Framingham human services agency will open autism welcoming center at Natick Mall

NATICK — The variety of tenants at the Natick Mall is continuing to expand, as human services agency Advocates plans to open an autism welcoming center in the mall later this year.

The location will provide on-site training for local businesses, teaching them how to treat and respect customers with autism and intellectual disabilities. Framingham-based Advocates has already been providing such training courses, but the mall storefront will give the agency a permanent, education-focused location in a convenient place.

"Autism welcoming is a training program that trains businesses to be more welcoming to people with autism and other sensory sensitivities," said Julie Blazar, Advocates' director of program marketing.

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The autism welcoming center will be on the second floor, near the former Wegmans site. It's close to several family-friendly businesses, including Build-a-Bear Workshop and Learning Express Toys & Gifts . The 2,700-square-foot space was renovated and then donated by the mall to accommodate Advocates.

"It’s an honor to have the autism welcoming center here,” Natick Mall Senior General Manager Jennifer Kearney stated. “As a place for the entire community, it’s important to us to be able to provide this space and resource.”

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Mandy Sim owns Jam Time , an indoor play center at the mall. Jam Time has undergone training provided by Advocates, and Sim said having the autism welcoming center will be a boon to all businesses in the mall.

“As a small business that focuses on young children, we are very excited to hear that the Autism Alliance will be opening inside the Natick Mall,” Sim said. “This new location will benefit not just our clients, but all families in our communities.”

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Jeff Keilson, senior vice president of strategic planning and development at Advocates , said the mall location will expand the Autism Alliance program that Advocates has been running for several years. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 out of every 36 children is on the autism spectrum, and Keilson said businesses that can appropriately treat customers with autism will have a customer service advantage.

"The idea behind the Alliance was we wanted to identify businesses and organizations in the community that are welcoming to people with autism and their family caregivers," he said. "We want family members to know that if they go out to eat, and their son or daughter starts to have certain behaviors and they have to leave, the staff at the restaurant is trained to quickly pack up and make them feel more comfortable."

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Keilson said that over time, Advocates has done outreach in the business community, noting that several Natick Mall businesses — including Dave & Busters and California Pizza Kitchen — have received training. Keilson said the Natick Mall management recognized the work that Advocates was doing and offered the space to the agency.

"The relationship between us and the Natick Mall began to develop and expand, and then management said they'd be willing to donate some great space and renovate it to our specifications," he said. "Our view of that is that it's fabulous, because now we actually have a physical space in the mall, so hopefully we can expand the number of businesses at the mall that we can train.

"I can't tell you how excited I am."

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Blazar said that in addition to providing training space for businesses, the autism welcoming center will also have a playspace for autistic children, as well as sensory spaces to help people with autism and their families who may need a break from the mall's noise.

"The space is going to be multi-purpose, it isn't going to be open during all mall hours," Blazar said. "We will do some of our business trainings in there — but we will also be a hub in the mall for people who need resources, who need a quiet space to go, and our staff will be there to help them as well."

Keilson said Advocates is aiming to open the space around September.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham human services agency will open autism welcoming center at Natick Mall