First Autism Certified Destination on East Coast Is High Point, N.C.

High Point, N.C., has become the first Certified Autism Destination (CAD) on the east coast and the second CAD in the U.S., according to Autismtravel.com.

That website is run by the organization that created the certification, the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). It announced back in January that Visalia, Calif., had become the first CAD. IBCCES separately certifies individual amusement parks, zoos & aquariums, park and rec departments and more across the country.

The CAD designation is given to communities where multiple attractions, lodging, and entertainment options have completed IBCCES’ training and certification process that it says ensures autistic or sensory-sensitive visitors have a positive experience.

High Point’s nonprofit tourism arm has been working on the certification since 2021, reports Greensboro.com.

Erie County, N.Y., ‘Building Community Connections Event’

Other towns have been designated autism-friendly by various organizations, and/or hold various developmental disability meet-and-greets with area shopkeepers, first responders and more. Which brings us to an event held in Hamburg, N.Y., this past week.

Called “Building Community Connections,” it was organized by a special education teacher, Meg Comerford at Frontier Central High School, as a way for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and the local police department to interact and get to know each other, reports wkbw.com.

Image: Flickr