NHL, The Assist partner to give sensory kits to fans with autism

For people with sensory disorders, it can be difficult to attend hockey games or most events with crowds or loud noises.

But thanks to The Assist and their partnership with the NHL, that has begun to change for the better.
Paige Dowd, wife of Washington Capitals forward Nic Dowd, and Kodette LaBarbera, wife of former NHL goalie and current Calgary Flames goaltending coach Jason LaBarbera, were introduced because of their passion of autism. Dowd got her degree in speech pathology and LaBarbera's son, Ryder, was diagnosed with autism at age 3 in 2012. After meeting with the NHL to try and find a sensory kit that could be used League-wide, they decided to
create their own
.
The kits allow fans and families to enjoy hockey games in a comfortable manner. When one person in a family has a sensory processing disorder, the whole family is affected.
"One of our favorite things about this is how supported we are by our hockey family," Kodette said. "It's such a privilege to be a part of. Over the years, Paige and I have been on a lot of teams and have made some really great connections. The amount of people that have been so quick to support us and understand our passion behind this has been absolutely amazing. Teams that we've talked to love us and support us."

The kits include a drawstring backpack with a foam puck, headphones, sunglasses, a fidget toy, a stuffed animal, crayons and activity sheets, Clorox wipes and tissues. All items were chosen by Paige and Kodette, based on their experience with special needs individuals. Several NHL teams have purchased and given them out at events when needed;
they can also be purchased for an affordable price of $40.
Paige and Nic also created Dowd's Crowd in 2018, during his first season with the Capitals.
"It was a perfect way to combine Nic's and I's passion for hockey and my career together," Paige said. "We invite families who have a family member with autism to Capitals games and provide the tickets, a sensory kit and a meet and greet with Nic postgame (pre-COVID). We run fundraisers during the holiday seasons, and we have also run a coloring contest for our logo. Our latest holiday fundraiser in January 2022 raised around $11,000. We plan to use that for future events and initiatives that we have planned for this spring and next season."
Kodette, who has been heavily involved in autism charities, has helped raise over $1.5 million for charities in Canada and the United States. She also helped launch
Ryder's Collection in 2019,
which sells shirts, crewnecks and sweaters online with all proceeds being donated to autism charities.
When Jason was playing, Kodette realized fans don't have the comfort of having a space to go to while enjoying the game, as she and other players' wives had with their children.
"Our oldest son has autism and we have been lucky to be supported so well throughout our journey, and we want to help others feel loved, supported and understood as they navigate their diagnosis," LaBarbera said. "We know that stores, events, airports, schools, etc., can be so hard and overstimulating and we want to help people adjust to all different environments with our kits. We know that sporting events can be extremely overwhelming, but we love to see all fans in the stands, and they can do that with The Assist."

The Assist's sensory kits have been brought to a number of NHL arenas, and there is a partnership with several NHL teams, including the Flames, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins, as well as Syracuse of the American Hockey League.
"Our goal this year was five NHL teams and we surpassed it," Kodette said. "We just wanted to take one more cost and burden off families because we know games are expensive in the first place."
During NHL tentpole events this season, the kits were made available in partnership with Dunkin'. Those events included the 2022 Discover NHL Winter Classic in Minneapolis, the 2022 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings SportsBook and 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas, and the 2022 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series in Nashville.
"Given my deep personal passion of working with people who have special needs, I often attempt to find ways to further the league's SGL (Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs) initiatives within our existing tentpole event programming," said Rachel Segal, NHL vice president, events and entertainment. "When I first spoke with Paige and Kodette, it became abundantly clear that we had the same goal -- we truly just wanted to make sure 'Hockey is For Everyone' by allowing those with special needs to not only attend a hockey game with minimal discomfort, but to enjoy it as well. "
One family with special needs children was surprised with tickets to the All-Star Game. Seventeen-year-old Sebastian and 15-year-old Eli were given sensory kits and got to experience and enjoy the game.
"Eli is a huge hockey fan, a Golden Knights fan specifically," his mother, Rachelle said. "We try to attend one game a year as a whole family. Sebastian loves watching all sports and being where the action is, but he needs accommodations to be comfortable.
"Being able to attend a hockey game is not something we get an opportunity to as a complete family as often as we'd like. Sometimes the loud crowded games, with bright lights and great smelling food can be sensory overload for my sons with autism. But they love going to games so much and so we try to balance their needs against their desires. We are thankful that the NHL has taken fans with sensory needs into consideration and appreciate them knowing every fan deserves a good time at a game and are thankful for the great time we had."
Because of Paige and Kodette's efforts along with the NHL, the number of families and children with sensory disorders attending games has increased. And no families who have used the sensory kits have had to leave a game early.
"The NHL is proud to support and make available The Assist sensory kits during our most recent events," Jeff Scott, NHL vice president, community development and growth said. "This amazing platform has enabled the NHL to establish another shining example of ways in which our game is welcoming, enjoyable and safe for all fans; especially children with autism or sensory needs."
The hope is one day soon the kits will be available at every NHL arena.
"I think we would love to be in more sports- not just hockey -- and making all these types of events more inviting for everyone," Paige said. "Just making all these types of events more inviting."