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?

user7755

I am an adult, I do understand that nothing is worth more than health. Nowhere did i even write that I would encourage other children to spoil the day of disabled kids, and I do think 2 hours a months are not enough.

My point was that some underprivileged kids already feel like reject, from life, from family. These kids have nothing. All I said was that I would feel hard to kick them out when they are having fun for once! It's horrible to start thinking "Us" against "them"< they are all children. If everybody was more pleasant and respectful, it would work better. Calling them "snow flakes" or worst names is ridiculous.

The op, while I appreciate you're cross, you haven't answered questions about how you distinguish who is and who isn't sn. Suggestions about asking those with nt children to leave couldn't work for this very reason.

I'd like to think that I would leave too.

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

the point shark was making, was that for many disadvantaged children those things you point out above are also true.
I have 2 children with disabilities, and I cant say i'd begrudge some kids who wanted to play in the sun either.

Sessions for sn children tend to include older children and teenagers. A 17 year old with severe learning difficulties (for example) probably doesn't want herds of NT 5 year olds running around him.

I would leave it for the SN families. They just get one session a month where everything is geared for them, whereas you can go anytime. Most pools have various special sessions, women only, adults, tots, serious swimmers etc. I see it as trying to accommodate everyone, but I know some people get riled up about it and feel they should be able to go whenever they want.

lucky waves back. Yes I think we do, I remember your username from another thread where we also made the link.

There Is a local charity here that provides leisure activities and a holiday club for families who have a child with special needs. They've had to overhaul the admissions criteria and you have to provide proof of disability/illness because people have been abusing it and taking their nt, well children to the sessions . It's caused huge problems and apparently isn't uncommon.

Our local splash park has two hour sessions when busy and the staff get everyone to leave and a new lot of people to come in. That would be easy to achieve. There is a limit on numbers though if families with NT children lined up for a SN session I think they'd struggle to exclude them without a membership scheme.

I think I live in the area this splash park is, signs have been up in the splash park area and on the entrance gates for at least two months. I wrangled my screaming toddler and 5 year old out of the splash park a few days ago whilst simultaneously dragging a buggy laden with all our paraphernalia, and managed to successfully clock the signs on the way out despite being hugely harassed and distracted. No excuses really, people are just selfish.

Is it fenced but not staffed? I can't quite imagine it...

I understand what you're saying shark
I wouldn't ask anyone to leave either.

If the kids are so deprived they can't go anywhere then sadly they wouldn't be at the splash park at all would they?

I wouldn't leave at 5pm if I was the only person there, that would be mad. But obviously on a day like this, I would.

The problem with a public park is you're relying on people thinking outside their own little bubble and lots of people just don't care enough.

I'm wondering how obvious it was that there was a SN session on, and whether the splash park was staffed.

There's a splash park in a public park not too far from us.
It's unmanned, entry is free. There's a ticketing system if it's a peak time, but this has never been in operation when we've been so I don't really know how it works. There are signs by the entrance, but these are small, at (adult) waist height, so an additional sign about a special session would be easy to miss, especially if you're familiar with the splash park and have read the signs before (the signs are mostly about safety advice and opening times).

And advertising on social media, local papers etc about SN sessions - I can imagine families with no SN children skimming over these without stopping to read them properly, as they don't apply to them.

So if this splash park is like our local one, I can easily imagine a splash park SN session being flooded with NT children - not necessarily because they're being selfish or entitled, but because they simply haven't realised there is a SN session on.

Plus, as pp have pointed out, even if it is staffed, there's the issue of distinguishing between SN and NT children, unless there's some sort of pass or ticket for the SN session.

Leave, of course. You can access it any time you like, why would you encroach on a time designated to someone else?

I can and do believe Fanjo I have seen it so many times.
Waitrose you need to get someone to police entry to the SN sessions. At work we have a couple of people who get designated the task of bouncer.
People do grab hold of wheelchairs and move them out their way and other shocking behaviour. Sadly you do have to find ways of controlling some people. I used to slink off and cry, now I kick ass .
My SN kids are not deprived, they got to grow up to be SN adults.

Sharknado
I am an adult, I do understand that nothing is worth more than health
This isn't about health really (well perhaps in part), it's about having a safe place to do what most kids can do any other time of the day / day of the month

Nowhere did i even write that I would encourage other children to spoil the day of disabled kids, and I do think 2 hours a months are not enough But you are advocating kids without those additional needs staying into that time, thus potentially (as with the OP) meaning that the kids who only get 2 hours a month, don't even get that.

My point was that some underprivileged kids already feel like reject, from life, from family. These kids have nothing. All I said was that I would feel hard to kick them out when they are having fun for once! I understand that this is hard (although your original post wasn't referring specifically to underprivileged kids, but those who have been cooped up all day). But the reality is that it's a free resource which they could potentially access at any time - there is nothing restricting the time that they can go. For a child with SN this could be the only 2 hours per month that they can play in the way that most kids can.

Greatfuckability - most kids (even those who are living in disadvantaged circumstances) can spend time with friends, go to a park or playground, go to school with their friends. For many kids with SEN this isn't possible. By including people who don't have SEN you may well then be creating another barrier for kids who don't have any other options.

I wouldn't want to actively exclude people from a play session, but if people are just going to stay anyway there is no point having the SEN session. It's lip service.

Yes I was furious Dixie. The management sent us lots of free tickets as an apology. Which I binned.

Of course you should leave. Anyone with any decency about them would!

We struggle to use soft play swimming pools play centres. Dd has autism and severe LD she can't really cope with lots of noise snd distractions. I jump at any quiet or sn sessions to give her a chance to engage with what for other children is fairly usually available play equipment. People without sn making it busier defeats the purpose for us - even if by normal standards a facility looks empty.

If your DC is in any way impeding or restricting SN kids to access the facilities then leave. Personally I have brought up my DC to understand SN children are as normal as everyone else. So I would occasionally use the facility specifically at this time so my DC doesn't grow up segregated from SN children. I also know the SN children get something from interacting with non SN children (as long as they have learnt to respect any differences).

I dont get this passive aggressive attitude where parents want to segregate their children from SN as if its some sort of disease. It seems like some sort of excuse for elitism.

Stay, but then we are an sn family.
Love the idea of special events,
Saves all the staring

Ive got two sen kids and we went along to one tonight which was meant to be 5-7 and it was too busy. So I ended up disappointing my children with additional needs and one nt sibling because it was too busy and one of the girls cannot stand busy places and noise. I can understand if it's siblings of children with Sen but in my mind nt kids can go anytime they like. I can't as my two have issues with crowds and noises and frankly I get tired and upset at the tuts and stares when on of them does something people find odd. But heaven forbid the nt kids miss out on one session for two hours every other week. Like my children don't have enough going on. It's a bit like the autism friendly screenings. I have few who take their lively nt toddlers because it's easier.