Ideas
Have you been somewhere that hit the spot with your children? Have you got something you want to tell us or have you written
something you want to share
Then MAGIC Ideas is the place to do it so we can then tell the world!
Send us your ideas here.
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Understanding Time The question I have had an enquiry from a parent whose 11yr old son with ASD cannot tell the time or estimate the passage of time. He also has difficulty with concepts like yesterday, last year, next week etc. I have made some suggestions (making things visual, making it relevant to him, using his interests, etc) but I'm sure there may be many other ideas. Able children with ASD tend either to be obsessed with the time (e.g. "wait a minute" means they will wait 60 seconds exactly and no more!) Or, as in this case they find it very hard to understand time at all. The Answer Click here for a comprensive set of ideas and guidelines from other parents with help on this issue. Thanks go to Jo Blamires at Kent Autistic Trust Family Support for this information. |
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| For information on a holiday centre specifically for communication impaired children and adults go to http://www.thethomascentre.co.uk/ | |
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I can recommend the calvert trust look up their web site and order a brochure. http://www.calvert-trust.org.uk/ We stayed at their site in Devon near Barnstable and had a fabulous time with my two autistic sons daughter and a friend. We did things their i never thought possible and would love to go again. |
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Going on a cruise is becoming more and more affordable every year and it isn’t just for “The Silver Set” either. So, if you are considering
it but are worried about how the crew will handle an over-stimulated autistic child, we have to recommend you go with P&O Cruises. April 2007, we took our 8 year old son, Joseph, who has speech and language difficulties and ASD on a Mediterranean cruise with P&O and although we had a few uncertainties before we left, we were soon to be put at ease. From the moment we took him up to the play area on the first afternoon, our minds were put at ease, these people showed an understanding of Josephs conditions, which continued throughout the two weeks. If he did get a little over-excited, we were paged (we requested a pager at the start of the holiday for our own peace of mind) and we either collected him or found a solution to the problem which eventually was taking his DVD player up to him (good old Boogie Beebies!). At the end of the fortnight, we couldn’t praise the children’s club crew enough, for they had allowed us to have quality time as a family as well as on our own. This on it’s own made the holiday for us, but what made even more worthwhile was that Joseph had gone on his own little adventure. http://www.pocruises.com/pocruising/Home.aspx |
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I recently went to Leeds Castle. It used to be very expensive, especially if you wanted to visit the Castle and Gardens. They now sell entry tickets which are valid for a year, and the tickets give access to the Castle and Gardens. When I arrived I saw that they did a rate of £11 for a carer and person with disability. I had no proof with me but spoke to the ticket office who accepted my verbal description of our special needs situation. The gardens have lots of space and a variety of interestingthings to see and do, including an aviary, under 5’s play area, maze, dog collar museum and what looks to be a new play area under construction. We had a very enjoyable day out without even setting foot in the Castle itself. |
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On visiting Chessington World of Adventures during the 2005 season, we decided to use the parks disability entrance scheme
that this park operates. All we needed was proof of Joe’s disability, (his KAB partially sighted card did the trick, but I also had his DLA info to hand just in case), and both Sarah and I got in at half price as his carers. Joe and ourselves were then given wristbands identifying us as the disabled and his carers, allowing us to join each of the rides via the disabled entrance, thus avoiding what could be a rather painful wait with our very own Mr.Impatient in all the queues. The park does, however, only allow one disabled rider on at any one time, so we had a rather long wait for the log flume which has a five minute circuit and a fair few disabled riders waiting. But on the whole, the system worked well for both us and Joseph. |
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I came across a martial arts festival being held at White Oak Leisure Centre in Swanley where people with disabilities can
try out martial arts. It will be held on Thursday 16th November 2006. See the following website for more information: http://www.twt.org.uk/ |
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There is an indoor play centre called Merry-Go-Round, similar to Monkey Bizz, that holds evenings for special
needs children at about 5:30pm to 7:30pm The address is 3-5 Heard Way, Eurolink Industrial Estate, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3SA 01795 430840 Website At the moment very few parents and children use the facility and it would be a shame to lose this chance especially as there are so few people the place is empty and they have the run of the play area and for those that are sensitive to sound it would be quieter. (We understand that the last session was 3rd July 2006, please ring to confirm any future dates - and let us know here at MAGIC!!) |
