Play and Leisure

missing element in their lives. Parents strive to make opportunities for these but often find many unnecessary barriers, including a basic lack of information about what’s available.

Part of the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme focused on short breaks and access to universal services (e.g. those which are open to everyone) and overcoming those barriers which prevented many families from accessing play and leisure facilities.

In Southampton, there is now an Extended Schools Programme in place in the five special schools, and Aiming High in Southampton have worked with leisure centres to provide as many activities as possible for children and young people. Parents in Southampton have also asked for their children/young people to access facilties and clubs in their own communities and mainstream schools but this is often complicated and parents/carers are often concerned about whether their child will cope and whether staff have the skills to manage their young person but it medical needs, or challenging behaviour. Some parents and young people want to access specialist services, others want a mixture of specialist and universal services.

On the other hand, most disabled children live in families who want to have family days out, leisure time together etc. Why not take a One2One worker with you on a day out to make things easier?

Holidays - we list charities and organisations here who may be able to help with the cost or actually take your child on holiday (depending on their needs).