Michelle Gustafson for The New York Times
PHILADELPHIA — Franco Buttaro, 6, a kindergartner with autism, grew anxious while waiting in line to enter a Philadelphia Eagles game in early October. Once inside Lincoln Financial Field, his parents took him to a refuge called a sensory room that muffled noise from the arriving crowd, pregame music and fireworks.
There, Franco relaxed as he played with Slinky toys and the team mascot, Swoop, who is trained not to make sudden, exaggerated movements in front of this audience. Franco bounced in a pile of beanbag chairs, touched a display of soothing lights and rising bubbles and practiced his spelling with Legos on a wall-mounted replica of the Eagles’ field.