<
https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/a-place-for-autistic-youth-to-play-and-disabled-adults-to-work>
"When Tiera Turner’s first son was diagnosed with autism in 2019, “there was
not a place where we felt we could be comfortable, or I felt I didn’t have to
apologize for my child,” she says. Now with two sons diagnosed as autistic,
Turner has found that services to support children with autism and their
families are few and far between in Detroit.
That problem didn’t just apply to education, health care, and the usual
suspects. When it came to play-space access, Turner found countless barriers to
finding spaces suitable for her children and other neurodivergent kids to play
in her city.
“Having a place where I can take him is hard,” says Turner, who runs an annual
autism awareness walk and a local support group for families like her own
called
Autism in the D. “I wouldn’t even say that the city of Detroit has any
parts that are sensory-friendly or autism-friendly at all.”
In 2021, there were about 40,000 children in Michigan with autism. Yet few
Michigan parks have accessible features designed for kids on the spectrum, such
as a picture exchange communication system (PECS) that uses images and symbols
to facilitate communication for nonverbal kids. On top of that, Detroit winters
can keep kids from accessing outdoor time throughout the year, making
accessible play spaces even harder to find.
Turner decided to create a neurodivergent-friendly play space in her own
backyard, with a trampoline, rock climbing wall, and water activities for her
sons. But most kids, she knows, aren’t so lucky.
Now, Turner is turning a vacant property on Detroit’s West Side into a sensory
gym and activity space. Part of the national
We Rock the Spectrum franchise,
it will be tailored to meet the needs of families with neurodivergent children.
Its slogan: “Finally, a place where you never have to say ‘I’m sorry.’”"
Via
The Fixer October 25, 2023:
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/neurodivergent-friendly-gyms-kids-play/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
