Top tips for creating Relaxed sessions for Families

Museums and galleries are supposed to be enjoyed by everyone. But there are still large groups in society who can’t access them for a variety of reasons.

Why are Relaxed sessions for families so important? For autistic children, these sessions create a calm, sensory-friendly environment where they can explore at their own pace and engage with exhibits comfortably. Put simply, without them, many neurodivergent families (or those with additional needs) simply could not come. They may also feel excluded or not welcome.

In the UK, over 12% of schoolchildren receive Special Educational Needs (SEN) support, which is at least two children in every classroom. They get additional help for conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia. Their needs vary widely; some may benefit from minor adjustments like extra time in tests or scheduled movement breaks, while others require more hands-on support, such as 1:1 supervision.

Coming to museums has many benefits for SEN kids. It can boost their self-esteem, make them more confident in public spaces, inspire them, and teach them something new. It also helps them connect as a family. So, how can we make these sessions more inclusive?

A young visitor and parent at Early Birds in Wonderlab at the Science Museum. Photo by Eleanor Bentall.

Understand their journey starts long before they reach you
Prepping autistic kids to try something new, leaving the house and travelling to the venue are all part of the experience for neurodivergent families. For this reason, don’t be too strict on arrival times and expect some families to be a little frazzled when they arrive!

Create a Visual Story or Sensory Map
A Visual Story is a user-friendly PDF or webpage that provides families with a step-by-step guide to what they can expect during their visit. It includes photos and simple text about your building, entrance, exhibits, galleries, restrooms, café, stairs and lifts. It should also highlight any areas that might be challenging, such as noisy or busy spots. You can add it to your website and send it to visitors in advance. The Science Museum offers a great Visual Story in its Early Birds event series.

You can also offer Sensory Maps. These are floorplans of your museum that show how busy, loud, or bright different sections of your building are. The Guggenheim Museum has a fantastic Sensory Map that colour codes different spaces by their stimulating nature.

Choose the right time of day
Some museums find it challenging to give up prime slots for Relaxed sessions because of the impact on revenue and visitation targets. But if you want to truly welcome this audience into your museums, it needs to be at a time that works for them. So (if you can) avoid very early mornings and late evenings! Hats off to the Postal Museum, Southbank Centre, and Tower Bridge for offering regular and longer weekend sessions.

The Postal Museum, London

Reduce the number of tickets you sell
Queuing and crowded spaces can cause sensory overload and meltdowns for autistic kids. Limiting the number of people allowed in can help reduce stress and create a more enjoyable and welcoming experience. By keeping ticket prices affordable, you will also make the event accessible for everyone.

Hand out sensory toys and noise-reducing headphones
Many museums provide fidget toys, magnifying glasses and noise-reducing headphones during their Relaxed sessions. For example, at the Postal Museum’s Relaxed sessions, they offer bright red postal bags that kids can fill with fidget toys and headphones, which they love!

Reduce the stimulation
Turn off loud noises in your displays, dim bright or flashing lights, and switch off background music. If anything can’t be adjusted, be sure to highlight it in your Visual Story and let visitors know when they arrive.

Turn off the hand dryers!
Hand dryers in toilets can be a real challenge for kids with sensitive hearing. Although it may seem like a small detail, this will be thoughtful for those who struggle with loud noises.

Let families bring their own food
Some neurodivergent children struggle with making choices about what to eat or can only eat specific foods. Bringing food with them relieves some of the stress (and reduces the cost). You could also make things easier by sharing your café menu online or including it in your pre-visit email.

A young visitor at Early Birds at the Science Museum. Photo by Eleanor Bentall

Offer quiet spaces to escape
Set up a quiet room where families can relax and take a break. Not every museum can provide this, but adding things like bean bags, wobble cushions, spinning chairs, or sensory toys would be ideal. Even a simple box of LEGO can make a big difference!

Allow space for movement
Some neurodivergent kids need space to move and run around freely. Providing informal, unstructured areas can give them that freedom.

Train your staff
Staff training can make a big difference for your team and visitors. Consider everyone families will interact with, from front-of-house and security to volunteers and café staff. You could even set up autism and accessibility champions to share knowledge and support others.

How can you support parents or carers?
One of the great things about Relaxed sessions is that they give parents and carers a chance to connect with others on a similar journey. Can you make it easier for them to chat and get to know each other during your event?

Two young visitors enjoying an Early Birds crafting activity at the Science Museum. Photo by Eleanor Bentall

Get feedback

Families will happily share their feedback during your events, letting you know what works well and could be improved. You can also gather insights afterwards through post-event emails and surveys. Another great option is to connect with local autism charities or special schools (your local authority website is a good place to start).

Lastly, there are lots of excellent resources already out there, some of which you can find below:

Autism in Museums
https://www.autisminmuseums.com

Ambitious about Autism
https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk

Kids in Museums
https://kidsinmuseums.org.uk/resources/welcoming-special-needs-families/

The Neurodiverse Museum

The Neurodiverse Museum – Neurodiverse Museum

National Autistic Society

https://www.autism.org.uk