For parents of children with special needs, going to the movies can be overwhelming. The darkness, sounds and crowds can cause anxiety and turn a fun outing into a source of tension. Colleen Ginder understands the issue firsthand. As the parent of a 5-year-old son, Nolan, who has autism, Colleen wanted to provide an opportunity for other families to bring their children to the movies. She arranged for a sensory-friendly movie outing in April at Penn Cinema in Lititz. More than 100 people from 27 families throughout Lancaster County, Lebanon County and Hershey attended a showing of "Sing 2."

"(Nolan) had never been to the movies, and I figured if he has never been, then probably some of his peers have never been either," said Colleen, who lives in Manheim. "I felt that this event would give families like mine an opportunity to attend an event that we would normally shy away from either because of sensory issues, financial concerns or fear of judgment from people who may not understand our specific needs."

Despite never having planned an event like this before, and with the original date rescheduled due to a snowstorm, Colleen said the day was very well-received. "It went exactly as I had hoped that it would," she stated. "The kids were able to walk around, sing, talk, sit on the floor, play and just generally do exactly what they needed to do to feel comfortable watching the movie. The parents as well were able to be present knowing that their children were in a safe environment to be exactly who they needed to be. We were all there for the same reason, and you could feel the support and acceptance in the room."

Colleen said her goal in creating the event was to make it as accessible to as many families as possible, including keeping the cost low. "I know for myself, we have never taken Nolan to the movies. Part of that was because I couldn't see spending the money on taking our entire family out and then having to face the very real possibility that we would have to leave early or even before the movie even started because of sensory issues or just not being able to follow social norms that are easy for some but not all of us," she stated. She approached Tom Zern at John A. Zern & Sons Beverage Distributor in Manheim, who donated toward the cost of the theater rental and also provided soda and ice for the event. A family member of Colleen's covered the rest of the theater rental cost, and Penn Cinema donated free bags of popcorn to the group.

"I am definitely hoping to do another event like this," Colleen said. "The movie was a huge success, so possibly I will try to plan another movie, But I have several other ideas going as well."

To request notifications of upcoming events, contact Colleen at cjoyginder@gmail.com or call or text 717-666-5900.