AUSTIN, Texas — Maisie and Violet Pestien are normal kids. They like drawing and reading books and sometimes they get scared of loud noises. So, when their parents Marc and Barbara Pestien decided to take them to an Austin FC match for the first time, the craziness was a lot to handle.
Instead of leaving the match, the Pestiens found the sensory room inside Q2 Stadium that provided an escape from the raucous atmosphere.
"The girls were like, 'this is amazing'," said Barbara Pestien. "They could feel their whole bodies calming down.”
Austin FC partners with St. David's Healthcare and KultureCity to provide the room at the new stadium. Kulture City is a nonprofit organization that's created over 700 sensory-inclusive venues around the world.
“This is really something real. It's not just the kids acting out," said Austin FC guest services worker Anne Dilworth, who was trained with other staff members on how to assist the sensory disabled.
The room is for anyone who gets overstimulated or those with challenges with sensory regulation, no matter their level of sensory sensitivity. It includes bean bag chairs, toys, bubble tubes and more, with everything designed to have a calming effect on visitors.
“It had these cool light-pad thingys that change color when you touch them," said 8-year-old Violet Pestien about one of the resources in the sensory room.
“One of them had water in it and you could make the bubbles bigger or smaller,” said 7-year-old Maisie Pestien.
There are also sensory bags with noise-cancelling headphones, fidget toys and other items available for check out at every match. It's all part of Austin FC's desire to make their home matches an inclusive environment.
"You want everybody to feel included and not feel left out," Dilworth said. "This way, parents can come and feel comfortable bringing their kids here that they wouldn't bring somewhere else.”
It's peace of mind for people like the Pestiens, who were apprehensive about bringing their kids to Q2 Stadium before hearing about the sensory room from a neighbor.
“I would have just said go by yourself if I hadn't known that option was there," Barbara Pestien said.
The first experience with the sensory room led to a second Austin FC match for entire Pestien family.
“We weren't sure if we were going to be able to take them to the game," said Marc Pestien. "Now, I feel pretty good about bringing them to the games. Knowing that the room is there really helps them out.”