SeaWorld Parks Earn Autism Certification Designations

SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando and Discovery Cove have all been recently designated as certified autism centres.

These certifications followed sister park Sesame Place, the first theme park in the world to reach this accreditation in April 2018, and makes our three Orlando theme parks the only family of parks (in the theme park capital of the world) to provide these accommodations to help guests and families plan their day and make informed choices best suited to their individual family travel needs.

In conjunction with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), the parks completed a staff-wide autism sensitivity and awareness training as well as an onsite review of the park property and guest experience.

As for what it means for guests, as Certified Autism Centers, the parks are required to provide ongoing training to ensure that team members have the requisite knowledge, skills, temperament and expertise to interact with all families and children with special needs, specifically on the autism spectrum.

Training takes place in the areas of sensory awareness, environment, communication, motor and social skills, program development, and emotional awareness as well as a comprehensive autism competency exam.

The autism training must be taken every two years in order to maintain the certification.