SPECSAVERS staff have completed a course to support customers with autism.

The retailer’s staff at Newton Mearns and Glasgow Forge took part in the course which was developed with The National Autistic Society.

The initiative is to be rolled out across Specsavers stores nationwide.

It is hoped that the course will build the Specsavers team’s knowledge about the lifelong developmental disability, while helping to improve the customer experience for people with autism, and their carers.

The online learning modules for the course cover understanding autism; communicating with people with autism; how autism can impact the senses, and adjustments that stores can make.

Emma Robb, store director at Specsavers Newton Mearns, said: “Autism affects more than one in 100 people and as our store is such a big part of the community, it is vital that we are able to communicate and support someone with the condition in the most effective way possible.

“Many members of the team have already completed the different learning modules. We are very proud to be involved in support The National Autistic Society and we hope this training will help make the optical experience easier for people who are living with the condition.”

The National Autistic Society’s business development manager, Sharlene Wright, added: ‘This has been a great opportunity for us to increase awareness of autism in partnership with an organisation that is proactively seeking to enable autistic people to have a positive experience in its stores. It has been an inspiring collaboration and The National Autistic Society welcomes the open attitudes and minds with which Specsavers is seeking to enhance the lives of people on the autism spectrum.”