Scotts Valley marks Autism Acceptance Month and becomes county’s first certified autism-friendly city; chamber seeks training funds

Scotts Valley officials announced the city has become certified as an autism-friendly community — the first city in Santa Cruz County to do so — and city leaders urged local businesses to pursue autism-certification training for front-facing staff.

City Manager Molly Legault introduced the recognition during a special set matter, saying the city is “really proud of our city's efforts to become a certified autism center. We are the first city in Santa Cruz County to achieve that.” Meredith Teakan of the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IVCCS), who joined by video, congratulated the city and said the certification supports inclusion and access.

Why it matters: Certification means public-facing staff have received specialized training to better serve people on the autism spectrum, and staff said the training focuses on recognizing sensory overwhelm and offering accommodations that reduce barriers to participation. Council members and community partners said training could also become a tourism and business asset.

Community partnership and business outreach: Visit Santa Cruz County and the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce supported the effort. Chamber Executive Director Danny Reber told the council the chamber plans to certify front-line staff and board volunteers and to help other local businesses apply. The community-grants review panel recommended two small-business awards (Kumon of Scotts Valley and the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce) to help those entities pursue certification training.

Public reaction and examples: Several speakers who had taken the training described its value. Meredith Teakan called it a “great achievement.” Chamber Director Danny Reber shared a personal example of small classroom accommodations that helped his daughter succeed in school, saying simple steps—excusing a child from loud rallies or allowing music during tests—can produce measurable results.

Implementation and next steps: The city manager said staff will review city facilities and event operations through an accessibility lens to implement accommodations. The grant-review panel’s recommendation to fund two business-certification requests was approved as part of the broader community-grants package; the council authorized the city manager to execute contracts for awarded grants.