Some people will shop til they drop. Others are bored rigid by the evil necessity of the chore. But for Andrew and Mia Lester, taking their daughter, Juno, to the local supermarket is near to impossible.

"It never ends well," Ms Lester said.

"We only attempt it if we are really desperate, and then it's in and it's out and it's meltdowns and a disaster."

That's because Juno has sensory processing disorder.

Mr Lester said the sights, sounds and smells that are just daily life for most people can, for his daughter, be overwhelming.

"We generally avoid anywhere where there are lots of people because there's going to be lots of noise," Mr Lester said.

"The noise of the cashiers, the beeping from the machine, and coffees, the noise of coffee grinders is a big thing for her."

It makes it all the more extraordinary that when the ABC met the Lester family, it was inside a supermarket.

The Lesters were able to venture there thanks to a special program being trialled by the supermarket and disability services provider, Cara.

It's called the quiet hour.

Overloading the senses

Cara's Amy Noonan said the program aimed to target people who suffer from sensory overload.

"Sensory overload is a symptom, it's not the cause," Ms Noonan said.

"So people on the autism spectrum often suffer sensory overload, but other people in their daily lives can experience it too.

"If you've been caught in a crowd and felt a bit panicked, then that's a bit like how sensory overload feels."

During the quiet hour all of the things that might possibly overload the senses are taken down a notch, or turned off completely.

There is no music or strident demands for a price check in aisle five.

Paul Mabarrack turns down the lights in the supermarket. ( ABC News )

Strong overhead lights are dimmed.

Scented candles are put away, the fish shop cleans up, the bakery stops baking.

Even the ding from the scanner at the cash register is quietened: more a ping than ding.

It's a much calmer environment.

The supermarket's been trialling the quiet hour between 6:30pm and 7:30pm on Tuesdays.

Manager Paul Mabarrack is pleased with the results so far.

"My thinking is that we will probably continue," Mr Mabarrack said.

"We've been talking about perhaps expanding it to a daytime trial as well, so I think we are in it for the long haul."

Ms Noonan believes the Adelaide trial is the first time the quiet hour concept has been tried in an Australian supermarket.

"It's about having the same choices and opportunities as everyone else, not having to single yourself out, or do something special," Ms Noonan said.

"My long-term plan is for world domination, but in the meantime we'd like to roll quiet hour out to other shops as well."

Conquering the world one noisy shopping aisle at a time is one thing, but for people like the Lesters, there is more at stake than just buying some milk, laundry detergent or bread.

Quiet hour helps their daughter towards independence.

"Juno is also vision impaired and she needs to start mobility and orientation training, which is using a white cane," Ms Lester said.

"We can't start that until she's able to go to public places, until she's able and confident and comfortable in a space like this, and that won't happen with all the usual noise, so a night like this is a golden ticket for Juno."