In this blog I am going to talk about some of the experiences that an autistic person may face when they enter a store like yours! This includes supermarkets, shopping centres, post offices, and any shops in general. You will serve autistic customers from time to time, whether you know it or not. It is therefore important to know how you can support them in their shopping experience with you!

Upon entering a store they may struggle with some of the following issues:

· Finding a car parking space (this can be very stressful for an autistic person who may also have an accompanying anxiety disorder). They may prefer to park in a certain area – whether that be due to OCD/ritual reasons (liking the same spot), anxiety reasons (not wanting to be near other cars, wanting to be nearer the store or further away), or so that others can’t see them park (as they may have coordination issues).

· They may have anxiety when they get out of their car/walk into the store. They may struggle with social niceties that are expected of them or may struggle with eye contact. If it’s a supermarket with rotating doors they may struggle to navigate this and may also find the process awkward if they enter with someone else.

· They may struggle when getting a trolley due to coordination issues, such as unlocking a trolley with a coin.

· They may see someone they know and want to avoid them, even if they like them! Due to social issues/anxiety issues/feeling embarrassed/being too busy to talk and not knowing how to get out of the situation.

· They may find talking to staff extremely awkward! For example if they walk into a clothes shop and straight away a member of staff is trying to talk to them, this could put them off wanting to be there. That doesn’t mean that all autistic people are anti social, far from it! Some may have the opposite problem, where they want to talk for ‘too long’.

Once they are in the store or shop, please try to take the following information into consideration:

· Sensory overload. Most autistic people struggle more than others when it comes to sounds and lighting. They often feel bombarded with different sensory inputs. They struggle to filter out these external senses. They are trying to protect themselves from all of this whilst walking, talking, and trying to display the correct social etiquette. Oh, and trying to navigate around the store, and find the relevant items!

· They may not possess the same social skills as you or appear different to others.

· If it’s a big store they may struggle to find their way around it! They may require assistance in navigating their way. They may not feel comfortable asking or not know how to ask, so please bear this in mind. They may also be non verbal!!

·        They may be frustrated if the item they have come in to purchase isn’t in stock or if you don’t sell it anymore. This could make them really frustrated or angry, or anxious. They may not know how to deal with it in a ‘normal’ way.

·        They may become frustrated if it is taking them longer than they had planned, or may require more time than most people. The latter could be due to suffering from anxiety.

When they want to pay and leave the store they may struggle with some or all of the following issues:

· They may prefer or only be able to do one method of paying – they may only want to be served by someone as they struggle to use self service tills and get anxiety over using them, especially if there are others in the queue. Alternatively they may only like to use self service tills as it limits the amount of social contact they have with someone. If either option isn’t available this could cause stress and or anxiety for them.

· They may really struggle being in queues, and may become easily frustrated. Signs of this include pacing/fidgeting/pulling faces/cussing/swearing/self abusive behaviours/or even leaving the store without paying. Whilst you can’t necessarily speed up the queue or let them cut the line, reassuring them may help, and explaining the situation to them (it won’t take long/it’s so busy because of x).

· Again, they may struggle with social situations. Examples here include small talk whilst the transactions are going through or asking them personal questions. They may actually over talk!

· They may be anxious about leaving the store for various reasons. For example driving their car out of the space.

· They may struggle with payment i.e. they may have lots of coins in their hand and struggle to count quickly enough or forget their card number.

I hope you find some of the examples given useful, and can bear them in mind when serving and supporting customers! There are lots more examples we could use, so please check out other blogs for more from the team!

Ben