Page 54 - SEN106 SEN Magazine May-June 2020
P. 54

settings, most of our classrooms will have at least one child   with a disability. So it is essential for educators and play   space providers to recognise some of the key issues around   accessibility and inclusion facing children SEN and disabilities.  The six senses of inclusive play  How can we design play environments that include all   children? For any local authority, school or individual looking   to answer this question, it can be a daunting prospect to seek   to understand the full range of needs of children with different   SEN and disabilities. However, if we can understand every   child’s play needs at a basic level, it becomes much easier for   us to deliver a more complete and inclusive play environment.  The six senses we are concerned with (excluding the seventh   sense of taste, which can be challenging to cater for in a play   space) are all core senses that every child should seek to   engage (as far as they are able) on a regular basis for a healthy   mind and body, and to be able to negotiate and interact with   the world around them.  Proprioception develops an awareness of self, allowing children   to know where there limbs are without looking at them. Load   bearing activities on joints, such as trampolining or using   monkey bars, can be great for this.  The vestibular sense responds to movements of the head or   body, helping maintain physical balance, and is linked to healthy   brain development. Roundabouts and swings offer excellent   vestibular play opportunities.  Touch enables us to feel differences in pressure, texture,   traction, pain and temperature. Activities and equipment that   allow children to purposefully explore texture can be very useful   here, such as play panels, water play and loose materials.  Sight orientated play can improve hand-eye coordination skills   and general perception. It can include activities that allow   children to play with light, reflection or perspective, such as   mirrored objects.  Sound is a key part of our cognitive development, as it involves   taking in and processing a lot of information. It can be useful to   provide children with opportunities to make their own sounds,   for example, with things like chimes, rattles and talk tubes.  Smell also contributes greatly to our information gathering and   processing activities. Our sense of smell is really brought to   the fore in outdoor spaces, and can really help in creating a   connection to a particular environment. The power of nature   can be represented, for example, by hardy herbs and plants   like lavender and rosemary.  Individual development  If we are serious about designing play spaces for inclusion,   all children – regardless of their developmental level, age or   ability – should have a choice of activities available to them   that they can enjoy with their peers.   By offering children a wide range of activities, and opportunities   to engage with their own preferred play tasks, we can also   help them to free themselves from some of the pressures of a   busy play space or playground. There is a great deal of value   in supporting children to connect with their environment, and   the people in it, on their own terms. Providing a play space   that nurtures a broadly based sensory diet will encourage   children to explore their own sensations, while helping them   to develop their skills, make their own choices and, of course,   have fun.    All children should have a choice   of activities available to them that   they can enjoy with their peers  About the author  Kristina Causer   is Head of   Sales and Marketing at Jupiter   Play and Leisure Ltd. She   was the original founder and   co-author of the PiPA toolkit,   which is widely used in the play   industry.  jupiterplay.co.uk    linkedin.com/company/jupiter-play-&-leisure-ltd    linkedin.com/in/kristina-causer  ■  Roundabouts offer excellent vestibular play opportunities.  SEN  106  senmagazine.co.uk  54  Play


































































































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