Club supports National Autistic Society's Autism Hour

The Club joined thousands of high street shops and businesses across the country to mark the National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour on Monday.

Between 4.30pm and 5.30pm, the Club created a more autism-friendly experience in the Spurs Shop at Paxton House and the NFL Shop at the Tottenham Experience by turning down the music, dimming the lights and briefing staff.

Children from The Vale School, a local special needs school, and Freya MacCallum, one of the National Autistic Society’s young supporters, visited the Spurs Shop at Paxton House during this hour to experience the adapted environment.

There are around 700,000 people living with autism in the UK, as well as three million family members and carers. Those with autism often find social and public situations difficult and can struggle to filter out the sounds, smells, sights and information they experience, which can make busy public places, like shops, overwhelming. A National Autistic Society surveys suggests that 64 per cent of autistic people avoid shops and 28 per cent of autistic people have been asked to leave a public place for reasons associated with their autism.

To help improve the matchday experience for our fans with sensory impairments, we have created a Sensory Room which is located on Level 4 in the north-west corner of the stadium. The room is fitted with fibre optic lighting, bean bags, a bubble tube and a range of other sensory equipment designed to provide a calming environment for both adults and children while they enjoy the game.

In addition to support on a matchday, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation provides a range of programmes to help young people with autism who live in the Club’s local communities. Activities include adapted physical activity sessions such as football, basketball, boccia and curling, an autism holiday camp which takes place every summer and Sports Leaders courses which help people with complex needs develop their leadership skills and stay physically active.

Tottenham Hotspur Foundation also delivers weekly physical education sessions at the National Autistic Society’s Anderson School and Enterprise Campus – a world-leading centre of excellence and Diagnostics Centre for autistic young people. The school has been built on the site of the Club’s former training ground in Chigwell, Essex and was officially opened in December, 2017.

Tom Purser, Head of Campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: “Autistic people represent a huge part of our society – around one in 100 people in the UK. They and their families want to have the opportunity to go to the shops, just like anyone else, however many find the crowds, noise and unpredictability of our high streets completely overwhelming and end up avoiding them altogether. I’d like to say a big thank you to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club for helping to lead this change by supporting this year’s Autism Hour and helping make small changes to their shops which will make a big difference to autistic people and their families.”