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?

mrsqueen it's funny you say that as my local cinema for some reason has the autism friendly and toddler screening as one event. Which is really odd.

I think some folk are well meaning trying to expose their nt kids to sn and trying to make judgement about earn it's appropriate. But our experience is you often don't realise the difficulties you are causing for sn. In ordinary sessions please do make contact - I don't want to be segregated either but special sessions aren't the place for that imv. SN families go to these specifically because you're not there. Or not supposed to be.

I forgot that I always ask other parents their first if its ok. Simples.

user7755 many underpriviliged children in inner cities especially don't have access to parks and playgrounds, they dont have access to friends a lot of the time if they have home responsibilities as many poor kids do. many miss a hell of a lot of school.

its not a competition as to who has a harder time, but you clearly dont have much knowledge about poverty. As I said, I have 2 children with SN myself, i know they have a bloody hard time of it, and need and deserve far more amenities. for what its worth, presuming i'd seen the signs i'd have left too, as my children would probably be ok at the regular time, but its assuming a lot to think i'd notice a few signs in the first place.

How would you know that you being there wasn't preventing a family with children with SN accessing the facility, peachpudding?

Peach - By your children merely being there, they will be impeding my son. They are extra bodies, extra noise and an extra source of anxiety for him. I am sure they are lovely children but he won't see it like that.

It's a nice idea in theory to take NT children along to the session for the experience - but many posters are saying that their children with SEN need the time and space and quieter sessions to be able to access them at all. Choosing to take NT children along defeats that, and how many NT children can be at the session getting that lovely social experience of inclusion before it's just like any other session, defeating the whole purpose?

In the end, however well intentioned, it's still about excuses that use the session to the benefit of the NT child at the expense of children and families with SN.

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.

I certainly don't want to segregate my kids from SN kids, but as many previous posters have already clarified SN sessions are not about segregation or elitism but because some SN children cannot cope with noisy or busy situations. These sessions are designed for their benefit.

Such a non issue, if you have only nt kids, you can do anything, no problems
A family with a child with a disability, has to put up with a lot amd for them and thier families to hve one small session away from the staring and questio s is a really good idea
Would have loved this when my child was younger as her ahd her sibling could have fun, and not worry about any of ghe prementioned stuff.
I think nt families should realise that kids with sn are not education tools

I wouldn't go to a SN session, if my children didn't have SN.

Think its unreasonable/selfish to go.

Seems there's a few of us local to the splash park (Herts/opposite multi storey?). It's never about separating as my kids have gained a lot from mixing with nt kids but this two hours would have given them time to use something they otherwise cannot access. I think anyone sensible knows if they'd need to use it during a sen session. I feel "terrible" that so many snow flakes feel bad that the Sen session falls on a hot day. Heck maybe move it if a heatwave is approaching hell its only kids with additional needs! This stuff makes me so cross. My kids struggle every single bloody day. I get judged constantly on my parenting as my youngest cannot wear shoes and has frequent meltdowns when out so Sen sessions/cinema screenings mean we can do more. And yes I do feel sorry for deprived children but I wouldn't resent special sessions set up for them nor would I intrude.

I can't believe people think it would be ok to stay. I really don't understand some people, it's like they live in a bubble. I think a doorknob has more common sense.

2 hours a month sounds like the bare minimum. I think it should be at least 2 hours a week.

peach I don't think you get how difficult it can be with a child with sn. You'd ask I'd feel bad or selfish or just frazzled and take path of least resistance and say it's OK. Then I'd regret it because in all honestly each child less is better and that's what I went to the session to try to get and now you are making that happen less and I've enabled it because it feels so nuts to say no particularly if it is pretty quiet.
I think people who don't deal with children like mine -severe sensory issues and LD just can't really get it. I don't even get it and I live it

5-7pm must be a popular choice for parents to take kids to a water play area, so it's not surprising that nt kids are there.

If kids with sn want to mix with nt kids/nt kids want to learn about sn there are plenty of inclusive groups. A specialist sn session relly isn't the time to be taking children for a sn awareness session. The people accessing these groups will generally be doing so because their children struggle with crowds/noise so they need to attend a less busy session. If they didn't need to they would probably just access the park at other times.

And my very first to the posters who resent the sn kids having sole access because the weather is nice. How dare they! It should be swapped to a day when no-one wants to go

On disability/SN threads, there is always a select few who like to remind us all whilst being a bit patronising that there are other ways of being disadvantaged. It's not about the fact that various groups experience oppression, it's about people with additional needs having access to spaces that there are there for people with additional needs.

If a has a session for adult carers once a week, I wouldn't feel I had a right to be there because I'm disabled, therefore I'm disadvantaged too. Or could I?

Deprived children can access the splash park at anytime apart from these 2 hours. A lot of children with sn can't.

Oh bless those poor nt kids who cant access something for 2 hours a months
How terrible for them, they will suffer so much,

The more I think about this, the more annoyed I am at peachpudding using our children as a learning opportunity.