Sesame Place® San Diego Renews Certified Autism Center™ Designation, Keeping Inclusion at the Heart of Every Visit

Sesame Place® San Diego was the first theme park on the West Coast to become a Certified Autism Center™ in 2022.

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES, October 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Sesame Place^® San Diego, the first theme park on the West Coast to open as a Certified Autism Center™ in 2022, renews its Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) designation for a second time. As part of the renewal process, at least 80% of front-facing staff completed up-to-date autism and sensory training to ensure they are equipped with the understanding, skills, practices and resources needed to welcome and support every visitor. The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) grants the CAC designation to organizations that meet its training and certification requirements.

Autism and sensory training provide theme parks and water parks the knowledge and confidence to better support guests while creating a more welcoming and inclusive experience. By equipping staff with practical strategies to respond to different needs, parks can build greater trust with families, strengthen guest satisfaction and foster lasting connections with their communities.

“We are so excited to celebrate the recertification of Sesame Place^® San Diego as a designated Certified Autism Center™. Sesame Place^® San Diego is committed to creating an environment where all guests feel welcome and accommodated,” says Park President Tyler Carter. “Thank you to IBCCES for this continued recognition and for supporting our team in making this a possibility.”

Sesame Place^® San Diego offers a range of accessibility and inclusive amenities designed to better support autistic and sensory-sensitive guests, including:
⚫ Quiet rooms and low-sensory rooms
⚫ Ride accessibility programs
⚫ Sensory guides for various rides, attractions and shows
⚫ Noise-canceling headphones available for single-day use
⚫ Low-sensory parade viewing and dining options
⚫ Family Care Centers and adult changing tables

“Creating truly inclusive experiences takes more than a single initiative; it requires an ongoing commitment to understanding and responding to the needs of every guest,” says Myron Pincomb, CEO and board chairman of IBCCES. “Since first earning its Certified Autism Center™ designation in 2022, Sesame Place^® San Diego has continued to demonstrate that commitment through ongoing staff training and accessibility efforts. By renewing its certification and completing updated autism and sensory training, the park is helping ensure its team has the knowledge and practical strategies to better support autistic and sensory-sensitive guests and their families, while continuing to raise the standard for inclusion across the travel and entertainment industry.”

For 25 years, IBCCES has been a leader in providing autism, sensory, and neurodiversity training and certification for professionals worldwide, including those in healthcare, education, public safety, travel, and corporate sectors. As the only credentialing board offering these programs, IBCCES provides training from subject matter experts and autistic self-advocates, along with long-term support, continuous learning, onsite reviews, and renewal requirements to ensure continued growth and lasting impact.

To further support inclusivity efforts, Sesame Place^® San Diego is featured on the IBCCES Accessibility App™, which is free to download. This app provides individuals with a variety of disabilities real-time guidance on certified destinations, sensory-inclusive spaces, and tailored recommendations. By connecting users to accessible locations worldwide, the app helps ensure seamless, enjoyable experiences for everyone.

IBCCES also provides access to resources such as AccessibilityCertified.com and AutismTravel.com, which are free online tools for families that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the sites has met IBCCES certification requirements.

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About Sesame Place^® San Diego
Sesame Place^® San Diego is the only theme park on the West Coast based entirely on the award-winning show, Sesame Street. Conveniently located just 20 minutes from San Diego and 2.5 hours from Los Angeles, this 17-acre theme park is perfect for families with kids of all ages and has been designated as a Certified Autism Center™. The theme park features 18 Sesame Street-themed rides and exciting water attractions, a family-friendly rollercoaster and a 500,000-gallon wave pool – one of the largest in Southern California. The park also features an engaging musical play area, an interactive Sesame Street Neighborhood complete with the iconic 123 Stoop, daily live character shows, an award-winning parade, one-of-a-kind photo opportunities and of course, everyone’s favorite furry friends. Celebrate family-friendly events all year long at Sesame Place, including Elmo’s Springtacular, Sesame Summer Splash, The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular, and A Very Furry Christmas.

About IBCCES
Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of autism, neurodiversity, and accessibility – IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower professionals to be industry leaders and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. For 25 years, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in autism and cognitive differences training. IBCCES works in over 125 countries and provides training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading benchmark in training and certification.

In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations, and organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified City™ (ACC), ensuring autistic and sensory-sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality, and entertainment organizations have completed an autism and sensory-sensitivity training, certification, and IBCCES facilities review process. The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification for the public safety, education, healthcare, and workplace sectors.

IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, AutismTravel.com, and AccessibilityCertified.com – free resources for individuals with a variety of neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other.

Media Contacts

Sesame Place^® San Diego
Email: Spc.pr@SesamePlace.com

Tracy Spahr
Email: Tracy.Spahr@SeaWorld.com

Meredith Tekin
IBCCES
+1 904-508-0135
marketing@ibcces.org
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