Autism Acceptance Day
April is Autism Acceptance Month, and the Houston Zoo is committed to being place where everyone can connect with wildlife and one another. To create an inclusive and welcoming experience for all, the Zoo is hosting Autism Acceptance Day on Sunday, April 19, providing a welcoming and sensory-friendly environment for guests on the autism spectrum and their families.
Building a bond with animals can have many benefits. The presence of animals in calm settings like zoos, provide a grounding experience as sights, sounds, and even smell of animals offer a sensory outlet that may be both calming and stimulating. Animals, like Asian elephants, often rely on non-verbal communication. Watching how these social animals with complex behaviors communicate through body language and engage with their surroundings can teach guests on the spectrum how to express themselves and form connections with others.
Event Highlights
During Autism Acceptance Day, guests can expect an enjoyable and enriching experience while cultivating a deeper appreciation for wildlife.
This event is included with general admission and free for members.
- Gates open an hour early at 8:00 a.m. for exclusive access to the Zoo on Sunday
- Zoo Crew Teens to offer hands-on, inclusive activities at Birds of the World including bird watching
- Several quiet zones and sensory spaces provide areas to decompress, including pathway near black bears, Karamu Outpost, and picnic area in the John P. McGovern Children’s Zoo
- Themed keeper chats will allow guests to connect with animals, including keepers bringing sensory examples (like feathers) and visually stimulating animal enrichment
- A Wildlife Workshop offers engaging opportunities to learn about wildlife
Wildlife Workshop Activities
The seed ball activity consists of combining clay, dirt, water and finally seeds. Clay is mixed with dirt. Water is added until it’s a peanut butter consistency and then the seeds are added. Once the seed ball is dry, they will be given to Mercer Botanical Gardens to help restore their prairie.
Seedballs are an easy way to re-vegetate areas and help support local pollinators like the monarch butterfly.
Using wax paper guests will use a dye cut press to cut out different shapes to put on their windows at home. Guests will be able to use their artistic skills and color them. Guests will be encouraged to place the clings on their window at home to help save birds.
Birds often crash into windows because widows can reflect the environment around them. This confuses birds. Putting a cling in window can help prevent accidental window strikes by birds.
Using wool, yarn, sticks and wire guests will be able to create a nest starter for birds. Guests will wrap a piece of wire around a bottle to make a coil. On one end of the coil with a hook on one end. The coil will be stuffed with wool, yarn, and twigs. Guests will be able to take the nest starter home and place in their yard or on their balcony.
Each year birds are harmed when the wrong material finds its way into the nest. Making a starter is a great way to make a bird’s home safe.
Certified Autism Center
The Houston Zoo is a designated Certified Autism Center™ through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). This is a certification that recognizes the Zoo’s commitment to providing an inclusive and welcoming experience for guests of all abilities. As a Certified Autism Center, Zoo staff, volunteers, and SSA group employees have undergone specialized training to better understand and accommodate the needs of individuals on the autism spectrum.
In efforts to provide accessibility and inclusion for guests of all abilities, visit the Zoo’s accessibility page to learn more about accommodations, services and resources to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable Zoo experience for all
