If it's the Special Needs session at the local splash park and you're not a SN family, would you stay or go?

[Waitrosejunkie1]

What would you do?

Waitrose you sound lovely

I certainly wouldn't appreciate being quizzed by staff about my children's disability status as it's not a conversation I'd want to have in front of my son who doesn't consider himself disabled

I know you feel sorry for me fanjo, you've told me before.

You really don't need to though. I stand by my statement that if any child attacks mine, SN or not, they won't be allowed near my child again.

Apart from the charity I mentioned earlier whose membership has been abused by people with nt children, I'm not aware of anywhere in my real life where another child's issues have been questioned at an SN group/session and I'm a parent with a child on the severe/complex end. I'm fully aware on the vast array of conditions and severities.

Oh whatever umbongo.

Good chatting as always. Will probably be reported now just for having a different opinion. Oh well.

And I used to run a group for children with special needs and their families at a support centre. It wasn't abused. This was 6 - 10 years ago though. Surely things aren't becoming less tolerant? That would be really sad :( but then I really don't understand why someone would pretend their child had special needs to access a session either.
God people are weird.

Whatever

Nobody has suggested quizzing any individual bum - making regular announcements starting an hour or so in advance that from 5pm the splash area is reserved for SN families would be far more effective in getting through to people - a large minority of people won't look on social media or register/ read/ see an ad in the local rag, and people don't read signs half the time.

Owl I do think things might be becoming less tolerant. The world is in general a less tolerant place at the moment.

At the end of the day, no one is breaking any laws by being there so there isn't really a lot that can Be done. You just have to make the signage very obvious and hope that people who have some sort of decency about them will leave and make It more accessible.

Owl I do think things might be becoming less tolerant. The world is in general a less tolerant place at the moment

It's frightening, that's for sure :(

I think a poster further up suggested checking with ppl that they were there for the sn session. That would lead to questions from my son. I think an announcement is a good idea or maybe a member of staff to close/empty the park at 5. That's what happens at the pool I go to.

For those who still can't seem to understand why Waitrose thinks that there were many NT families there, you've ignored missed one of her earlier posts. She explained that it was heaving. The majority of children with SN need a session to be considerably less busy than usual, for a variety of reasons. Including space - for wheelchairs or other equipment, and less sensory overload from noise.

So if all those families there had a child with SN, and it was middling-busy with other children with SN, the next ones who arrived wouldn't join in. They'd leave, disappointed, and go home, like Waitrose's family did. They wouldn't be able to join in, and get the splash park to the point of heaving.

Ergo, she assumed that may NT families were there.

But she didn't go in screaming and name-calling, like some people are making out. She just went home. Presumably telling her children that they'll have to wait until next month. For something that NT children can access every bloody day.

Waitrose

Sorry there are so many entitled, thoughtless people. Out there and on here.

And I hope your local council do something about it.

It is indeed

What obtuse answers! It's fairly obvious I would have thought to anyone with any critical thinking skills that if one looks at a splash pool heaving with children on a very hot summer day after school it is unlikely to be heaving with children with additional needs.

Op I would complain vociferously to whoever you need to and I would also request more than one session a month - it takes the piss quite frankly and your dc deserve better than that.

To the posters saying the autism friendly screenings at cinemas are being taken over by toddlers - complain! If you don't get anywhere with your branch, complain to the head office. The £1.99 kids club is there for getting toddlers used to the cinema, it's not like this service is not being provided already.

Personally I really don't feel my family are being deprived of access to facilities because they are occasionally made exclusively available to those with additional needs. However, I am not surprised to see how selfish and self centred many other people are who apparently are incapable of considering others before themselves.

Good luck op.

I have to say that most parents I know with asd kids would give the splashpool a go busy or not rather than tell their child they weren't going in when they had been expecting to go. I certainly would. But it's fine if you disagree - no need for name calling.

We would leave, as ds would not cope. (Not ASD)

It would depend on the child obviously but for my ds the change to our plans would be far more distressing than the noise.

Whilst the sessions sound like an excellent idea, they seem like they are poorly managed. Not everyone is on social media, and not everyone reads signs (or may be unable to). There really sounds like there needed to be staff there to manage the situation and make sure that users were there for the correct session.

Perhaps also a more regular time would actually help people become aware that this session was a session for people with SN? If it becomes common knowledge (and managed by the organisers) that there's no point going between 4-6 every Thursday (or whatever) as you will not be allowed in, then it should reduce the numbers who think that they don't need to adhere to the request.

Its not about decent signage or guarfs its about location.
If its a public park that is free for anyone to use all the time then some random group cant put up signs and and Facebook posts saying its for their groups use only between certain hours.

Its common decency to maybr steo back and say ill let them have their time and go another day but if it is a public area legally the group cant dictate who uses it and when.

I would personally stay but I do have a sn child and depending on the parks location and if it was a regular public park I would probably stay anyway

If the council have agreed a time for a specific sn session then I don't think other people have any legal right to be there. I don't think it's a few mums who have just decided and put up posters!

No I don't think it's covered by laws. I think it's one of those things where it's a designated session for SN but anyone can go if you know what I mean? It's a bit like how wheel chair Ramps are obviously for wheelchairs but anyone can walk up them.