The lights have been dimmed and the music turned off at a Rangitikei supermarket - all for parents to bring their autistic children grocery shopping.

The 'quiet hour' at Countdown Marton follows a move by supermarkets in Australia which have made it a weekly feature.

Autism New Zealand chief executive Dane Dougan told Kate Hawkesby he wants to roll this out around the country.

"It's good for our community because they get a better experience shopping, but potentially the supermarket will get more people that will come along. I'd like to think that would happen and I would like to think that it would be wider than just in supermarkets as well."

Dougan says they'd like other chains like the Warehouse and others to think about the initiative.

LISTEN TO DANE DOUGAN TALK WITH KATE HAWKESBY ABOVE