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My son who has A/S and many other medical problems attends this club as do others with varying special needs and levels of ability There is a gymnastic club in Luton, Chatham that has two special needs classes depending on the level of gymnast on a Monday from 16.15 - 17.00 (starters class) and 17.00 - 18.00 /18.30 (for the more advanced) it is located on the Luton industrial estate just off Street End road....the telephone number is 01634 843431 and the person you need to speak to is Gill Cutterham there is an answerphone available to leave a message on and the calls are returned. There are spaces in the classes and are well coached this small club is the only club to competitively compete special needs in Kent and are taking a squad to the British later next month the club has also coached at the last 6/7 county champions so they have a good track record. (MAGIC have also spoken to Gill Cutterham who runs the club and she confirmed that they have a high staff/child ratio and take children aged from 5-16 years. she is very happy to be contacted on the number given above) |
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It's not a holiday club but my sons go to a football club called the
Larkfield Youth Football club. They take on all ages, sexes and abilities and do a wonderful job with training and play matches afterwards. They even have tournaments with other football clubs. They are desperately looking for more players to organise more teams. They have their own kit for which you pay a small deposit. They have their own website so that you can get more information about it. The organiser is called Sue Sloane and can be contacted on 07905 856570. The website is www.larkfieldfc.com |
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Hi Dads etc!! Here with something for those with an interest in swimming. I've spoken with Cygnets Sports Centre,Gravesend (01474 337484) and they confirm the timing as 5 to 6 p.m. on Saturdays evenings and there is no charge. They do not insist on paperwork and say they now have several regulars who attend and have quite a nice little group of families involved. Hope this is of interest. John |
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And there's more... All the entries below were originally found on the Kent Autistic Trust site, but we dont think they will mind us including them here for you to look through and gain even more ideas. |
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Thanks for all the Summer fun ideas, I've enjoyed reading them, but nothing as yet has been suitable for our situation, which I'm sure is
not a unique one. Our child is just 5 years old and when outside he "runs off" all the time and, unless restrained by a wrist-strap or his
major buggy, he will just disappear over the horizon before you can say Autistic Spectrum Disorder! If anyone knows of any places to
visit that have very safe outside spaces or play areas that are ENCLOSED or with very few exits we would love to hear about them. (He
does not as yet have a specific interest - apart from light-switches! - but just enjoys running around and experiencing new environments.) Thanks in anticipation |
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HI , "WEAR EM OUT" AT PARKWOOD IS GOOD, ONE EXIT OUT AND YOU HAVE TO PASS AN ATTENDANT ALSO POLAR ADVENTURE AT MOTE PARK LEISURE CENTRE. GOOD FUN PLAY AREAS. |
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| Having read some of the recommended places, I remembered the Tenterden Steam Railway. If anyone has Children with an interest in trains, this is a great day. You drive to Tenterden, pick up the train to Bodiam where you can then walk to Bodiam Castle which has large open areas around it and lots of nooks and crannies within the castle. My Son is quite fascinated by the Steam Engine. | |
| With two boys with ASD, we found Chatham Dockyard fantastic. Loads of space to run around, lots of exhibits, quite tactile and each exhibit had a route to follow with a definate entrance and exit. The best thing is that a normal ticket lasts for one year! So you can go as many times as you like (with a very few exceptions i.e. Bank holidays). This means if you get there and it's one of those, 'not today.. days' then you haven't wasted your money on a 5 min visit. My boys loved it and better still, my husband took them by himself....while I went to Bluewater with my daughter!! | |
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I thought you might like to know about a great day out for all the family. We recently took our two children (both suffer from ASD) to
Bedgebury Pinetum, not far from Bewel Water. There are lovely walks or cycle rides of varying lengths and abilities. They also have
special routes for the disabled. You can hire bikes at the main information centre. They also have bikes for hire for disabled people. We spent a great day in the family area playing on the many various play areas built into the woods. We took a picnic but you can buy refreshments at the nice café near to the new information centre. You can find out further information at the websites below. www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk www.forestry.gov.uk |
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| Recent trip to Tyland barn at bottom of Blue Bell Hill was excellent. Quite small so only a half day activity. Lots of nature and pond to look at. Very welcoming staff. They have a leaflet with lots of activity sessions and you are able to pond dip and look at the bugs under a microscope, lots of art and craft acitivies and a story. Only wanted a voluntary contribution of £2 per family so a bargain trip! Suited my age ranges of 2 years to 9 years. | |
| Local library usually run a holiday scheme where you get stickers when you take a book out and read or look at it. Also some activity sessions with themes e.g pirate afternoon and made a hat, had a story and treasure hunt etc. | |
