Here at Seashell, we believe that everyone deserves the chance to dive into the joy of leisure activities. For children and young people with autism, accessing these opportunities may require a bit of extra care and understanding. In this guide, we’ll explore how to help a person with autism access leisure facilities and opportunities and how we focus on this at Seashell.
Understanding autism
First and foremost, it’s important to understand autism and acknowledge that each person with autism is unique. It’s crucial to understand that autism is a spectrum, meaning that individuals can experience it differently. What works for one person might not work for another.
Some individuals may have challenges with communication, whilst others may struggle with sensory processing or social interactions. At Seashell, we understand this diversity and are committed to ensuring our leisure facilities are inclusive for all.
Creating a welcoming environment
Our leisure facilities are designed to be inclusive, but there are steps we can all take to make them even more welcoming for children and young adults with autism. It’s important to consider the following:
- Visual supports: Visual aids like schedules, maps, or picture-oriented guides can be used to help individuals understand the layout of the facility and what activities are available. Clear visuals can provide a sense of structure and therefore help to reduce anxiety.]
- Sensory-friendly spaces: Some children with autism may have sensitivities to certain sounds, lights, or textures. By creating sensory-friendly spaces within the facility, you’re offering individuals to retreat if they feel overwhelmed. Providing options for sensory breaks can make a significant difference.
- Communication: Allow for effective communication by offering alternative methods such as visual cues, sign language, or communication boards. This ensures that children with communication difficulties can express their needs and preferences.
Supportive staff
Our dedicated staff at Seashell are always here to help, and we encourage open communication to better understand the unique needs of each child. Our top recommendations from a staff perspective include:
- Training for staff: Our staff members undergo training to better understand autism and how to support individuals with diverse needs
- Personalised support plans: Our staff create personalised support plans for all of our children with autism. These plans can outline specific needs, triggers, and effective strategies for a positive experience at our leisure facilities.
Promoting independence
Empowering children with autism to engage independently in leisure activities is a key goal at Seashell. Here’s how we can encourage independence:
- Choice and Control: Offer choices whenever possible, allowing children and young adults to select activities or areas of interest. Providing a sense of control can boost confidence and independence.
Our facilities at Seashell
Here at Seashell, we’re proud to offer the best facilities and equipment for students with SEND. We welcome students and young adults to use our SEN equipment as we encourage them to improve their learning outcomes and quality of life.
Our 30-acre site provides a safe environment with plenty of space to enable students to develop their outdoor skills. Our facilities help students to learn key skills such as road safety and orienteering as well as allowing the use of adaptable bikes and walking aids, as well as facilities such as our swimming pool and hydrotherapy pool.
Our water based facilities
Opened in February 2023, our on-campus swimming pool and hydrotherapy pool provide our children and young adults with the opportunity to explore water and enhance their swimming skills.
Our main pool, measuring 7.5 x 12 metres, boasts a flexible floor for optimal adaptability. Ensuring the utmost comfort for our children and young people. We maintain the pool temperature between 31 to 33 degrees throughout sessions to make it comfortable for our students.
For individuals who may feel nervous or have disabilities, our hydro pool provides a calming and comforting atmosphere. Additionally, this space can be transformed into a sensory room, complete with light projectors and a sound system.
Seashell Active
At Seashell, we recognise the important role well-being plays in fostering health and happiness. Through Seashell Active, we offer inclusive sports, well-being, health, and leisure activities to individuals with learning disabilities, extending to students from both our special needs school and specialist college to our staff, and the broader community.
We are dedicated to delivering high-quality, inclusive opportunities, encompassing autism sports and activities designed for both disabled children and young adults. Our overarching goal is to promote an active lifestyle while allowing for relationship-building opportunities. Through these initiatives, we aim to bring joy and forge new friendships, contributing to a happier and healthier life for our students, staff, and the wider community.
This isn’t all we offer. We also have a wide range of resources and support including learning disability training that can create an inclusive and supportive environment for children and young people with complex learning difficulties and disabilities. For more information, feel free to contact us.
