InBloom Autism Services is thrilled to announce that for a 3rd straight year, the organization will be a partner of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium, providing support at the stadium’s Sensory Room during events. A representative from InBloom will be on-site for all Miami Dolphins and University of Miami home football games as an official stadium employee to add an additional layer of support in case any fans need a break from the action. InBloom will also be on site for the 2021 Orange Bowl and 2021 College Football National Championship events early in the new year. Hard Rock Stadium was one of the first major event locations in the US to respond to COVID-19 concerns by implementing new layers of enhanced cleanliness and safety precautions that would allow all athletes, employees, and a limited number of fans to still be able to enjoy events while ensuring that everyone is safe.
Led by InBloom’s South Florida Regional Clinical Integrity Officer, Tara Natale-Bienvenu (seen above with NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback Dan Marino), InBloom employees attended training courses provided by the stadium and contributed ideas for policies and procedures that would keep the Sensory Room as safe as possible.
“I believe that, to these families that have kiddos either with developmental disabilities or sensory issues, being able to come to a live event and have the ability to utilize the sensory room if their kiddo needs a break from the action is so crucial. In the past these families would either never dream of coming to a live event for fear that their kiddo may become overstimulated and have a meltdown causing them to leave early, OR they would never come in the first place even though it is an activity that the entire family (not just the kiddo with developmental disabilities) would love to attend. Having this room available even in a pandemic is so amazing and with the proper precautions, can be a safe and valuable place for families,” said Natale-Bienvenu.
“I have a few memories from the first two years supporting the Sensory Room that stand out in my mind," she continued,"The first was one of the Dolphins games and what made it so significant was not the game itself, but the amount of kiddos and families that visited me in the room and how grateful they were to utilize the Sensory Room. I think in this particular game I had 3 or 4 families come into the room and each and every one was so happy that it was available or otherwise they may have had to leave the game instead of enjoying the entire game that they paid for. Additionally the joy in the eyes of the kids was amazing as they were so excited to have a place to play! Another memory has to be attending Super Bowl LIV. The stadium grounds felt so electric throughout the entire day and I was amazed as to how well the Staff managed this event and made the experience one to remember for every person in the stadium whether they were working or not. I felt welcomed and supported throughout the event and any questions or concerns I had were addressed right away, and although there were no children in the sensory room that day, having it as an option to the patrons of the event was so amazing to me.”