Retailers raising autism awareness through toys

The Pioneer Press documented the growing accommodations the retail industry is making for the autistic population, profiling several local businesses on Friday.

Among them is St. Paul business Creative Kidstuff. The Grand Avenue shop categorizes merchandise by skill, such as creative thinking and social engagement. Items themselves are not marked. Instead, employees received training to help customers identify products deemed "autism-friendly."

West metro residents can find solace with the Autism Shop in Minnetonka. The business was featured in local media two years ago, when they relocated from Hopkins to find a bigger location for the increasing number of materials available for purchase. The Minnetonka store carries over 1,200 products that can be obtained at the store or online. In a gesture of reciprocation, all proceeds Autism Shop receives is donated to various research efforts.

Autism Shop, a non-profit venture, began in 1996 when their owners noticed many parents of autistic children were vexed at the lack of knowledge or resources designed to address the quirks of the disability. Even if traditional stores had merchandise that catered to a specific set of needs, workers did not have the know-how to pinpoint those items. Usual displays of toys and games could also cause a sensory overload in autistic children, especially with objects featuring blinking lights or loud noises.

However, the big players in the youth demographic are adapting with the rising rate of autism diagnosed in children. Toys "R" Us and the online business Discovery Toys both have catalogs for the autistic audience, which may provide parents and their offspring a sense of equality through visits to the same places their peers enjoy.

The concept of belonging could witness a continuing evolution, if the model enacted by Creative Kidstuff takes hold of a wider spectrum of the industry. Since "autism-friendly" items are not separated from other commodities, shoppers are not likely to exclude any portion of the store's selections. Through this measure, parents of autistic children are not "confined" to a specific area of the store.

Integrating the entire selection also benefits parents not affected by autism. Individual symptoms of autism do exist in other children, and the absence of a diagnosis does not remove the potential for barriers in cognitive and social development. The equitable approach could prove to be economically prudent for Creative Kidstuff and other stores, as customers representing the autistic and neurotypical realms will have incentive to invest in their products.

Accommodations for the autistic crowd will likely grow among small and large businesses as awareness and knowledge continue to spread. Possible long-term challenges include the potential growth capacity for autistic people as no method of prediction can assess the level of independence for the group. Some can communicate without difficulty, while others remain perpetually behind their peers in development, requiring prolonged assistance and unique strategies.

As always, intervention is key, and retailers are increasingly enabling consumers to do so.