Families with sound-sensitive children encouraged to enjoy the drive-in experience
LAKEMOOR — Finding entertainment options suitable for a special-needs child was a challenge as Angela Krambeer and her husband, Chris Krambeer, were raising their youngest son, Dylan, now 23.
Dylan has Prader-Willi Syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by low muscle tone, feeding difficulties, developmental delays, sometimes sensory challenges and other effects.
“We couldn’t go out and enjoy the same things,” the Crystal Lake mother said. “We didn’t have access to play groups that would accommodate his needs. Libraries didn’t have sensory story times for kids who couldn’t sit still … there wasn’t a whole lot out there that we were comfortable with, so we were a little more isolated.”
An offering like the McHenry Outdoor Theater’s new Sensory-Friendly Wednesdays will be a godsend for families like hers, said Krambeer, now a longtime employee of Options & Advocacy for McHenry County, where Dylan received services and now volunteers.
“Having a local business with such an influence in the community stepping up like this is a great show of support that hopefully will spill out into more community partners being aware and taking on the same stance for this population,” Krambeer said. “It’s a fantastic idea. I really respect that they’re doing this.”
Options & Advocacy’s mission of inclusivity is something that Joe Cicero — who met Dylan when Dylan was a boy — has long admired. The Crystal Lake-based nonprofit offers programs and support services for autistic and neurodivergent individuals, infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities, and caregivers navigating unique life circumstances from pregnancy to age 3.
So when Cicero, the McHenry Outdoor’s president of marketing and promotions, decided to add Sensory-Friendly Wednesdays to the theater’s lineup, he enlisted Options & Advocacy leaders to help.
“We are so excited to offer this inclusive movie night for neurodivergent individuals and anyone with sensitivity to loud, busy environments,” Cicero said. “Options & Advocacy offered fantastic input into making this comfortable, engaging and fun for these families.”
Winter Noe is executive director of Options & Advocacy. She applauded the theater’s accommodations, which she and Cicero said will include low-volume music before movies begin, closed captioning during films so that audio can be kept to a minimum, and predictable, softly amplified announcement times.
Additionally, maps will show the quietest zones within the parking area, as well as best parking near grassy areas for those with children requiring to freely move their bodies, and for those who’d like a spot most accessible to the exit.
“It’s wonderful to be invited to do this with the drive-in movie theater,” Noe said. “I think a lot of people will lean into this opportunity.”
Cicero noted that because of the closed-captioning, Wednesdays also are especially well-suited for those with hearing impairments to enjoy the drive-in experience. Movies shown will be the same as those on the screen for the rest of that same week.
The McHenry Outdoor Theater is located at 1510 Chapel Hill Road, Lakemoor. It is open seven days a week throughout the summer. Regular admission is $15 per adult and $10 per child ages 4 through 12. Those 3 and younger are admitted free.
View the updated movie schedule and family-friendly budget night options at goldenagecinemas.com.
For more about Options & Advocacy for McHenry County, visit optionsandadvocacy.org.