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?

But its for 2 hours, sharknad0. Yes its been hot this week (and it is open to nt kids all the other times apart from these 2 hours) but it has hardly been arctic conditions - I would imagine the splash park has been well used at all other times by all the other families.

I am guessing the OP lives where I do as the session here in a splash park has been advertised for the last few days over social media, local FB pages asking that the session is respected as an SN session.

I did wonder if it was going to be difficult as the weather is good and the splash pool is in a public area so not staffed. It could be another place but it seems likely it's the same as the time was the same etc

I wouldn't have gone there today at that time as I know some people would use the session for kids who struggle with crowds depending on their needs.

Ah, I see you did mean to be so rude.

The special needs swim sessions here are exclusively for children and adults with sn and their families and generally people access them as they can't access public swimming swimming sessions
Which should answer your question really

Did the OP ever explain how she knew how many of the people / families in attendance did / didn't have SN?

Fwiw I would have left dead on 5pm.

I don't think people realise that some of us can't access anything with our kids.

My DD can't go to pretty much anything that is on for kids ever.

So whinging about the pool being shut to NT kids for a couple of hours is a bit insensitive.

A bit insensitive? I think it wins the ignoramus crown for the week

If they are going to create an SN session in a splash park they really need to make the signage super obvious and actually have some staff around to inform people/enforce it otherwise (particularly on a very hot day), non SN families are either not going to realise or just ignore it. Cos yknow, people are shit.

My daughter is 3 and is NT and if I knew there was an SN session I would make sure we left at that time, even if that resulted in her having a tantrum (which it probably would). Because as pp have said, we have the opportunity to use these type of facilities all the rest of the time!

My NT child would stay as i would have my disable brother with me. That's situation would be ok wouldnt it?

Owllady yes I was trying to be restrained for once

Thank you, LyndanotLinda. I try to get my son as involved in as many activities with all other children, as much as possible, and usually it works out, but sometimes it's just too much for him. Where do I get one of these laminated cards? Are they available from the N.A.S (we're Uk based).? I didn't even know pools had specific availability like this. Will deffo be looking in to what my local leisure centres have to offer.

I would leave if I had travelled for an hour or less to get there.

More than an hour, I'm less confident that I'd do the right thing. If there was somewhere else to hang out and wait/eat/walk etc and if 7 wasn't going to be too late to swim then I'd leave. If not, I'm afraid I'd probably stay if nobody stopped me.

But that doesn't mean I think it would be okay. It would be selfish opportunism.

Yes umbongo :o

Sharknado - you have been at pains to let us know how privileged your kids are. Can you imagine a world where they weren't privileged? Where they were not able to do things That most kids take for granted; go to school, a club, do a sport, play outside, swim, go to the shop, play a computer game. Because that is the reality for a lot of kids with additional needs - they're only able to do things at prescribed times. Usually the times that no one else wants to do them, because that's a safe time for companies to accept that they might make less money.

Kids who are deprived may miss out on some things but not the amount of fun and access to fresh air, activities exercise that many kids with SEN do. If you cannot understand that but feel strongly enough that you are continuously posting in disagreement, perhaps you could spend some time trying to understand how people's lives can be restricted when their kids have a disability.

Waitrose would this be Park View by any chance????

Lorlei, the leisure centre an sessions are usually late Saturday afternoon
Local charities sometimes have access to hospice pools too. Ime though they are all at the same time, 4-5 on a Saturday!

owllady fab

That picture up thread looks amazing. My brother would love being plonked under one of those things!

Also if it is where I think it is then it's nothing special. A dipped area with a couple of fountains. No staffing as far as I know as there's no water that gathers. Just painting more of a picture. It's a shame OP but I think it needed more advertising than just a small poster and a FB post that only reached a certain amount of the community.

I'd leave because it was a designated session. At first I thought you meant you'd went to the splash park and a community group or school trip had turned up - I wouldn't leave then I don't think but I'd be mindful that my kids were considerate.

Owllady - you're fab! Will absolutely follow up on this. Thank you!

swoosh I think it is where you think it is. I live in the same place

Fwiw I would definitely leave, but I agree that it's a really hard thing to control given where the splash pool is. I've never actually been to the pool so I didn't see the signs etc but I am on Facebook (too much) so I was fully aware of it.

But people are dicks sadly.

Pestilence13610

terribly appropriate nickname, I shouldn't have get caught by a troll, my mistake.

SN session aren't just about it being quieter.

I take my child with ASD to SN sessions at soft play, the cinema and other facilities. He can't cope with big crowds and noises, for sure, but it also means I can relax knowing he's not going to be bullied or teased for how he behaves or what he says. He's incredibly vulnerable and often comes a cropper in standard sessions.

Not only that, but I don't have to put up with people looking or commenting on his behaviour.

If this was a SN session, then it should be for SN children. The idea from a PP that since it's hot, NT kids should get preference can suck my chewable wristbands.

^ I said I was feeling sorry for deprived kids who do not have that luxury and want to enjoy the 2 days of heat wave we are having this year.'

Deprived kids? What like those kids with SN who don't get to play in the splash park as NT kids are using it. That kind of deprived?

Of course people who the session isn't aimed at should leave - but is the splash park really unstaffed and in the middle of a public park as someone said?

If so it would be a miracle if the session did magically self regulate, between people not seeing the signs at all and other people misinterpreting them. Most/ many people will be oblivious to things "publicised" only via social media and local newspaper ...

A session in an area within an open public park for the exclusive use of any specific group would need to be staffed not just have one sign up.