This is what a changing area should look like! Please support the online petition.
https://www.change.org/p/end-degrading-disabled-toilet-facilities-now
This is what a changing area should look like! Please support the online petition.
0 Comments
Sunday 24th 10-12 AutismNI Antrim Community group only
Funky Monkeys at Junction One. Monday 25 JULY Mini Me Yoga Mon 14:00 · Turning Point, Antrim Lagan Valley Leisure Complex in association with Autism NI. 26 July, 9 & 23 August from 730pm to 830pm "Details: Session must be booked online in advance. Attendee must be registered with Autism NI and must be able to produce proof on arrival for the session (carers attending to assist do not require this). Entry will only be permitted to those that have booked in advance/are registered with Autism NI." https://www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk/…/lagan-v…/book-online Streamvale open Farm A 'quiet time' Sundays from 12-2pm. "It will be for the whole family to enjoy, not just the child with special needs. We are going to have a booking system that we will need you all to stick to. Otherwise it will be a total waste if too many people turn up. Once we have it organised I will put a post up and the first 30 families to email will be sent a link for pre-paying and getting tickets. Please understand if you do not get a slot at first that it is to keep it quiet for everyone's benefit. " Keeping kids entertained during the summer when competing with Pokemon Go is no mean feat. I can but try.
Swimming @ Livingwell I am one of those people who subscribe to a gym but rarely make the opportunity to use it. However when work is removed from the equation I do like to swim and the boys have always been total water babies. The two eldest took lessons with Swimtime there. The Livingwell pool at Templepatrick provides a safe, enclosed disabled/family changing area with shower, toilet and lockers. There is a small but adequate 18m pool and a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna. It is generally quiet and the staff are always friendly. If Funtasia is ASD hell, Livingwell is ASD heaven! I regularly meet interesting people there too. This time we met a lovely Irish lady who after observing Houdini jumping and splashing about said, "He loves the water doesn't he. I have a nephew with autism. He just loves the water too." It is so good to meet people who just get it! Unfortunately, new rules at the Hilton state that because there is no lifeguard, there must be 1 adult for each child under 16. I understand the need for Health and Safety but am disappointed that this is the case where only one of my children is a non-swimmer. Our local pool's changing facilities are often dirty and the lifeguards could almost play a tune on their whistles. Without Livingwell, I am not sure where we will be able to go in future. Autism Initiatives http://www.autisminitiatives.org/where-we-are/northern-ireland/housing-floating-support.aspx Belfast Balanceability and Portrush Surf School This is an excellent organisation who teach new skills to people on the spectrum. They aim to encourage "peer interaction and socialisation, increased motivation, improved confidence and increased levels of physical activity." Today is Day 4 of my middle son's week long intensive course to provide him with the necessary skills and coordination to master riding a bike. Despite his initial anxiety, he has been put at ease by the gentle teaching, visual strategies and games. I don't think it will be long before he takes off. Balanceability Belfast takes place at the Duncairn Arts and Community Centre which is a great venue. We will particularly miss Sarah/ Sadie in the cafe next week. She is an absolute star with all her customers and T loves buying chocolate muffins and chocolate croissants after each session. Meanwhile his older brother is staying up the North coast with his grandparents (and dog) in order to experience surfing the waves of the Atlantic. It is taught by some of the same staff as Balanceability. I look forward to hearing more about that on his return. Funtasia is in my opinion the very epitome of ASD hell. First you must enter a darkened, cacophonous amusement arcade with lights flashing to reach the entrance to the water park.
