Visit Visalia is proud to be the first destination marketing organization in California to become a Certified Autism Center. But we don't want to stop there. We are asking our local tourism partners to also take this important step. The benefits to becoming a CAC are many such as increased business from this travel segment, empowered staff, higher customer satisfaction scores and, the most important reason - because it is the right thing to do.
Visit Visalia Partner businesses that become CAC’s (Certified Autism Centers) make Visalia a friendlier place for our visitors with special needs and help us move closer to our goal of becoming a CAD–Certified Autism Destination. Certification demonstrates to those families affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that Visalia is a trusted destination for individuals with autism. Certification is achieved when at least 80% of guest-facing staff complete specialized training in common behaviors and sensory considerations associated with autism. Through International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) and Autism Travel, Visalia and our partners will be part of a referral network of trusted travel professionals already serving the ASD community.
Visit Visalia has partnered with IBCCES to introduce the Path to Certification process to our partners. IBCCES is setting the standard for autism (and other cognitive disorders) certifications as the only known organization focused on the hospitality/travel industry. Their key insights, paired with their Autism Travel nationwide presence, will help our partners better understand the ASD community and their growing need for autism-certified travel destinations, attractions and hotels.
Partner business who commit to achieve certification receive all the tools they need for success. You and your employees will have about 4 hours of training which includes a video series and testing to ensure that all of the concepts are understood. Training can be done in smaller time chunks as your schedule allows.
Visit Visalia and our governing Board of Directors believe certification is the right thing to do to serve this growing, yet underserved community. It's an unmatched opportunity for Visalia to elevate our national travel brand and our destination promise, as well as to book more business and attract more visitors to our destination.
This is a large but underserved segment of the traveling population. 1 in 54 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, about 5.4 million adults have ADS with 700,000 living right here in California.
Visit Visalia has already secured commitments from Visalia’s top hospitality leaders who will participate in the autism certification process with their front-facing employees and key staff. Certification is easy to implement. Watch this video to see why we are asking you to become a CAC partner business.
