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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want non disabled children using our hard fought for sensory room ?

295 replies

ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 16/01/2011 21:18

I'm probably going to get murdered for this but meh.

We live in a town with 3 softplay areas and various activites for nt children to do, for special needs children there is sod all, no softplay sessions, no sensory room. Nada.

A few years back me and some others started to go to meetings with our local council to arrange activities and eventually, after much fundraising a softplay area was built in our leisure centre and sensory room was built in our softplay area, it was entirely funded using money allocated for children with disabilities although the softplay is open to all and we get 8 hours per week when it is soley for use for disabled children up to the age of 15. HOWEVER, only disabled children are allowed access to the sensory room, the sensory room is also used by disabled adults and is the only one for 100 miles, it's a valued facility.

Parents have been complaining and demanded access to the sensory room and a meeting is being arranged to review the situation.

Bearing in mind the children/parents who use the softplay aren't always entirely respectful (taking food etc in) and the sure start centre does have a small sensory room for babies/toddlers, aibu to think, sod off, we only get 8 hours a week as it is, I don't want this expensive, specialist equipment being trashed by kids who don't need to be there and have 1001 other things to choose from ??!!

OP posts:
2shoes · 16/01/2011 21:57

yanbu
I hope you manage to stop this happeneing

Original poster
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 16/01/2011 21:58

The softplay is available for hire for parties at £40 but they don't get to use sensory room, imo it's the equivalent of somebody spotting the farkin physio pool thingy at our hospital and thinking, my kids would love to have a dip in that !!

OP posts:
WonderingStar · 16/01/2011 21:59

YANBU - we have a sensory room in the local surestart centre. tbh I don't know who it's for, unless there is specific SN provision for the playgroup which uses the building in the morning. What I mean by that is that every time we go, there are no children with visible SN at the centre, let alone using the room - so it is open to all.

The room is supposed to be limited to 2 adults with accompanying children at a time, for 15 mins per session. You all have to take your shoes off. There are notices about not jumping on the water bed, and not switching off the water bed as it takes 24hrs to heat up. Notices about not bringing in food etc.

ds loves the room of course, it is beautiful, and we abide by all the rules. but the majority pile in by the boatload, shoes on, food in hand and often leap onto the bed with gusto. Makes me cringe. If I had fundraised for such a thing, I wouldn't be letting anyone in who didn't need it! Regardless of whether there was a low take up at certain times of the day.

good luck, you should fight this all the way.

huddspur · 16/01/2011 21:59

If no disabled person is using it, I don't see the harm in letting other people use it to be honest. Provided the equipment is not being damaged then leaving it empty seems a waste.

pigletmania · 16/01/2011 21:59

I totally agree with you, the facilities are specifically for those with disabilities, those without get enough as it is, why should they be allowed to use it when they dont need it. 8 hours is not a lot of time, I am Shock.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 16/01/2011 21:59

No, Apocalypse. It didn't measure the impact on the subjects lives. This was because many of those who were disabled weren't able to communicateto the extent that they would have been able answer any questions. I didn't want to collect information from their parents or carers points of view so I stuck to basing my study on objective, qualitative data.

narkypuffin · 16/01/2011 22:00

"entirely funded using money allocated for children with disabilities"

YANBU at all. In fact I'd argue that if the council opened access to the room it would be a misuse of those funds.

cornslik · 16/01/2011 22:01

It doesn't devalue it for SN children chipping. But there is already loads for NT kids to do which SN kids can't access.

ChippingInSmellyCheeseFreak · 16/01/2011 22:01

I would pay £40 for an hour in there - alone or with a child.

The SR that is available for NT children, is it anywhere near as good as yours? You said earlier it's only for babies/toddlers whereas yours sounds suitable for older children too?

The actual soft play area - I still don't understand why it's available to NT children (other than with siblings (maybe friends)) at all there are other SP places to take NT children. Yours should be solely for your use, whenever you want to use it.

TFMD - I can see what you are saying - but when I say it would be nice for NT children to be able to use it, I don't mean have it open like that, but to be able to book a session and pay for it. With a limit to how many children are allowed in (2 maybe?)

Original poster
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 16/01/2011 22:03

We supervise our kids the whole time, people don't realise, we fought so long and hard for this, woe betide anybody who dare not take their shoes off !!

Many parents of nt children just take it for granted, we've cleaned up after them when we come in for our sessions, picked food out of the ball pool, wiped juice off the slide. They just take it for granted, they have 1001 other things to choose from and just don't have the same respect, and even if they did, they Don't need to use it.

OP posts:
pigletmania · 16/01/2011 22:03

The funds used to pay for the sensory room are used from allocated funds for children with disabilities, and should therefore only be used by those who its intended for.

pigletmania · 16/01/2011 22:04

whats nt btw

TattyDevine · 16/01/2011 22:04

Neurologically typical.

byrel · 16/01/2011 22:06

How are these rooms beneficial?

Sorry if I'm showing breath-taking ignorance

pigletmania · 16/01/2011 22:06

Oh right. You would not allow people without a disaiblity to use a hydro pool for example so why is this different. Like someone said its abuse of funds if its used by any one else other than the intended client group.

stayathomegardener · 16/01/2011 22:07

Print off this thread toastie and take it to the meeting.Outraged on your behalf!

