When Jake Tilk and his autistic 28-year-old brother, Max, were offered a chance to visit Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, they were nervous. It was 2023, and the brothers were going to vacation in the city which had just received its Autism Ready designation—and would be filmed while doing so. Their experience would be included in the Peacock show Traveling the Spectrum. The two Detroit natives had never traveled for a week without other family members, and Jake wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle everything his brother needed in an unfamiliar setting.
But Jake was relieved to find that all the places and activities they visited were very friendly and accommodating with Max.
“They were trained and open to all sorts of disabilities,” says Tilk, even providing Max with fidget toys, a tour of sensory rooms at various attractions, and extra help to experience jet skis and a helicopter ride. “I had never seen anything like that before Myrtle Beach.”
For neurodiverse travelers like Max, crowds, loud noises, and unfamiliar situations can be challenging. A survey conducted by AutismTravel.com found that 78 percent of autism families are hesitant to travel or visit new locations, yet 94 percent of respondents would take more vacations if they had access to places where staff are autism-trained and certified.
Thanks to the autism training required across the bulk of hotels, restaurants, and activities in Myrtle Beach, Tilk felt there was no awkwardness or explanations needed with Max. And that was a huge confidence boost for them both.
“It was really cool to see his independence blossom,” Tilk says.
Myrtle Beach’s Autism Ready designation by the Autism Travel Club (formerly Champions of Autism Network) is one of three autism-related certifications that cities can earn, in addition to the Autism Certified City Destination by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), and the Sensory-Inclusive City designation by KultureCity.
All have different requirements, with the main goal of providing employee training across hotels, restaurants, and attractions to increase understanding of the spectrum of autism, what to do when someone has a sensory meltdown, and safety awareness for wandering or elopement. The certifications may also require the city’s venues to provide quiet rooms, lights-up performances, or the availability of noise-canceling headphones to help neurodiverse individuals better regulate.
