A special needs guide to enjoying Ribfest

Barbecue breezes wafting from grills.

Bright sun glinting off shiny trophies for “1st Place Ribs” and banners of all colors proclaiming “Grand Champion 2015” or “World Champion Cooking Team.”

Carnival rides clicking across tracks, whirring into a spin, screeching to a halt.

The squish of padded grass underfoot.

The taste of perfect pulled pork, tangy sweet lemonade, crispy and salty sides — summer.

Ribfest in Naperville is a sensory delight, but for people with autism, it can all be too much. For people with mobility issues, it can be hard to access. For people with disabilities and their families, what's meant to be fun can easily become a challenge.

But there's always a way to enjoy a summer event, and disability advocates say Naperville festivals — including Ribfest — are “best in class” for accommodations to make this possible.

“If you've not considered Ribfest because you're overwhelmed by the size or the scope, this is as friendly as you'll get,” said Kristi Landorf, executive director of Little Friends, which serves people with autism and other developmental disabilities.

The fest provides an accessibility map for visitors to review in advance, accessible viewing areas for main stage concerts, nearby accessible parking and shuttles from accessible spaces further away, drop-off and pickup zones for low-mobility visitors and sign language interpreters for some of the main shows.

Using these tools, people like Landorf and Becky Pundy of Respite Endowment Organization say Ribfest visitors with special needs can plan to have a good time. Here are some tips and tricks from Landorf and Pundy, mother of two girls with special needs and founder of a nonprofit group that provides breaks for caregivers.

• Plan in advance.

The accessibility map is there for a reason — at Ribfest.net/where-to-park/ — so use it, Landorf and Pundy advise.

The map can help visitors decide where to leave the car and where to enter the sprawling festival in Knoch Park at 724 S. West St.

Ribfest Chairman Jennifer Odin Cavalier with the Exchange Club of Naperville suggests the north or east entrances for people who use wheelchairs or have low mobility. There's accessible parking near the north entrance at Naperville Central High School or near the east entrance on Martin Avenue. The north and south entrances both have accessible drop-off and pickup areas, but the south entrance on West Street has fewer paved paths, Odin Cavalier said.

• Check the schedule.

Ribfest doesn't yet offer a special-needs hour or any chunk of time dedicated to those who struggle with large crowds, loud noises and sensory overload. Odin-Cavalier said creating such a time is a goal for the future.

For now, she says people with disabilities often visit Ribfest right when it opens — at noon each day from Friday to Monday, July 1 to 4.

Unless hearing a certain band is the purpose for the trip, Pundy and Landorf suggest the same strategy.

“We go at a time we think is going to be less crowded,” Pundy said. “Usually earlier in the day.”

• Bring soothing supplies.

If there's any one item that's a quick fix for a child with special needs who's acting out, bring it, Pundy and Landorf say. And if there's any medicine or personal supply that solves minor medical issues, bring that too.

Examples in Pundy's case are an iPad or cellphone for her daughter who has Asperger's, a syndrome similar to a mild form of autism (“It's a great distraction … a calming tool”), and contact solution, an extra pair of contact lenses and glasses for her daughter who was born without a natural lens in her eyes.

Landorf says families should bring anything that helps their loved one deal with sensitivity to noise, heat or crowds, since those are all common ingredients at large-scale summer festivals like Ribfest.

• Find the medical tent.

“As soon as you get there,” Pundy said.

At Ribfest, there is one on the north side of the park by the sponsors area and another on the south side by the row of rib vendors and the large dining tent.

• Set expectations or use a picture system.

People with autism have a need for a regulated environment, full of predictability and structure. While that might not sound like the typical summer festival, full of lengthy waits for food and surprise shouts from vendors, Landorf says there's still a way to conquer the uncertainty: Develop a picture system.

Come up with symbols that represent the plan for the day, such as “First, we wait in line at the gait. Next, we'll go get that food item.” Going over the plan in a show-and-tell fashion creates order in an otherwise vibrant and chaotic atmosphere.

“Visual prompts are huge for many people with autism,” Landorf said. “It's a lifesaver.”

• Be OK with Plan B.

If the entrance line is longer than expected and the food item on the picture prompt is sold out, it's time to improvise and take what comes. For parents, it's all about expectations — and adjusting them in seconds flat.

“We always come prepared to leave at a moment's notice,” Pundy said. “You come with a mindset that you might have to leave if a meltdown occurs, and it's OK to go. It's not going to ruin the day. Your child's comfort is way more important than the festival itself.”

If you go

What: 29th annual Naperville Ribfest, organized by the Exchange Club of Naperville

When: Noon to 10 p.m. Friday to Monday, July 1 to 4

Where: Knoch Park, 724 S. West St., Naperville

Why: Proceeds are donated to agencies that fight child abuse and domestic violence

Cost: Adults $12 between noon and 3 p.m.; free for children 11 and younger with an adult; general admission $20 or $25; front of stage ticket $50 or $60; VIP sponsors tent ticket $125 or $150: prices depend on the day

Info: ribfest.net