Neurodivergent guests flock to the Zoo’s Bird House

Morning at the Museum aims to boost inclusivity and reward early-bird visitors with an experience tailored especially for them.

If smiling parents and engaged kids and teenagers are viable measures—and arguably there are no better ones—Access Smithsonian’s Morning at the Museum events are a huge success.

Access Smithsonian’s Larissa Kunynskyj and Ashley Grady registered MATM participants. (Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov)

Since 2011, when the first MATM program took place at the American History Museum, Access Smithsonian—under director Beth Ziebarth, who also serves as SI’s Head Diversity Officer—has been developing programming with SI staff that incorporates supporting tools and accommodations to help guests of all ages and abilities enjoy all the Smithsonian has to offer.

A special Sensory Kit provides tools to give participants the sensory input some neurodivergent individuals crave. (Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov)

Such accommodations might include shorter wait times, noise-cancelling headphones, social narratives that explain each step of the visit, altered lighting, sensory maps, and other supports.

The idea is to create the most inviting, inclusive museum visit possible, for the widest possible number of participants.

The most recent iteration of MATM, which this reporter attended, took place in June at NZP’s Bird House.

The Bird House was full of different activity stations – not full of people and distractions. (Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov)

A 9 a.m. start time meant that typical Bird House crowds and their attendant noise—which can be deeply taxing to some neurodivergent individuals—was a non-issue. (Zoo guests not participating in MATM began to trickle in at 10 a.m.)

Inside the Bird House playroom, a room set up for learning and playing. (Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov)

Other thoughtful touches at MATM:

• Signage indicating light or temperature changes in the next room, to tip off folks with sensory sensitivities.
• Volunteers to guide people toward restrooms, water fountains or a designated space to take a break
• Craft projects with some steps already completed, such as a curvy snake shape pre-cut from a paper plate, to reduce potential frustration,
• Sturdy artifacts to hold or squeeze without fear of damage

On a sultry summer Saturday, families stepped through the doors into the cool of the Bird House, taking it all in at the pace that felt right to each person.

A young visitor examines a bird identification guide. (Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov)

A wide-eyed kindergartner clutched a laminated guide to the species winging their way through the atrium, swiveling his head to watch as they flew past. A teenage girl and her mother watched ducks paddling by as a keeper, Jen Ferraro, offered a child a faux egg to hold and fielded a question about nesting from a parent. And a tween studied a table where a craft activity was offered, taking it in somberly before choosing a spot to sit and explore the materials laid out for the project.

Bird keeper Jen Ferraro speaks with families during a Morning at the Museum program (Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov)

The opportunity to spend time at the Zoo as a family in the absence of crowds or judgment from passersby is precious, participants said.

A stroll through a faux wetland exhibition in the Bird House. (Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov)

“For us, the MATM events are a great chance for us to see museums (and the Zoo) at [my son’s] speed, how he wants to, and surrounded by other people who have their own family members with sensory needs, and who understand the special needs,” says Kevin Quinn, father to 15-year-old Frederick, who is on the autism spectrum.

Fred is a “huge fan” of NZP and of the Bird House in particular, adds Quinn, whose family lives in DC. “He can get a little loud when he’s enjoying himself, so the low number of visitors in the bird house was also helpful.”

Exploring a sand table in the Bird House. (Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov)

Other caregivers who brought their children to the event underscored the relief of being with other families in a judgment-free zone.

At MATM, “nobody cares if [Rafa] throws himself on the floor,” said Magda Nakassis, who attended the event with her younger son, who is six years old and on the autism spectrum. “He can just be who he is in public for a couple of hours.”

Programs like MATM “get us out of the house,” added Nakassis, who works at the National Gallery of Art and who grew up going to museums in DC. MATM allows her to replicate her childhood experiences with her own kids, she said.

Learning Program Specialist Laura Hernandez said the SI team behind this edition of MATM sought to create an engaging Zoo experience with multiple points of entry for participants of every ability.

At a craft table, for example, it’s the process that counts more than the finished product, Hernandez explained. “Maybe the child stamped the stamp or ran the feather through the paint,” or maybe they completed half the project and then needed a break. “Success looks different depending on the person.”

Participants kept their eyes peeled for birds during their early-morning visit. (Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov)

Yolanda Comfort Simmons drove to the event from Fredericksburg, Va., with husband Levi and daughter Ella-Grace, 13. As she typically does, Yolanda Simmons made a point of describing to Ella-Grace ahead of time what to expect when the family entered the building.

While Levi Simmons mused whether the free-flying birds in the atrium might startle the child, the couple was pleasantly surprised when Ella-Grace gazed at the birds in wonder. “She was enthralled,” Simmons noted. “MATM makes sure these events are not only wheelchair-accessible, but sensory-accessible.”

“Levi said this was the best [MATM] yet, and we’ve been to a lot of them,” Simmons added. “The staff was phenomenal.”

Learning Program Specialist Laura Hernandez. (Photo by Amy Rogers Nazarov)

As a museum professional and as a parent, Nakassis said she deeply appreciates the resources that make MATM possible, from altering security staff hours to accommodate an early opening to planning suitable activities.

“This is not a light lift,” she said. “Somebody had to decide to do this, to accommodate families like ours, in a world that’s not really made for my son.

“It’s a really meaningful experience for us.”

For a full schedule of Morning at the Museum events and other programming, visit the Access Smithsonian website.