of 3D glasses.

Eyesunderarock · 31/07/2013 15:46

'He keeps every cinema ticket'

And train ticket? We/he use trains a lot.
I'm hoping he will turn his artist's eye onto the Mam Tor-like mound at the end of his bed and create something worthy of exhibition in the Tate.
Or one day I'll be digging him out with a spade.

kinkyfuckery · 31/07/2013 15:46

beastofburden How do you know these toddlers were NT?

I have taken my DCs to a couple of the autism friendly showings through Odeon. I love the fact that - unlike some other non-regular showings (e.g. kids screenings) it is the latest releases and not an old film. DC1 loves not having to sit through the trailers - I prefer to know what's coming up soon though

Eyesunderarock · 31/07/2013 15:47

Because if they weren't NT, they wouldn't have cat's bum faces.

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 31/07/2013 17:08

Pag

I'm in total agreement with your DS.

Umbridge · 31/07/2013 17:12

I tried taking my dd to an autism friendly showing at our local cineworld, and she was a right little madam. I thought she'd prefer it because of the zero trailers, good light, low sound etc (all of which have caused her distress at standard viewings), but every 2 minutes she'd start telling people off for talking through the film, or complain loudly that people were running around. She's 5!

Anyway, just to say that these children you may think are NT and complaining may not actually be NT at all. Now i just go to standard viewings when dd really wants to see a film. We turn up 15 minutes late to miss the trailers, and i put a small light on my phone until we sit down. And i also bring ear phones in case it gets too noisy for her.

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 31/07/2013 17:17

I think films are too noisy, the trailers particularly so. Went to see Now You See Me with DS2 and I nearly went and asked them to turn it down. His mortification stopped me, but another time ...

Pagwatch · 31/07/2013 17:31

Jamie

Yes, I shoud get him a job at the cinema really

zatyaballerina · 31/07/2013 17:35

Would somebody mind explaining why autistic people prefer the lights on?

I think it's a brilliant idea, our local cinema (odeon) has autistic friendly screenings, hearing impaired friendly screenings for deaf people, special prices for the elderly at certain times for old films (wonder if that's a social thing?) and toddler friendly screenings. It makes sense to accommodate different needs so that everybody can enjoy the movies in a manner that best suits them.

The only problem I've ever had in the cinema is NT adult/teenage idiots who never shut the fuck up, they should be banned from setting foot in the cinema, everybody else should be accommodated, that's good business sense.

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