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Sylvia Harris and Pluto look out the window to see the sights from the train. — Submitted photo

Members of the group posed for a photo as they waited to board thhe train. — Submitted photo

Michelle Cobb, left, a regisgered behavior therapist, and Sylvia Harris take time to do some coloring. — Karen Kistler

Making their way to the exhibits are, from left, Jeff Burnette ( RBT), Jaxon Adams, Zhane Goodlett with daughter, Xemora Goodlett, Cierra Ratliff ( RBT) Zariah Wilkey, Kayla Young ( RBT). — Karen Kistler

Registered Behavior Technician Kayla Young holds Xemora Goodlett and watches out the window. — Submitted photo

Olivia Brown and mom Sydney Baker enjoy the Thomas the Train ride. — Submitted photo

Posing for a photo are, from left, Michelle Cobb (RBT), Sylvia Harris. Annie Overcash, and Caitlin Reed ( RBT). — Karen Kistler

Registered Behavior Therapist Logan Garner and Lucky Peregord spend time at the train models.— Karen Kistler

Many from the group enjoyed playing with tthe bubbles. — Karen Kistler

The call came for all to get aboard and the group was ready to go. — Karen Kistler

Lucky Pwewgord makes his way down the aisle on the train. — Submitted photo

Oct. 4 was Day Out With Thomas at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer. — Karen Kistler

SPENCER — Thomas the Tank Engine is a favorite with many children, and because of the collaboration between Partners in Learning and the N.C. Transportation Museum, the recent Day Out With Thomas was made more autism and sensory friendly, thereby helping children and families that face sensory challenges.

The children, who are students in Partners in Learning’s Applied Behavior Analysis Clinic, went on a field trip to the Spencer museum Oct. 4 to participate in Day Out With Thomas.

“Our program works with children with autism, and we do behavioral support and therapy for them,” said Cassie Karriker, clinical services director at Partners in Learning.

She said they have children who have level one autism up to level three. 

June Hall, the museum’s volunteers, educational events and historical interpreter, said they reached out to Partners In Learning to help figure out ways to make the day more sensory friendly. 

Program directors joined forces with the museum to make this day more friendly for these children, and brought them “out today so that they could experience Thomas Day with everybody else,” she said. “It’s important for us that our community feels like everybody is important and everybody can participate.”

Ten children, ranging in age from two to five, participated, along with family, staff and volunteers, who helped to make sure the children were safe and could enjoy the day, Karriker said. 

“And parents obviously came because this is their child’s first field trip and so they are able to have access to their first field trip just as any other typical child would,” she said.

Beth Anderson with One Step At a Time Services volunteered her day to offer support. Anderson works with many of these children providing additional therapy, said Karriker.

Everyone strolled through the park and visited different activity areas including the bubble station, model trains and inflatables. 

And as Thomas the Tank Engine rolled into the boarding area, the group made its way to climb aboard for a ride.

Both the families and children were very excited for the opportunity to visit Thomas, said Karriker, telling that as they were riding the bus to come, the children were excited and said, “We’re going for a train ride!”

One parent, Zhane Goodlett, a teacher at Partners in Learning, was there with her daughter Xemora who is in the ABA program and was happy about this opportunity to visit.

“I’m super excited for her. She likes to be outside, so she’s in her element,” Goodlett said. “They do such good work with her. This is something new she gets to experience. It’s a good experience for both of us.”

So far, Xemora’s favorite thing was the bubbles, but Goodlett was hopeful she would also enjoy the train ride “because she likes to sightsee, so that will be good for her.”

As the group was making its way to the train, Caitlin Reed, a behavioral therapist, said having this day meant a lot. “This is not something that we typically get to go out and do in the community. It’s super eye-opening for the kids to be included.” 

Some of the things that were done to make the experience more sensory friendly included having a quiet zone, Hall said, which was curtained off and included some fidget spinners.

Another aspect that was adjusted, said Amy Vestal, development director at Partners in Learning, was the music.

“For kids with autism, sometimes the sensory sounds are one thing to be taken into consideration,” she said.

Most of the time the music is very loud when you are at events like this and you can’t hear conversations with others as she pointed out that “the music is a lot lower level here. It’s kind of pushed away from some of the other areas, so that makes it a little bit easier. You’re not seeing children walking around, covering their ears because it’s too loud.”

Additional help that made the day more sensory friendly included a social narrative and visual schedule made by those at Partners in Learning.

These were made available for people to pick up at the different booths, Hall said.

The visual schedules, said Karriker, had a ‘what’s next’ and ‘what’s done’ section complete with pictures so the “children who have a hard time anticipating what’s going to happen next, have a visual.”

They also had social stories that families could get and use to talk about their special day and provide details about what they should expect while there.

Plus, Karriker said, they “took and manipulated their map so families can see what’s supposed to happen and it helps give an additional resource” along with the other items to give their child a better experience.

Children learn differently, and those “who have a hard time transitioning, they need that visual,” she said, to help know when they get food or see Thomas or whatever else they might need. 

Hall said they have a sensory friendly day at the museum; however, they had not incorporated that into Day Out With Thomas, “and we were just really excited to try and do something a little bit different. We just want to make it more inclusive for our visitors.” 

The two groups hope to do even more next year, she said, and provide a sensory friendly Polar Express as well.

Kelly Alexander, the museum’s executive director thanked Partners in Learning for working with them to produce “sensory friendly materials and experiences for our Day Out With Thomas guests. Funding to support these efforts was provided through the generosity of the Margaret C. Woodson Foundation. The expertise of Partners in Learning is allowing us to reach more of our audience for events and everyday activities.”

This event helped bridge inclusion into the community, said Vestal, noting that children with autism particularly love and enjoy these activities; however families oftentimes are not able to enjoy them, said Vestal. Bringing that inclusion is ”absolutely critical and a part of our mission and vision for our programs.”

She said they were the first to provide ABA therapy in the county, with the closest programs in Charlotte and Winston-Salem. And while she is involved in fundraising, Vestal’s background is actually in ABA therapy and working with children that have autism. 

In speaking of treatments and therapies that can help, Vestal said the “absolute gold standard right now is ABA therapy,” which is a science on behavior, looking at how you break down learning concepts into easy, attainable and measurable ways, breaking down information so a child can easily learn them.

Some of these include visual supports and social narratives, and some children use communication devices, which Vestal said they were able to purchase through donations.

These devices, she said, “gives a child a voice who may not have been able to speak otherwise.” They have several children who can now communicate specific needs. 

The biggest aspect of their program is inclusivity, Vestal said, providing services in a natural environment, not sitting alone, in a therapy room at a table.

“They are learning how to talk and communicate and socialize, all in a natural environment,” she said, “and that’s one of the things that sets our program apart from others.”