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Photograph of the cottages or surrounding area

Autism Friendly

 

Click on each of the images to find out more .....

 

What is Autism?

 

Take a look at their jointly developed guide which provides an introduction to autism, characteristics of autism and what we can do as individuals and as a business to help autistic people enjoy staying at The Dairy and visiting the Yorkshire Dales. Thank you to VisitEngland & the Autism Society for providing excellent practical guidance on how to be an autism friendly business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



   

 

   


What does Cottage in the Dales provide? 

 

  

   

Video Tour of The Dairy - 2 options

 

Outlined below is a 2 minute video introducing The Dairy to you, from your arrival, entry and through each of the rooms and out onto the patio. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alternatively, click on the photo of The Dairy below to watch a more detailed version of the same video. This video illustrates the flexibility of The Dairy by showcasing some of the accessible facilities available in The Dairy - those that are integrated and some, but not all, of the accessible equipment that are available for guests, with our compliments. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

Sensory Story for The Dairy 

  

The Dairy Story is a simple short story with lots of pictures which highlights some of the things our visitors mmight see, hear, touch, taste and smell during their stay with us. If you have an autistic family member, you may like to show them The Dairy Story a few times before your holiday to help them get used to their holiday environment. You might also like to print off a copy and bring it with you. 

The Dairy Story is available as a PDF file below. Coming soon will also be a presentation with some soothing background music too. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

The Floor Plan of The Dairy 

Click on the link below to see a full page floor plan of The Dairy, that you can print out onto a single page to help familiarise where everything is. Use this alongside the videos tours above. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 
  
 

Choice Boards

 

A visual help in the form of ‘choice boards’ are available to aid planning activities during your stay, morning and night time routines and emotions. 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 


 
  

Peaceful & Relaxing Environment

 

We are so lucky to be able to provide totally peaceful, quiet surroundings, both inside and outside the cottage :

* Different lighting options in the lounge and bedroom include LED ceiling dimmable lights, subtle table lamps and floor reading lamps. 

* Easy provision of guest’s own recognisable soothing sounds or music on arrival through the sound bar on the TV and the Bose speaker in the bedroom. 

* Bubble Fish Tower & Star Cube (see below for details of both items)  

* Visual Trail across the Garden - the panoramic visual trail across the garden (see below). 


  

Bubble Fish Tower

 

 

 

 

 

  


  
 

The ever changing colours of the bubble tube creates a calming and relaxing environment that children and adults enjoy. Watch the tropical fish that bob up and down in the bubble stream, which can be easily changed too. This 1.2m bubble tube is ideal for use in any of the cottages as a calming, sensory experience and will even help aid restlessness too. Please note it is not a toy, so needs adult supervision. We have just the one bubble tube, so the photo is purely to showcase the variety of colours. Please note it is not a toy, so needs adult supervision.  The bubble tube can be used along with the Star Project Cube too.


 

Star Projector Cube
 

 

 






  
 
The Star Projector Cube helps to soothe restlessness, stress and insomnia, and is ideal for relieveing tinnitus. You have the freedom to choose between a mixture of sounds (lullabies and nature) for ultimate tranquility, light (calming night sky panorama onto the ceiling) or both. The cube is equally as good for infants and adults. Also with an automatic timer that turns the cube off after 30 minuts, you can lie back and relax without worrying about falling asleep with this device still running. 

 

 

Panoramic Visual Trail across the Garden
 

The photo below is the view from the patio at The Dairy, across the large garden that is available for all our guests to enjoy.

Click on the photo below and you will see an aerial view of The Dairy and The Byre and across the large garden.

 

Then click on the individual camera icons to follow a panoramic trail across the garden. Use your cursor to swing the view round 360 degrees, just as if you are standing there looking around! Then click on the white arrows to proceed in each direction through the garden. 

 

Enjoy the 'virtual walk' along the path through the gardens, where you will see

* Many coloured flowers and plants

* The beautiful water feature where you can stop and listen to the soothing sound of the water and watch the birds flying in and out of the water having a drink and a bath!

* Follow the path further where you will see the swings across the grass for you to have some fun.

* Continue through the hedge into what we call the 'working garden' to see the vast array of vegetables growing in the two large vegetable beds and the fruit growing in the large fruit cage.

* Look to the right of the photo to see the stone bench at the top of the garden. Just click on the white arrow and hey presto, this is where you can sit, relax with a drink and enjoy the far reaching view across to the hills along Bishopdale. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
 
 

'Pre-Visit’ to aid familiarisation before the holiday   

 

Call Diane at Cottage in the Dales on 01969-662766 or email : stay@cottageinthedales.co.uk

 


 

Understanding Autism training

 

Diane has completed this training from The National Autistic Society, which has helped enormously to put into practice ‘strategies’ to support a person on the autism spectrum eg quiet space, a low arousal time, clear information and time to process information. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

   

Makaton Sign Language

 

Click on the image below to find out more about the Makaton sign language support available to our guests staying at The Dairy, including an introductory video from Diane of Cottage in the Dales, using Makaton sign language.  
  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
  
 

Autism Friendly Award

 

Wikepedia : Autism friendly means being aware of social engagement and environmental factors affecting people on the autism spectrum, with modifications to communication methods and physical space to better suit individual's unique and special needs.

 

Cottage in the Dales has applied to The National Autistic Society for their Autism Friendly Award. This has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so we are unable to find out the progress of our application. But there's no rush! Find out more by clicking on the image below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
  

 

Customer Experience

 

All our guests receive a feedback form within their Arrival Pack, requesting comment to open-ended questions. This is to gain an understanding of what worked well and what didn’t so we can continually improve. By engaging with guests, including the carer, before a visit, during the visit if needed and feedback on/after departure helps enormously. 

 

 

Promotion of Understanding

 

In the last couple of years, we have repeatedly shared our business experience of accessibility with other businesses to promote other accommodation providers to consider accessibility by dispelling perceptions. These activities such as individual meetings, presentations, case studies, interviews, familiarisation visits to The Dairy and at events, will continue and now widen its content to include dementia friendly and autism. Contact us to discuss your interests.