SPOKANE, Wash. – For the 2nd year in a row, the city of Spokane is partnering with the ISAAC Foundation to put on a sensory-supportive Easter egg hunt at the Providence Playscape at Riverfront Park.
This event is inclusive to people of all ages and abilities. They intentionally stagger start-times and allow smaller crowds so that participants can be comfortable.
Nonstop Local spoke with one teenage boy who loves the thrill of the hunt but has yet to experience one in public.
Keigan Clavel is 16 years old. He does online school through Spokane Public Schools from the comfort of his own home, partially because he was diagnosed with autism when he was 3. Sometimes he gets overwhelmed when around too many people, bright lights, or loud noises.
Keigan loves easter and searching for eggs, so his family coordinates with the Easter bunny every single year to make sure there are eggs left somewhere Keigan can be comfortable finding them while still offering him a challenge.
Keigan’s mom Heather says because he is so good at noticing things that are out of place, the Easter bunny stands no chance…
“So, if I’ve moved furniture around in the room he will instantly notice,” said Heather Clavel, Keigan’s mom. “It’s like a screenshot that he can pull up with how it used to be versus how it is now. So, he’s able to clue in on things quickly and zero in on differences.”
But Keigan is not the only teenager in Spokane who is excited for this year’s hunt. In fact, one local girl has had this Saturday circled for awhile in preparation for the hunt.
Abby Green is 15 and goes to school on the South Hill. Green was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 and sometimes she gets overwhelmed when around too many people, bright lights, or loud noises.
Green absolutely loves the holidays, and she loves hunting for Easter eggs, but if she is around too many people, she won’t be able to enjoy the experience because she could get overstimulated.
That’s why Green’s mom Dayleen took her to the sensory supportive Easter egg hunt last year and why she says it’s so important.
“When she goes there, she’s not looked at differently,” said Dayleen Green, (Abby’s mom). “She’s not looked down upon because she’s bigger than everyone else. She’s embraced and loved.”
If you want to register, click here.