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My friends and myself spend many a long hour going to Capstone and we have a picnic and looooong walks. Faversham swimming pool is also great. Fruit picking at Gore farm is also a great favourite, they also have a maze and a couple of short walks. Going to horrid hill is also a favourite, that is at riverside country park, great for bikes too. If people don't mind a drive, Reculver is also fun. The kids can cycle on the long dyke and parents can walk to Minnis bay and then eat at at great restaurant. Hope this helps | |
| Not sure if its everyones cup of tea....but this year we joined english heritage, for a couple its about 63 pounds for the year, and with that, up to 6 children under 19 go free. It means that wherever you visit in the country, you can always find somewhere new to visit, there are also alot of coastal castles and houses, so a day trip to the coast can include more, and doesnt cost anything to get in (apart from your yearly membership that is). We have had some great days out, it can also be a sensory experiance for some. echos of old ruins/tunnels, or touching old walls etc. For some children it may also give them an interest in history. | |
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A few ideas for holiday activities: Activate Courses Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council run activites for 8 - 16 years old at various venues throughout the Borough. Activities include art, dance, drama, outward bound, sporting activities and others. My son (aged 12 with Aspergers) did trampolining twice at Larkfield Leisure Centre in the Easter holidays and it was very successful. I spoke to Karena Harmer, Youth and Play Development Officer, (Tel: 01732 876169) and explained his difficulties. They provided a support worker for him who was present at both sessions. Their courses do have limited places, however, so may already be booked up. Worth bearing in mind for future holidays if no places available at present. Cycling There are a number of very good off road cycle routes around the County. Tonbridge - Penshurst: Can start at Tonbridge park or Haysden Country Park. Off road except for short stretch down very quiet country lane. Can cycle all the way to Penshurst Place. Flat except for a couple of hills near Penshurst (great on the way down though). Once at Penshurst there are cycle racks and Penshurst place has a very good adventure playground. (Entry Approx £20 for family of 4). Canterbury - Whitstable: Called "Crab & Winkle Way" (I think). We join this at University of Kent (car park next to sportsground on campus). Off road most of the way until reach Whitstable. Fairly flat but with some hills. There is a nice stretch through the forest where there is a lake with picnic tables. Can be a bit confusing to follow once you reach Whitstable. Groombridge: Forest Way runs for about 13 miles as far as East Grinstead. Completely flat and off road (except for crossing a few roads). We sometimes leave the path at Hartfield and walk up into the village for a pub lunch. Bedgebury Forest: Harder work than those above, not as flat and a bit bumpy - definitely need a mountain bike. There is a new visitor centre, cafe, playground (I'm told a very good one), toilets etc. £5 parking charge. You may find extra info about cycle routes on www.sustrans.org.uk Theme Parks If this is your thing but you can't cope with the queues, many theme parks have a disabled policy. If your child is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance you can get special wristbands which allow the child, a carer and usually another person priority entry to all the rides (in fact they let all four of us on). We did this at Chessington. We took proof of receipt of DLA to guest services and they gave us all wristbands. We were then able to enter the rides via the exit ramps, thereby skipping the queues. We actually got round all the rides so quickly that by 3 p.m. my son was ready to go home. Hope these suggestions are helpful. |
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Bewl water has a lovely walk around the lake - we didn't do the whole 13 miles though just the first three! We took a picnic and had a
lovely afternoon. The path is very wide and covered in chippings so no worry about climbing through the undergrowth. £5 entry for parking.
You can hire bikes on site if you want to cycle around and don't have your own. Also a visitor's centre explaining how the reservoir
works. outdoor playground, and lake tours on their boat 'The swallow' (extra cost for the boat). we thoroughly enjoyed it but if you
have children who are afraid of dogs, there were lots of people with dogs there and we also met 4 horses on our way around! The windmill in Cranbrook is good if you have a child who is interested in machinery. You can go inside and grind your own wheat, and take it home to bake! On windy days they let the sails go around and you can climb up to the top and stand on the walkway outside. Opening hours restricted I think its open from 2pm Saturday afternoons and then an additional day during the holidays. not suitable for very young children - steep stairs inside. We also like camber sands - you have to pay for the parking but there are clean toilets and there was a very friendly assistant there who our son bent the ear of for a good five minutes. the beach is lovely and big for any ball games, and there are also grassy dunes to play hide and seek in. We usually go on to Rye after that - there's the castle up there and you can pay to go in and do the tour - again very friendly and lots of 'hands-on' displays. Outside, there are several cannons that you can play around on. |
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Drive further down the A21 turn at the 'fishing sign' - follow the road and you come to the bottom of Bewl Water where many cars park for
'FREE' and walk/cycle back to the visitor centre. The visitor centre does a reasonable line in food. Greatstone beach near Lydd is a lovely large safe beach to visit with sand dunes to clamber over! |
