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?

You dont know that thought. My local young mums grouo used to arrange sessions out such as swimming and park trios and the zoo. All of which were pisted on Facebook and had posters up saying for young mums group only. This didnt mean that no one else could use the pool or Park.

Without knowing whether the council agreed it its hard to say who is legally right. Mind you it is easy to say who is morally right

Please excuse the typos im am using my phone

I wouldn't stay with ds. He would start hurting himself, attacking me and then attacking other people around him which doesn't go down well when your child is 9.Perhaps those who aren't so bothered about it just being for children with sn, don't have children with challenging behaviour or severe sensory difficulties.

Just like the park near me is accesible for adults with disabilities but its a park that everyone uses regardless of whether they are disabled

I don't think laws come into it. It would be up to the management of the park. Just like if a council gym had a women's only session men wouldn't be able to say it's a public gym so they can still go in.

Yes but we dont know the councils position and whether they did authorise it so we cant say that all nt families had to leave

The op has made clear in her posts that it was organised with the council if you read back

I'd love one of those parks down here, with a wheelchair swing. Sometimes we lift my brother out of his chair and lay him in the big basket swing which he loves but he would prefer it if he was sat up in his chair.

There wouldn't be much point to a sn session where everyone could go, surely, that is just what the park is the rest of the time (ie everyone can go!)

I have seen baby & toddler sessions at the water play thing in the park where we used to live, there were no staff to monitor, it was just a sign up by the kiosk, and if you turned up with an older child, someone would say, 'oh sorry this a babies only session'. It seemed to work ok!

Tbh ds would be beside himself at the change in plans and beside himself if it was overly busy, but it would be worse if it was overcrowded so we would have to go with the going somewhere else meltdown!

It's a bit like how wheel chair Ramps are obviously for wheelchairs but anyone can walk up them.

I think it's rather more equivalent to parking prams on the wheelchair ramp so they're "out of the way".

It's clearly down to bad management by the organisers...although when I posted that last night the op wanted full medical history of my dc to judge wether my opinion was valid. Anyone would think she's just looking for an argument.

The them and us attitude on here is really awful. I don't think anybody has said that nt children should be allowed to attend this session or that children with sn aren't entitled to use the facilities/have a specific 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.

I think that's a very good point. It's easier to remember "SN session at this time every Thursday, so don't take the kids after school on Thursdays" than "SN session one evening a month"

Yes its a lovely Park has a sand pit, wheelchair swing and wide ramps to the play equipment. It is also really secure and camera monitored so a nice safe place for children. Everyone uses it even nt families never been a problem

As Bumsex says, and I said earlier, it was authorised by the council as a session for special needs families.

The thing is hazey you can clearly tell if a child is older than a toddler. You can't always clearly tell if a child has sn. I know children with quite severe needs who don't display any atypical movements and don't have any physical signs of an additional need.

Umbongo, the sad thing is often those wheelchair swings aren't working and have to be fenced off. Dh used to look after a play park as part of his job, he said that apart from picking syringes and broken glass out of the sand pit (!), he was always amazed that the sn equipment (swing with harness, wheelchair swing and sensory play stuff) would routinely be vandalised - set on fire, harnesses broken, smashed - it would then take months to be replaced or fixed and deemed safe enough to use. It never seemed to happen to the other play equipment, some of which had been there for donkeys years (and should probably have been condemned!)

Then its up to the council to enforce. Unfortunately some things are impossible to police and this is one.
Morally people shouldn't take advantage but realistically they do and there isnt a great deal to be done due to hidden disabilities

adreamisawish
"It's clearly down to bad management by the organisers...although when I posted that last night the op wanted full medical history of my dc to judge wether my opinion was valid. Anyone would think she's just looking for an argument. "

No I fucking well didn't. That is a flat out pathetic lie to attempt to make yourself look better. Feel free to cut and paste where I said anything of the sort.

Your goading is shameful.

To be fair Adreamisawish some people earlier in the thread did say nt children should be allowed to attend the session.

Oh that's crap :(

There really isnt a lot where I live for my brother to do. It sucks.

And adreamisawish if you read other posts you'll see people suggesting that perhaps the SN session could be moved to a cooler day...

Thats bad hazey. This park is always nice and clean (another reason everyone goes there) and yes the wheelchair swing is fenced with radar key acces. There is also another sn swing that adults can lie in.
Its really a park designed for sn adults and is opposite their residential home but is also public acces and used by all

Thankyou, Sommerville

At the one near me which has 2-3 sessions a month. It is in the public park with no supervision. They have relied on social media and signs only.

It is exactly the same set up as going to play on the swings and slides effectively.

UmbongoUnchained i know that feeling
a local park was redone. masses of new play things......but not even a wheelchair swing, if we want that we have to drive 30 miles.(I live in a massive town, yet not one any where)