THE BOND BETWEEN HUMANS
AND ANIMALS IS REMARKABLE AND
CAN TRULY CHANGE LIVES.
THERE'S A PLACE UP THE ROAD
FROM TAMPA DOING JUST THAT.
IT'S A CERTIFIED AUTISM
CENTER WHERE DOLPHIN ENCOUNTERS
HIGHLIGHT A SPECIAL CONNECTION.
8 ON YOUR SIDE VISITED THE PARK
WITH A FAMILY FROM TAMPA.
AND MAGICAL REALLY IS THE
ONLY WORD TO DESCRIBE WHAT WE
EXPERIENCED.
AS OF 2018, ONE IN 59 CHILDREN
ARE DIAGNOSED WITH AN AUTISM
SPECTRUM DISORDER AND DISCOVERY
COVE IN ORLANDO HAS TAKEN
PRETTY BIG STEPS TO MAKE SURE
THOSE WITH AUTISM NO MATTER
THEIR AGE ALWAYS FEEL WELCOME
AND SAFE THERE.
GABBY WEST LOVES TO BEAT BOX.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
SHE'S 22 AND FULL OF SPUNK.
♪ [ MUSIC ] ♪
BUT SOMETIMES, SHE SEEMS
MORE LIKE THE YOUNG GIRL SHE
ONCE WAS.
WE GOT THE DIAGNOSIS FOR
GABBY BEING ON THE AUTISM
SPECTRUM WHEN SHE WAS FOUR
YEARS OLD.
GETTING THE DIAGNOSIS CAN BE A
CHALLENGING TIME FOR PARENTS
TODAY.
GABBY'S PARENTS HELPED HER
OVER COME THOSE CHALLENGES WHEN
SHE WAS LITTLE BUT THEY ALSO
KNEW THAT MORE WOULD COME AS
THEY PREPARED HER DAUGHTER TO
LIVE HER BEST LIFE.
A YOUNG ADULT TURNING 18 AND
LEAVING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM OFTEN
TIMES THERE'S NOTHING.
♪ [ MUSIC ] ♪
BUT JUST A DAY TRIP AWAY
FROM THE HOME IN SOUTH TAMPA
THERE'S A PLACE THAT'S TAILOR
MADE FOR THOSE WHO ARE JUST
LIKE GABBY.
DISCOVERY COVE IN ORLANDO
FILLED WITH ADVENTURE, CHARM
AND, YES, DOLPHINS.
IT'S NOW THE FIRST ALL
INCLUSIVE ANIMAL INTERACTION
PARK IN THE U.S. DESIGNATED AS
A CERTIFIED AUTISM CENTER.
OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE ALL GONE
THROUGH TRAINING TO MAKE THEM
EQUIPPED TO HANDLE GUESTS THAT
NEED SPECIAL ATTENTION.
CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH
AUTISM FEEL INCLUDED AND
WELCOME HERE AND FIND COMFORT
IN THE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE
TRAINED TO HELP THEM.
EMPLOYEES LIKE GINA MCDANIEL.
SHE WAS WITH GABBY ALL THROUGH
HER DOLPHIN ENCOUNTER.
IT'S KIND OF HARD TO FIND
THE WORDS SOMETIMES.
THAT'S WHERE GABBY MET
CAPRICORN, WAS ABLE TO GIVE HIM
A SMOOCH AND SWIM THROUGH THE
CRYSTAL CLEAR WATERS ALONG WITH
HIM.
THE SMILE ON HER FACE WHEN
SHE WAS RIDING THE DOLPHIN WAS
SO BIG.
WHAT DID THAT MAKE YOU GUYS
FEEL LIKE?
IT WAS AMAZING.
THE PURE JOY IN HER FACE YOU
CAN'T HELP IT.
SOMETIMES TRAINERS HAVE SEEN
CHILDREN ON THE SPECTRUM MAKE
EYE CONTACT FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN THEIR LIVES AFTER SEEING A
DOLPHIN.
DID YOU HAVE FUN ON YOUR
RIDE.
YES.
ARE YOU EVER GOING TO LEAVE
THIS PLACE.
NO.
I DIDN'T THINK SO.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT ALL.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT ALL,
GIRL.
DON'T WORRY.
AND SHE DID.
GABBY WAS TAKEN TO A WORLD
BELOW THE SURFACE TO HOLD SEA
YOU ARE CHINS, SWIM THROUGH
SCHOOLS OF BEAUTIFUL FISH ALL
THE WHILE EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE
SHE WAS WITH KNEW ABOUT HER
NEEDS.
THEY WERE THERE FOR HER EVERY
STEP OR SWIM OF THE WAY.
KNOWING THOSE NEEDS UP FRONT
IS VERY HELPFUL AND ALLOWS US
TO DO OUR JOBS AS ANIMAL CARE
SPECIALISTS EVEN BETTER THAN WE
DO NOW.
PEOPLE ON THE SPECTRUM CAN
BE SPENCETIVE SOMEONES TO
THINGS WE MAY NOT NOTICE.
THINGS AT OFTEN TIMES DON'T
BOTHER US LIKE NOISE LEVELS,
LIGHTING, MAYBE CROWDS, TOO
MUCH ACTIVITY.
THAT'S WHY DISCOVERY COVE
HAS INSTALLED QUIET AREAS WHERE
THOSE WHO NEED TO CAN STEP AWAY
FROM THE CROWDS AND A SENSORY
GUIDE PLANTED IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE PARK WHERE YOU CAN LEARN
WHAT EVERY EXPERIENCE RATES IN
SENSORY STIMULATION.
IT'S EMOTIONAL AS A PARENT
TO SEE THEY'VE DONE THIS FOR
OUR CHILDREN.
IT JUST INSPIERS SO MUCH
HOPE FOR WHAT COULD BE.
ONCE YOU GET THE EDUCATION LIKE
THEY DID HERE AT DISCOVERY COVE
THEN THEY FEEL VERY PREPARED TO
BE ABLE TO WELCOME FAMILIES ON
THE AUTISM SPECTRUM.
SO IF YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO
KNOWS A PERSON WITH AUTISM AND
YOU WANT TO CHECK THIS OUT AND
GET THIS KIND OF EXPERIENCE WE
DO HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO
KNOW ON OUR WEBSITE WFLA.COM.
WHAT A GREAT STORY AND THE
FAMILY IS WONDERFUL.
SO SWEET.
THEY'RE FROM TAMPA AND VERY
INVOLVED IN THE AUTISM
COMMUNITY HERE.
IF ANYBODY DESERVES THIS
KIND OF EXPERIENCE IT'S
DEFINITELY THEM.
THEY CREATED A FOUNDATION TO
HELP THEIR DAUGHTER PUSHING FOR
BETTER OUTCOMES INCLUDING
HIGHER EDUCATION TRAINING AND
SKILLS TO GIVE THEM A BRIGHTER
FUTURE AND THAT IS LOCAL HERE
IN SOUTH TAMPA.
WHAT A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR
YOU AND DAVE.
OUTSTANDING JOB.
BEAUTIFUL VIDEO UNDER WATER.