Splish Splash opens early for children, adults with autism to enjoy Calverton water park without crowds

Splish Splash was packed with kids running from one attraction to the next Monday morning. Parents and children alike careened down waterslides and floated on tubes on the "lazy river" in their bathing suits like any other summer day in the Calverton water park.

What was different, though, was the park opened early Monday to provide a stress-free environment for more than 200 families with children and adults who have autism.

New York’s largest water park opened at 8 a.m. for families who are members of two Long Island-based nonprofits serving individuals with autism: the Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society of America and the EJ Autism Foundation. The park opened to the public at 10 a.m.

Maleeka Catlin, 30, of Elmont, said her son does not like loud noises or crowds, and has trouble waiting on long lines, which is why she appreciates the inclusivity of the event.

“It's hard to go to regular parks and stuff, so just getting him outside the house and having him intermingle with people, I'm really excited about that today,” she said.

Catlin said at the event, nobody is judging her 6-year-old son for stimming — when a person repeatedly makes the same movements or sounds, which can help people cope with strong emotions. It is often associated with people who have autism, though many people with and without autism stim.

“I appreciate that he gets the experience of going to a water park, even if it's just for an hour or two,” Catlin said. “And the exposure is also really good for him.”

For the annual event, the park donated 700 tickets to the Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society of America, said the organization’s executive director, Michele Iallonardi.

“Thanks to an amazing partnership with Splish Splash, they open the park two hours early for individuals with autism and their families ...before it is crowded, before there are lines, before it's kind of, like, a little overwhelming,” she said.

The event has been going on for more than 10 years, and this year, it attracted a record-breaking 235 families, according to Danielle Trombetta, the park's director of marketing.

“My favorite part of this event, I think, is just seeing the joy on people's faces as they're able to kind of experience something by themselves that they normally wouldn't really be able to experience when we are open to the public,” said the park’s director of revenue, Anzhelina Shtenger.

Shtenger, along with the rest of Splish Splash's staff members, are certified by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, an organization that provides training for people serving individuals with autism, neurodiversity and other disabilities. The park provides noise-cancelling headphones for attendees with sensory issues.

Shtenger said she hopes to one day see the park open to all individuals with autism, instead of only for members of the two nonprofit organizations.

“This is something that I look forward to every year,” she said. “It's a lot of fun to engage with the community and be part of something a bit bigger than Splish Splash.”