Six Flags Great Adventure to host sensory-friendly day

Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., is hosting its first "Autism Day" on May 3. Credit: AP/Julio Cortez
Six Flags Great Adventure theme park in Jackson, New Jersey is hosting a sensory-friendly “Autism Day."
On May 3 from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Great Adventure will be open only to people with autism and their families, says Kevin Gersh, founder and chief autism officer of Long Island’s Gersh Academy, which provides schooling, vocational and social skills programs for children on the autism spectrum. “You turn down the music, you turn down some of the games that are flashing, you have shorter lines, you have staff on lines to assist,” Gersh says of how the day will be different than usual. “We’ve scored the rides according to their noise, sensory input and speed.”
There will also be tents where kids can decompress, with soft music, beanbag chairs and therapists, Gersh says. One hundred Gersh Academy staff will be on hand to help out.
“We’ve sold over 1,800 tickets already. We’ve got kids coming from Long Island, Connecticut, New Jersey,” Gersh says. This is Great Adventure’s first event dedicated to the autism community. Tickets are $32.99 per person. To order tickets, visit customeducationfoundation.org.