A supermarket is offering a “quiet hour” to help shoppers with autism
If you've ever had the joy of going to a supermarket with a child with severe autism, you'll know the drill.
From loud noises to people jostling them, anything can turn what could have been a peaceful shop into a potential tantrum situation.
But now the manager of an Asda store in Manchester is seeking to make things easier for people with autism – by launching a "quiet hour" in the store.
Simon Lea, the manager of an Asda Living store in Cheetham Hill, said he will turn off escalators, in-store music and TVs, to make the supermarket a silent experience.
People with autism can be ultra-sensitive to noises – with announcements that sound ordinary no the rest of us coming across as oppressively loud to those with the condition.
Lea said the experience of a customer, whose son had a "meltdown" in the store, had inspired him.
"When we open the doors you will be able to hear a pin drop. That's the plan," Lea told Metro.