In the midst of this current crisis, the chaos in supermarkets has overshadowed the Autism friendliness that they all ensued only a few months before. Whilst I am fully aware that this change in climate has been difficult for everyone, I have noticed a more impactful side to it for Autistic individuals such as myself.
During our previous normality, the sensory issues in supermarkets posed to Autistic individuals, and those with other sensory-based needs, included things such as harsh lighting, checkout noises, fridge and freezer fans, temperature changes throughout the aisles, invasion of personal space, peoples conversations overlapping, different textures and so much more.
In this “new normal”, all sensory challenges are heightened. In addition, we have the stress of the unknown. The social-distancing rules implemented are unpredictable, in that we don’t know when they will be listened to and/or enforced. Queuing and one-way systems have changed the way we all shop and, for people like me, this has interrupted vital routines that made it possible for us to shop in public in the first place. I spent a long time building up to entering a supermarket independently. In this process, I learned where the various items in my local shop are located, I decided what row I would try to park in and I decided what route I was take from the entrance through the aisles. This has now all changed, making supermarkets unpredictable places once again. In general, people tend to have certain cashiers they like to go to, or they do self-service where possible. Even this has become a whole new process, and one that we cannot control. Now, people queue in one aisle and then get directed to a till by staff. This takes the control and predictability out of the situation.
The whole shopping experience has changed, and I believe that it should be compulsory for Autism-friendly measures to remain in place where possible. This could include keeping the scanning noise to a minimum, having things well sign-posted rather than just tape on the floor, identified hours that tend to be the quietest. Anything that ensures more predictability than there is right now. This is a confusing time for everyone but, for people with Autism and associated conditions, it can be especially hard