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Submitted by PatientsEngage on 9 January 2019

Can you imagine a child who has never been to a playground or a park, never been able to swing or slide! For whom open play spaces are forbidding and unfriendly.

Today, in India nearly all existing outdoor play spaces are built without keeping in mind the needs of a child with disability. Children with disabilities and developmental differences are forced to stay away from playgrounds because they are inaccessible, do not have appropriate facilities and play infrastructure for them.

When Kavitha Krishnamoorthy, mother of a young boy on the autism spectrum, took her young child to the park, her husband and she noticed that there was no disabled child in the park. She founded Kilikili to create inclusive playgrounds for children with disability. Her willpower and grit paid off. Today, we have inclusive playgrounds, with many more in the pipeline, scattered across the country that welcome kids and families of all abilities to learn, play and grow together.

What is the importance of inclusive play for children with developmental disabilities?

PatientsEngage hosted its third Webinar series recently where these key questions were addressed by an enthusiastic and experienced set of panellists:

  • Kavitha Krishnamoorthy: Parent of teenager on spectrum, Founder Kilikili and Ashoka Fellow
  • Lucy Bowen: Play Therapist, National Association for Play Therapy  
  • Priya Kannan: Parent of teenager on spectrum  Initiator of programmes of play

Kavitha was emphatic that she wanted this initiative to be in a public play space so “that our children are not further marginalised or further invisibilized.”

In 2006, the first inclusive park in India was set up in Bangalore. The movement spread to other cities, and now there are inclusive parks in Mumbai, Madurai, Nagpur, Mangalore, Chennai. And parks being developed in Bhubaneswar, Aurangabad and Vizag.

Benefits of outdoor play for child development

One cannot undermine the importance of play for all children, with or without disability. Lucy Bowen, play therapist, who spoke eloquently on benefits of outdoor play, said that children are naturally drawn to play outside. And there are a huge number of benefits. “They are able to explore their environment. It helps them gain confidence and self-esteem. It builds their muscle strength and helps in coordination. It also increases their flexibility. It also helps towards better social integration, growth and development. A typically developing child goes out naturally and seeks these exposures, but children with special needs might be slightly more withdrawn or reserved. So it is important for us to provide them with these multi-sensory experiences where they can actually learn, engage and participate.”

In an inclusive park the play facilities are modified to suit the needs of children with with different levels of ability. The swings have solid, sturdy bucket seats and special harness. The sand pits are raised on a table for the comfort of wheelchair users. The slides and other play equipment are adjusted. There are ramps for easy accessibility.

Priya Kannan, who has worked closely with Kavitha in one of the early initiatives at Coles Park, feels that inclusive playgrounds have opened up a many opportunities for children with disabilities. “They are able to come out and play confidently with other children. After some time, you can even see them sitting with other children who come to the park. We consider that a huge shift. There was greater integration and intermingling with neurotypical kids. A child who was lost in his or her own world was now sitting and playing with other children.”

Social, emotional support required

As the Webinar progressed to other developmental issues, all the panellists agreed that children with autism and other disabilities need more than just equal opportunities in the playground; they also need mental, social, emotional and intellectual support and individual stimulation for their development. Kavitha started a programme called ‘Buddies’ which was basically getting them to be more comfortable in a group, getting them to learn to play with other children.

Lucy maintained that it is crucial for parents to understand the child’s individual stages of growth and play. “In the case of typically developing children, they observe, imbibe and grow a lot on their own. But with children with special needs, particularly children with autism, self-growth has its limits. Hence, is important for parents to understand their children, play with them, create a bond, develop attachment so that the child has a positive experience on a one-to-one basis.

Priya, whose daughter, Latika, has autism, worked hard to integrate her with other children in the building. She set up a playgroup in her apartment where she would organise informal music and dance session and games. She was amazed that in a span of 3 months, a beautiful bond had developed between her daughter and other children.

More inclusive playgrounds needed

In the 12 years since Kilikili started, Kavita has realised that there is a lot of demand for inclusive playgrounds. “Building parks is a humongous task and may not be possible for all,” she says. “You have to be passionate and persistent to deal with different stakeholders. But inclusive play spaces can be created with whatever exists. It can be within a building or within the neighbourhood. The initiative has to be taken by local group and parents.”

At the end of the Webinar, panellists and other participants all firmly concurred that the best way forward for urban planners, government officials and vigilant parent bodies was to bring down barriers and build more inclusive playgrounds so that children with disabilities too can enjoy their childhood as much.

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