Did you know that Greater Palm Springs recently became a Certified Autism Destination? And that it’s a very big deal?
The CAD designation is awarded only after multiple locations, including hotels, attractions and entertainment venues, train 80% of their staff on how to serve autistic and sensory-sensitive visitors and their families.
The designation was recently announced at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Greater Palm Springs is the first Southern California destination, and just the fifth worldwide, to achieve such recognition.
Visit Greater Palm Springs partnered with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards to initiate the CAD designation. VGPS president and CEO Scott White called the designation a “benchmark for inclusivity” that furthers the goal of making the valley a more welcoming and friendly place for visitors and locals alike.
Currently, there are 24 local venues and organizations with the CAD designation; each venue receives a Certified Autism Center emblem from IBCCES, which indicates the space is an autism-friendly venue with staff trained to anticipate the needs of visitors on the autism spectrum. Certified venues may also provide resources like activity bags, stimulus toys or headphones, and in some cases quiet rooms or areas where overstimulated children can reset.
VGPS chose local music producer, rock guitarist and “autism dad” Josh Heinz to spearhead the multi-year process.
“I got hired (at VGPS) in 2021,” said Heinz, who is well-known for putting on the annual Concert for Autism, a fundraiser for the Desert Autism Foundation, with his wife, Linda. “I met the staff, and I told them all about my family (with) kids on the autism spectrum. My wife and I play music, and we do this concert. And our CEO, Scott White, said, ‘Josh, we need to talk about autism certification.’ So we met with IBCCES, and (explained how) we advocate and promote all nine cities of the Coachella Valley. And they said, ‘Well, you guys can become a Certified Autism Destination.’ Scott really entrusted me to make it happen, and I’m grateful for it. It took about 3 1/2 years, and here we are.”
Josh and Linda Heinz met 16 years ago as single parents both raising sons who are autistic. Linda and Josh are now parents to an 11-year-old son who is high functioning on the autism spectrum. Their two older sons, now 23 and 25, have needs requiring high levels of support.
In a family with varying needs, a venue being CAC certified can make a huge difference.
“We want to be able to take our kids out and have a great time,” Linda said. “Just to be able to take our kids somewhere where they’re understood better, and accepted as people who should be in that place, too—that is a big thing for families like ours. And we’re not the only ones out here. There are a lot of us out, and we’ve been kind of ignored for a long time, so to have the light shine on us is really nice.”
Linda, a musician and music teacher, said the local network of parents needing resources is large and expanding.
“We have a big autism community out here in the desert,” Linda said. “There are plenty of parents (with) recently diagnosed children. Some of them are new to the valley; some are from here. Some of them have language barriers in getting the help they need. The autism initiative is a huge step forward for our community … even to people who don’t understand autism. It gives a lot of comfort and hope and excitement to families out here.”
Sara Castillo and her husband raised two children on the spectrum in Palm Springs during a time when autism awareness was not widespread. They always took the kids out into the community, but the going was tough. Castillo said she cried every day.
“Our daughter is 25 (now); our son is 26, so we’ve been around for quite a while,” Castillo said. “Back then, that was kind of your dream as parents—for people to not just know what autism was, because it just really wasn’t as known or prevalent 20 years (ago), but (to have) the awareness component of it.”
Autism doesn’t always present itself as an obvious disability. “It’s not visible, until maybe you start interacting with them,” said Castillo. “That’s when you see their demeanor change. So I feel like that’s the awesome part, is that there’s so much compassion out there.”
The work Josh Heinz and the team at VGPS are doing is badly needed, said Castillo. “‘Which places are they (that are certified), so we know we can go there and eat comfortably, or go hang out and just be accepted?” she said.
Families with autistic members have to do a lot of planning before any outing, said Linda.
“Whether it’s going on a vacation, or even just out to eat, you’ve got to have all your (stimulus) toys and the right kind of snacks and the kind of juice that they’ll drink, because oftentimes, they’re very picky eaters and picky drinkers,” Linda said. “So we have to plan: What if there’s a problem? What if my child has sensory problems and gets upset or gets nervous?”
Families with children on the spectrum can now look for the CAC emblem. It’s a failsafe if, for example, toys or items are left at home by accident, with staff trained to be of assistance if needed.
Meredith Tekin, the president of IBCCES, was on hand at The Living Desert to bestow the CAD designation. The Florida-based company is a leader in global training and certification in autism, neurodiversity and accessibility.
IBCCES, using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says one in 31 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism. That number is probably low, said Tekin.
“It’s a commonly quoted statistic, but may not take into consideration children who don’t have access to care, or (are) waiting for a diagnosis, (or) millions of adults who never got diagnosed,” Tekin said. “It just really shows this is not a small part of the community. This is part of our potential market as tourism professionals that really historically has been ignored, but is a huge portion of the community and a huge opportunity.”
The investment in autism training contributes to a destination’s appeal, Tekin said. “There is a huge desire for travel, and IBCCES certification delivers a message specifically to the autism community that you’re going to be understood and welcomed here.
“There really is a connection that needs to be made with this segment of the community, because what they tend to do is find a place they enjoy or where they feel comfortable, and they will go back over and over again, which is great. You know, they’re the most loyal fans, if you serve them appropriately. We want to widen folks’ options and widen their horizons so they feel comfortable trying a variety of locations and things to do. It’s important to essentially market and say, ‘My hotel, my attraction, my restaurant, my destination wants you here,’ because for so many years, they have not felt seen or heard, or felt like their needs were going to be met.”
Tekin noted that city governments in Indian Wells, La Quinta, Palm Desert and Palm Springs all opted to train their staff. Cathedral City included its fire and police departments in the training as well.
“We don’t require the city governments to be part of it, but it just so happened in this area, the community just took the opportunity and ran with it,” Tekin said. “A lot of those city governments wanted to be part of the initiative. The city of Palm Springs wanted to focus on inclusive hiring, so they became a certified neurodiverse workplace. Really, they just kind of took up the spirit of the initiative and wanted to join and be part of it.”
IBCCES provides ongoing support to every organization it certifies, ensuring that 80 percent of all public-facing staff members are certified.
“We’re doing quarterly check-ins; we’re providing guidance resources,” Tekin said. “Then, typically, every two years, they’re going to have to renew that certification. They take updated training, and they have to renew, just like any good professional credential. You don’t just do it once, and then you’re good to go forever.”
Now that the Coachella Valley has achieved the CAD designation, Heinz wants more businesses to get involved. He said several businesses that did not get certified before the big announcement are working through the process.
As a community engagement manager at VGPS, Heinz is working with city councils to support businesses that want the training. He said some cities have set up reimbursement grants to help with the base cost of the CAC designation.
“We want to watch it grow,” he said. “As a parent, I want every single business and organization to get certified, because this is knowledge that is not just workplace knowledge; it’s a bigger deal than that. We need more options, and more accommodations, because not everybody can afford this resort or hotel, or that restaurant. We need it across the entire valley.”
Castillo said she can already see the difference the CAD designation is making around the valley. The goodwill is showing up, even in places that have yet to earn their Certified Autism Center emblem.
“What is so special about this is, it’s spreading,” Castillo said. “I feel like people are feeling, ‘I’m being kind right now; I’m being accepting right now; I’m offering a different service that I probably didn’t offer to that family before, because they have special needs.” And it’s a really beautiful overall feeling.”
To learn more about becoming a Certified Autism Center, visit www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/partnerportal/partners/become-autism-certified.