Next, after a brief conversation, you pass through a token operated turnstile to reach a door to the Pirate's Cove and immediately you are hit by a mixture of heat and white noise. There are no disabled changing rooms so I was told when I asked but small cubicles which can barely hold one adult and a small child let alone a family. The heat is so stifling that all clothing is already saturated with perspiration before you get near any actual water. The lockers are situated away from the cubicles and require single file queuing to get anywhere near them. Meanwhile the build up of noise continues to buzz with increased intensity as we near the various slides for that is pretty much all there is. Numerous slides and ankle deep water. No actual pool but adults can choose to sit in this cold puddle if they wish. There is a hot tub restricted to over 18s as if relaxation is a possibility. When the kids have finally had enough, we brave the greenhouse effect changing cubicles once more to try in vain to dry our now sweating bodies and change into our damp clothes for the drive back home. Disneyland was built on their movies. Drayton Manor and Paulton Park have their tv characters. Legoland has rides made from plastic toy bricks but I still find it vaguely amusing that only in Ireland could there be a theme park heralding the best thing to happen to the humble spud ... cheese 'n' onion crisps! What's next in the domain of grocery themed amusements? Hovis World? Persil Land? Baked bean Ville? We had to take another family road trip across the border to experience it for ourselves. We arrived early and could fast track our way in as we had already purchased our entrance tickets through the D-hotel in Drogheda. We had no difficulty accessing an assistance pass on showing our diagnoses letters. This pass allowed us to avoid the queues on 6 rides assuming that all 3 kids with ASD of various ages, abilities and interests wanted to go on the same 6 rides. Although some of the activities in the park are included in the entrance ticket , many must be paid for by buying tokens or an all-inclusive wristband at 15 Euros per person, easily doubling the price of this family day out. I warned the the girl in the kiosk that Houdini might not tolerate wearing the band and she took great lengths to stress that the paper wristband was irreplaceable and non-refundable if he removed it. How to start off on the right foot? I reminded her again of his autism and getting nowhere fast, agreed to attach it to his ankle praying that it would stay on. The weather was dry and clammy. There was a lot of walking but we had Houdini's buggy. There was a lot to see. We didn't manage to get round everything but the boys seemed to have fun. From an adult perspective, I thought the organisation was actually quite poor. The assistance pass was supposed to help us avoid the queues but some staff didn't know what to do with it and on one occasion, Houdini had to wait about 10 minutes until a supervisor could arrive with a pen so that the card could be signed off thus causing him a major meltdown and stares from other people . Totally defeating the VERY purpose of the card! The front of house staff are really lovely but those working the rides are not so helpful. Our teenager was going down a twisty slide and asked that he remain in the large sand enclosure at the bottom to catch his younger brother next in case he would try to climb up the slide again. This was not permitted and guess what happened? I would say Tayto Park has some way to go to be truly "Autism Friendly". Legoland it most definitely is not! School's out and time for a much needed road-trip with my boys and dog in tow! Even the torrential Northern Irish summer weather couldn't kerb my enthusiasm to spend a week of quality time, flying solo in the "kiss-me-quick" seaside town of Costa-del-Portrush. Nevertheless, I knew I would desperately need to find indoor activities to entertain them when the appeal of the blue flag beaches of the Atlantic Coast in the rain wore thin and the lack of reliable Wi-fi drove the boys to distraction.
Waterworld After having read the on-line reviews, I was pleasantly surprised. Firstly, the staff were very friendly and helpful. I asked at reception for disabled changing facilities and we were given a Radar key to a dated but adequate changing room. It was clean and although lacking in a changing station, it did have lockers, something which is sadly lacking from the disabled changing area in my local leisure centre. Secondly, although the pirate ship themed water slides are probably best suited to younger children, the large flume kept my 13 year old occupied. There was also plenty of lifeguards present keeping an attentive eye rather than being overzealous on their standard issue whistle! Bowling at Waterworld Following our morning at Waterworld we decided to return another day to try the Ten pin bowling. It is usually impossible for Houdini to take part in this due to sensory overload. Bowling alleys tend to be very dark and noisy with excited people, music blaring, UV lights flashing, the crashing of the automated machinery - basically a total ASD nightmare! Fortunately the bowling alley there is small and very well lit. We arrived early so had it all to ourselves. The background music was not at all overpowering and for the first time Houdini was able to join in with his brothers. Another little milestone which is a big deal to us! I have heard that Waterworld is, like the Dunluce Centre, to close permanently which would be a real shame. All 3 of my boys had fun there. Portrush definitely needs indoor, family-friendly venues with on site parking to accommodate tourists in the typical NI weather. |
Archives
January 2024
|