Virtual Google Tour Helps Autistic Kids Check Out Hospital Before They Visit

The Birmingham Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, England, recently teamed up with Google and Autism West Midlands to create an extensive virtual tour for patients with autism and their families. It’s just like Google street view — but with a glimpse inside every door and room of the hospital.

“We know that children with autism really struggle when they come to visit us,” the hospital wrote on its Facebook page. “They get anxious and upset about unfamiliar places and this can often be very hard for the parents too.”

You can drag your mouse across the screen to explore spaces, or you can use the arrow keys to digitally navigate the hospital. The hospital also provides links to 19 of its common areas if users want to search that way as well.

In addition to providing families with a tool to “familiarize themselves” with the “hospital before their visit,” the facility also has a “Sensory Garden” where patients of all abilities and needs can play and relax.

To check out the virtual tour, visit the The Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s website here.