SJU looking to bring their Autism Break Room for sporting events to other universities
PHILADELPHIA (BVM) — Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) became one of the first NCAA Division I schools to build an autism break room for sporting events when they unveiled the room on Dec. 2, 2018. Located in the Hagan Arena, it was a collaborative effort by SJU’s Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support and the university’s athletic department.
Now, SJU is looking to help other universities implement the break room into their arenas. This comes after all of the positive feedback on the room from both students on and off the autism spectrum and also from parents over the years.
“Before the pandemic, we were planning to introduce the break room at other universities so that SJU fans could enjoy away games,” said Joseph McCleery, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, and Executive Director of Academic Programs at the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support.
“We hope to implement this in 2021.”
On #WorldAutismAwarenessDay, DYK that SJU's Hagan Arena has an Autism Break Room? https://t.co/hEm46jyUh8#THWND pic.twitter.com/0RGEOkhfSO
— SJU Hawks (@SJUHawks) April 3, 2019
Photos of SJU’s Autism Break Room show a room that McCleery describes as a “break box full of popular sensory tools and solutions, sensory mats and exercise balls.” The photos show several of the sensory-friendly items such as stress balls and noise-canceling headphones.
The Kinney Center’s mission is “committed to helping individuals with autism live greater,” which is exactly what they achieved by making sporting events more inclusive. The loud buzzers, crowds and flashing lights that come with watching the game can be a lot to people on the autism spectrum, but the break room helps to manage those external stresses.
“These items allow individuals in the room to channel their energy, achieve calm, and self regulate with minimum supervision,” McCleery said.
McCleery states that the SJU Hawks are very popular with students on and off the autism spectrum, as well as with many alumni, which is why providing a break room like this was made a priority years ago. This is also a huge reason the university is looking to expand into other arenas.
It is unclear what those plans look like, but chances are it could look very similar to the original one done by SJU, since McCleery states that the break room has largely stayed the same since its opening in 2018.
“We conducted informal evaluations of the space, its accessibility, and the items and activities within it,” McCleery said. “Feedback from those who used it was that it was accessible, comfortable, and allowed them to take effective breaks during games.”
But with the impact of COVID-19, not only are potential plans for expansion on delay but so is the usage of their own break room. Currently, the Hagan Arena is not able to host spectators, but McCleery states SJU is looking forward to the day they can return to providing Autism Break Room access for fans once again.
SJU has set a precedent for what it means to be inclusive during big sporting games. They have not stopped at their home games; next year will be a big year for the university as they unveil further plans for a potential expansion to other arenas with their original mission in mind.
“The break room was set up as a way to accommodate the needs of both our students and other individuals on the spectrum who attend games,” McCleery said. “In addition, to significantly improve accessibility for our alumni and others to bring their children on the spectrum to games.”
