Celebrating Autism Acceptance Month

Space Center Houston is a destination to explore the marvels of space and human spaceflight bringing people and space closer together, and this includes individuals with disabilities to fully immerse themselves in the wonders of space.  

As a Certified Autism Center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), the science center is the first Autism-sensory-friendly museum in Houston which we take great pride in. The achievement serves to be an accessible and inclusive international learning destination center for all.    

“The center offers a sensory-friendly bag available to borrow during the duration of the individual’s visit,” said Rachel Schwartzman, Accessibility and Inclusion Specialist.  

“Items in the bag to assist with the guest experience include noise reduction headphones, fidget items of various textures and a communication card for our non-speaking guests so that they can get the most out of their experience. We also offer a Quiet Room to help guests that might feel overwhelmed and need a sensory break.” 

Upon employment, our essential crew members and volunteers undergo Autism Awareness training to better accommodate guests with autism and other sensory and cognitive disabilities.     

In addition to providing the facilities and resources needed to accommodate our disabled guests, the center hosts multiple year-round sensory-friendly events where guest capacity is limited, and certain levels of audio and visuals are reduced to serve guests with a variety of sensory needs.

To attend our next sensory-friendly event on May 4, 2024, please visit the Sensory Friendly Events page on the Space Center Houston website.    

For a full list of our general accessibility facilities, special events, deaf and hard-of-hearing services, visual and physical accessibility services, service animals policy and education programs please visit, Accessibility Options – Space Center Houston.