Gwinnett sensory treehouse helps families feel included

For Amanda Leiba, taking her daughter somewhere new often means planning ahead.

Leiba's daughter, Charlie, is autistic. Her son, Logan, loves science. Finding a place where both children can learn, play and feel comfortable is not always easy.

"Sometimes people judge and they're looking," Leiba said. "Most of the time, it just isn't. She is going through regulating herself."

That is one reason Leiba said the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center feels different.

"What I love about this location is the fact that everything is really hands-on," Leiba said. "For a child that is autistic, it really helps."

The center features more than 230 acres of green space, a man-made stream filled with wildlife, hands-on STEAM exhibits and programs that serve about 100,000 visitors each year.

Now, the center is expanding its accessibility efforts with a new sensory treehouse. The first phase includes a 340-foot canopy walk designed to give visitors, including those with mobility challenges, a chance to experience the forest from above.

"What we really wanted to capture here with the canopy walk is providing an experience for visitors with mobility issues, the ability to get up in the canopy," said Cammie Mansfield, manager of the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center.

The center also offers inclusion counselors, sensory tools and other supports for children with different needs.

For Leiba, those details matter.

"For us, it's comforting because I know when we come here, it isn't going to be a situation where we feel judged," she said.

The sensory treehouse is the first phase of a larger accessibility project. Future plans include an updated Braille Trail and an immersive audiovisual experience designed for visitors of all abilities.