Metro invites Autism Transit Project members in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, Va. (DC News Now) — Metro welcomed “special guests” at its Springfield-Franconia Station Wednesday.
Members of the Autism Transit Project and their families were invited down to the Metro station.
“The train goes zoom,” Chase Powell, a 5-year-old D.C. resident, said.
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He’s one of the 40 children who got to see what Metro uses to transport people around the DMV.
“He loves trains. So we’re here,” said Chase’s mother, Ebony Powell.
Eddie Floyd is a 12-year-old D.C. resident who has autism.
“It takes you somewhere,” Eddie said.
The families got invited as part of Metro’s effort to promote inclusion.
“There are a lot of day-to-day and dignity inside [that] you face as an individual with a disability,” Nikki Floyd, Eddie’s mother, said. “Seeing your child go through that is really it’s taxing.”
The event gave parents one less thing to worry about for some time.
“Everyone here has a place in Metro,” Metro General Manager and CEO, Randy Clarke, said.
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He told guests that the communities Metro serves are stronger when everyone has access to reliable and affordable transportation, including those with autism.
“It makes us feel seen in a way that we often don’t,” Floyd said.
This day, though, allows children with autism to be just like everyone else.
“One of the biggest things that we as parents want for our kids with autism is inclusion,” Floyd said. “That’s very important to us.”
The trains, with their lights, and noise, may actually may help children with autism.
“They start to get comfortable with language and listen to what’s being said and may start to speak,” said Jonathan Trichter, the founder of the Autism Transit Project. “The first words they say will be an announcement that they hear.”
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The children recorded safety announcements that are played at Metro stations which remind passengers what to do when boarding trains and buses, according to a news release.
“The pre-recorded announcements will cover a variety of pertinent information, including reminders to hold children by the hand on escalators and minding the gap when entering and exiting trains,” Metro stated in the release.
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