adults with learning difficulties on small childrens' play area.

[Bethshine82]

Took DS to the play area on Friday, it is not a huge play area and has one of those signs saying it is designed for use by children 14 and under.
Whilst we were there a group of around eight adults with learning difficulties and their carers arrived. The adults proceeded to go onto the playground.
AIBU to think this isn't very fair? They were adults and they weren't really aware of their strength and size. The carers weren't supervising brilliantly and twice I saw one of the adults just shove the children out of the way. Also some of the adults were shouting and screaming which frightened some of the toddlers. Many of the children left. I'm not in any way suggesting that adults with learning difficulties shouldn't be able to go out and enjoy themselves or that they shouldn't be part of the community, I'm just not sure a small childrens' play area is the place for an adults' afternoon out.

I think that the playground should only be used by children, it isn't safe otherwise really. AIBU?

And further had the teenagers been using it without risk to my son I would not have minded at all. IN fact I seem to remember one or two of them having a nice conversation with him eventually. They continued to sit on said equipment while he had a go on it.

They got on Ok in the end once they stopped making it dangerous for him. No problem with that.

It's okay flightty, I am not meaning to pick up on your points either (or be personal) I just think people underestimate how difficult it is to access anything when you are in such a minority group such as those with severe learning disabilities.

Good question Agincourt.

Agincourt, no, I wouldn't. A swimming pool as long as it's large enough for everyone to use without posing any risk or upset to each other is not a problem.

We regularly meet a group of teenagers with LD at our swimming pool, they are usually just coming out as we are going in, but I don't think I'd have a problem with sharing if they did not cause any risk to my children. They seem well supervised which helps.

No 2shoes I didn't glare. We carried on playing.
Maybe I should have said something but it is a minefield as shown on here.

The adults I have worked with were in an adult learning capacity and although they had learning difficulties they were much less severe than the difficulties that this group seemed to have.

I didn't like the way the carers treated the adults, I should have asked where they were from.

Agincourt I am sorry as I know it must be hellish and there but for the grace of God go the rest of us.

Not that my own ds is someone you can take anywhere, mind. I don't want to imply he's some kind of paragon who never poses a risk to anyone

This isnt about the OP being uncomfy with adults with severe LD this is about carers taking people with Ld to a park then not caring for them properly well that is how i read it ,

I am a bit about the playground being for children under 14 - some 14yos will be adult size and weight.

In which case the equipment was safe for adults, and the sign was merely to keep rowdy teenagers out. So, okay that the adults with LDs were there IMO.

Segregation in parks is a real shame, there was a lovely one where I used to live which was designed so that bulk of it was safe for everyone all the way up to adults, as well as fun stuff for teenagers plus special equipment for people with special needs, like wheelchair accessible roundabouts/swings etc.

Everyone in together can work really well imho.

Our local playground is designated for under 7yos. Nobody bats an eyelid if slightly older children use the equipment, but TBH most of them wouldn't be seen dead on the toddler kit. Sometimes a parent climbs up to rescue an over-ambitious toddler.

There is a cargo net strung across, the top of which is about 6ft above the ground (i.e. their feet are 6ft above the ground). I regularly see 3 or 4 children crossing the net together. It's not a problem as there is enough room and their combined weight is probably no more than 10-12 stone. The equipment would also have enough space for 3 or 4 adults - but I'm wouldn't like to assume how it well it would hold up to taking a combined weight of 35-40 stone.

The difference between parents and LD adults is that parents would presumably realise that it would be risky to have more than one adult on the cargo net at a time, the LD adults might need advice to only use it one at a time. If their carers fail to supervise and advise appropriate play, then yes - I do think it is inappropriate for a large group of adults to try to use the equipment at the same time as a large number of small children are playing. It's not safe.

Bethshine82, if you don't like the way the carers treated their clients then in future do complain. We all need to be vigilant about the care of those vulnerable in our society. I reported a carer last week to a home near where I work as I was asked to mind a woman who had severe and complex LDs and I said no and she left me with her anyway and it made my blood run cold to think that someone who was already incredibly vulnerable was put in further danger by being left with someone the carer didn't even know! Hey, i am not a nutter but how the hell would she know? Any inappropriate behaviour by people who should be working ina professional capacity should be reported imo.

I once reported a carer to an agency because she sat with her client in McDonalds and ignored the client completely whilst she put her make up on and even told her to shut up at one point.

It's no acceptable and we should all take responsibility for it

But does the right of these adults with learning disabilities to use facilities not intended for normal adult use trump that of children who the facilities were orginally intended for. We have to accept that physically they are of normal adult weight but lack the cognition to understand their actions which poses some inherent dangers to the younger children in their vicinity and especially as they seemed to have inadequate carers. Perhaps this wouldn't be an issue if the carers were supervising them in a responsible way

But giving adults with LD's carte blanche to use children's facilities without accepting there might be some risks seems more like discriminating against the children

I think the car in the cycle lane is actually quite a good analogy, actually.

There are SO MANY facilities for children and so few for adults such as those in the OP (not "LD adults" ) that IMO people should just supervise their children carefully in the play area on the extremely unusual occasion that a group of adults with SN happened to be having fun there and live and let live a little tbh.

If they were a risk to young children, they wouldnt have been in a childrens play area.

Lacking the cognition to understand their actions, is firstly an assumption and secondly not everyone with a learning disability is aggressive or violent.

and as for the carer being obligated to explain to your child that the adult they are with won't scare them...they are not dogs you know, you can explain it to your child yourself.

My DD makes noises but its not because she is some ravening monster..she can't speak clearly, what is she meant to do?

claw you are naive....I was on a bus once with my baby DD in a sling...I was standing up. A woman got on with a lady with SN and she said "Keep the baby away from her as she lashes out." So what...I can assume that people with SN who may behave unpredictably are always kept away from children?

No. I cannot.

hardly better to assume all adults with SN are going to beat children up though, is it?

There are SO MANY facilities for children and so few for adults such as those in the OP (not "LD adults" wink) that IMO people should just supervise their children carefully in the play area on the extremely unusual occasion that a group of adults with SN happened to be having fun there and live and let live a little tbh.

Indeed.

To all those talking about "LD children" and "LD adults" it is preferable to refer to people (adults / children/ teens etc) with a learning disability, thus emphasising the person first, rather than the disability. Thank you.

Christ, are you suggesting she shouldn't use the bus?

Awkward, oh ok forgive my naivety, that must mean that all people with an SN are aggressive and violent, thanks for clearing that up!

My brother had SN's and was aggressive and violent which meant he had to be closely supervised at all times when in public. Under no circumstances would he have been taken to a children's play area. Much like they lady you mention i assume, but he had to travel by bus to get from a to b.

My ds has SN's, he attends a school full of other children, believe it or not and isnt in any way, shape or form, aggresive or violent, he also goes to children's play areas.

No of course not....only that one can't assume that all adults with LD or SN are safe around kids or that their carers will take reasonable actions to ensure the safety of others. AND to be honest...if the adult on the bus that day was not safe around babies and children in paticular then maybe it MIGHT be best to use a taxi.

claw I said clearly that "people who MAY bhave unpredictably" NOT that ALL adults with SN are violent.

if the adult on the bus that day was not safe around babies and children in paticular then maybe it MIGHT be best to use a taxi.

Indeed. So why didn't you?

Because I was in the majority kladdaka. I know that when my cousin, who has a severe mental health problem comes out with me and my family for the day, I don't put her in situations which will make her feel threatened and scared and that includes public transport, crowded cafe's and restaurants.