Toys R Us has announced that it is to offer a dedicated shopping hour throughout its stores on the morning of Sunday 6th November for parents and carers of children with autism. The ‘quiet hour’ will feature reduced lighting, no in-store music and autism-friendly signage.

“Holding such events has given our teams extreme pride in reaching out to autism groups within the community,” said Toys R Us marketing director Mike Coogan.

“Making slight adjustments to stores and creating a quiet shopping period allows children and young adults to experience the fun in a toy shop, regardless of their disability.”

Autism access manager for the National Autistic Society Daniel Cadey added: “We’re delighted that Toys R Us is again showing the way by hosting an autism-friendly shopping event in every Toys R Us store in the lead up to Christmas.

“Simple changes like this can make a huge difference to the 700,000 autistic people in the UK and to their families, and we hope that many more major retailers will follow the great example set by Toys R Us.”