A Perfect Place for Presley
Father’s autistic son inspired unparalleled sensory room at Pittsburgh International Airport
By Samantha Stedford
Jason and Sharon Rudge knew there was something different about their son, Presley, at an early age.
“We started noticing signs when he was around 18 months old,” Jason Rudge said. “He didn’t make great eye contact or focus on us and his speech was delayed. He would flap his hands when he got excited.”
At 2, Presley was diagnosed with autism. Because it affects his ability to communicate verbally, his autism is considered severe. Rudge began to transform his life to care for Presley, “I became a stronger person, a better person,” he said. “Everything I do now is for him and because of him. I want to make sure he has the best life possible.”
The Rudges enrolled Presley in a preschool readiness program. At first, he struggled to be in the classroom with the other kids. But the school had a sensory room, and it helped Presley calm down and go back into the play group.
That’s when Rudge, a heavy equipment operator at Pittsburgh International Airport, had his epiphany: Why not build a sensory room in the airport to make it easier for people with autism and their caregivers to travel?
“Parents who have a kids with autism are afraid of how others will react if their kid starts acting out or has a meltdown, especially since many people don’t understand autism,” said Rudge. Going shopping or out to eat can be overwhelming and planning a trip with air travel involved can be especially daunting.
He did some research, wrote a proposal to PIT CEO Christina Cassotis, and dropped it in one of the CEO mailboxes located throughout the airport. When Cassotis read the letter, she called him immediately.
“Acting on Jason’s idea to build a sensory room at the airport was a no-brainer,” said Cassotis. “It fits so well into our vision: to transform our airport, to serve the community, inspire the industry and advance our region as a world leader.”
The result, unveiled to the public on July 23, sets a new standard for airports providing services to children and adults for whom travel can be stressful and debilitating.