WonderingStar · 16/01/2011 22:08

Apocalypse, when you say "a meeting is being arranged" - who is this with? Is it an open meeting, or behind closed doors?

Are you in touch with your local councillors about this? and your MP (go to a surgery, see them face to face), and any councillors on any relevant committee? Meet with them privately in advance to state your case, don't wait until the actual meeting happens.

ChippingInSmellyCheeseFreak · 16/01/2011 22:08

Cornsilk - I understand that, but as long as it's not being damaged and is available to SN children/parents at all times, I don't understand why NT children need to be excluded from an amazing facility simply because they are NT.

I think this conversation is getting confusing because of the fact that there are two facilities here the soft play and the sensory room.

I don't think there is any need, at any time for NT children to use the soft play facility unless they are guests of the child with SN and their parents understand the nature of play may be rough etc

However, with the SR as a stand alone option, I think it would be good for it to be available to NT famililes for a fee.

TattyDevine · 16/01/2011 22:09

I'm trying to work out if you dont want it to be damaged or if you dont want it to be used full stop (by NT kids)

But I dont think it really matters because the funds were from SN funding and therefore there is no reason why this equipment should potentially have wear and tear (Im not talking about damage as such due to lack of supervision, just wear and tear of switching something on or off, something being sat on, lied on, all used in the way it was intended but MORE than it otherwise would therefore wearing out sooner than it otherwise would)

Part of me is stung about the NT parents not respecting etc etc because I feel I would but I'm sure you are right, in a soft play scenario, we just dont have to supervise to the extent that we would if our children were not NT. This doesn't mean I'd allow juice in a ball pit for instance and I'm sure there is a SN parent somewhere in the world who HAS allowed juice in a ballpit but I do agree in essence with what you are saying.

Ooh it reminds me I once stepped in a ball pit with socks on (as you do because no shoes in soft play etc) and put my foot in a puddle of something wet. But it was warm wet, like 36 degree type warm, like, um, body temperature warm....ughhhhhh

emmanana · 16/01/2011 22:09

YANBU.
Sensory equipment is excrutiatingly expensive, and although it is fairly hardwearing, it does need to be treated with a level of care. I am assuming that all the SN children who use it are pretty much supervised 1:1.
With all the will in the world, an average non disabled boisterous under 5 would not be able to understand the concept of having free reign in the soft play area to run, jump, rough and tumble, yet in the sensory area it's not ok to grab hold of the equipment, fall against it, climb and break the light curtain. etc etc. Those wouldn't be the actions of a 'naughty' child, just normal child reactions.
If the room were to be used by 6 MO's say, then there would be a lot less damage, as Parent/carer attention would be far more intense.
I'm not suggesting that parents of non-disabled children would let them run amok with no respect for their surroundings, but I don't think able bodied kids would get a lot from such a room if a parent had to constantly restrain them from being too hyper and damaging the equipment.

emmanana · 16/01/2011 22:10

YANBU.
Sensory equipment is excrutiatingly expensive, and although it is fairly hardwearing, it does need to be treated with a level of care. I am assuming that all the SN children who use it are pretty much supervised 1:1.
With all the will in the world, an average non disabled boisterous under 5 would not be able to understand the concept of having free reign in the soft play area to run, jump, rough and tumble, yet in the sensory area it's not ok to grab hold of the equipment, fall against it, climb and break the light curtain. etc etc. Those wouldn't be the actions of a 'naughty' child, just normal child reactions.
If the room were to be used by 6 MO's say, then there would be a lot less damage, as Parent/carer attention would be far more intense.
I'm not suggesting that parents of non-disabled children would let them run amok with no respect for their surroundings, but I don't think able bodied kids would get a lot from such a room if a parent had to constantly restrain them from being too hyper and damaging the equipment.

WonderingStar · 16/01/2011 22:11

Chipping - "as long as it's not being damaged" - yes a key point - but only an issue once it's damaged. What happens then? Who pays for repair / replacement? LA budgets may not be available or stretch to that.

Original poster
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 16/01/2011 22:11

We're on the committee for the council, we arranged it all.

We only heard about it because the lady on reception put her foot in it, contacted the guy who chairs the meeting who contacted guy at leisure centre who confirmed it was 'under review'

An emergency meeting has been arranged for Friday, i'll be there with my padlocks and chains !!

OP posts:
BoobyMcLeaky · 16/01/2011 22:12

Chipping, if you paid £40 to be in there I'm sure you would be making sure that everything was left as you found it and supervising your children. But I think the OP is saying that parents of NT children want to use it for free, most of them will probably look after it very well, but there is a minority who wouldn't give a fig. I would be livid if I had a child with special needs who couldn't use the sensory room because someone had allowed their brat child to destroy it.

DirtyMartini · 16/01/2011 22:12

YANBU at all, it's not suitable for general use. Wasn't designed for heavy traffic by randoms. And most importantly, funding was for a specific purpose and that should be respected.

Really hope the meeting goes well for you.