to continue using the disabled facilities at my local pool?

[HedgehogsDontBite]

Our new local pool has a separate changing room for people with disabilities. I was using them when I was there with toddler DS today. A member of staff politely told me that I should be using the family changing room next door. Now I feel bad for using it.

The reason I use it is because the family changing room is very busy and noisy and opens onto the big pool area which is also really busy and noisy and I can't cope with it. The other is small and nearly always empty and opens directly into the smaller not so busy training pool.

The disabled facilities appear to be geared up just for people with physical disabilities. Is it wrong to use them because I have ASD?

Ds has ASD and I wouldn't hesitate to use the disabled changing room. I don't really see what else I could do tbh. Given that people on this site have in the past been outraged at the sight of an 8 yo boy in the female changing room I dread to think how they'd react to my strapping almost 15yo! He can't get changed by himself and there's absolutely no way I'm going in the gents so disabled it is. Mind you, it would never have occurred to me to leave our stuff in there, even though I've been known to lose him in the 30 secs it takes to get our things out of the locker. That was fun, running round in my wet cossie looking for him .
I'm afraid I've had to develop a thicker skin over the years otherwise we'd never leave the house so if people disapprove it's tough.

Pilgit, some disabled people can find having to queue very difficult. My son really struggles with this because he doesn't understand why he is waiting. It creates far more stress for him than for a NT child of the same age. Obviously sometimes this is unavoidable but it would help if people who don't need to use facilities for the disabled, didn't use them.

Oh that poster who thinks physical disabilities trump all is actually really upsetting and distressing.

My friend is in a wheelchair, but she can probably do most things, she's pretty good with her arms and very quick and good with her chair. She says the only thing that really gets in her way is there being enough space to get her chair in/ around places.

Some people with physical disabilities, like my uncle, can hardly move at all. Or sit. All they can do is lie down and they're still in severe pain.

Some people with 'hidden' disabilities are quite good at coping with things.

Some people with 'hidden' disabilities physically can't. Certain sounds cause them severe physical pain, some of them have severe health problems, some of them need help like toddlers would, even though they are 6ft 2.