According to the National Autism Centre, there are currently around 160,000 pupils with autism in England and 71% of these attend mainstream schools. Like all children, pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) enjoy and can benefit from time spent in the playground. However, for this to be effective, schools need to cater for their specific needs. In this post, we explain how to create an autism-friendly playground.

Common issues for autistic children

As a spectrum disorder, no two children with autism will be affected by it in exactly the same way, however, there are some common challenges that schools will need to take into consideration when creating an appropriate play space. One of these is that autistic children can find it difficult to interact with peers or understand social clues, such as facial expressions or tone of voice. This can make it hard for them to join in group activities.

As they process senses differently, children with autism can often feel overwhelmed by too much sensory information. Many don’t feel comfortable in noisy, busy or smelly spaces, or when there is too much happening visually. At the same time, issues with coordination and balance can impact their ability to play on some types of equipment or take part in certain games.

To better cater for the needs of children with ASD, here are some of the main things to consider when creating an autism-friendly school playground.

Designing an autism-friendly school playground

To prevent pupils with ASD from feeling overwhelmed and out of control, a school playground needs to be well organised. Today, this is achieved through the use of play zones, where specific activities are given their own discrete area, e.g., you can have zones for messy play, sports, quiet spaces and so forth. In some cases, it is even possible to demarcate these zones through the use of pathways, fences or other kinds of borders. Signposts and easily navigable pathways between zones provide even better clarity.

Appropriate motor skills activities

Children with autism can benefit from activities that enable them to practice skills like coordination and balance. Like other children, they will enjoy playing on climbing frames, rope challenges and trim trail equipment which all help with these skills. However, schools should make sure that the levels of challenge provided by this type of equipment are appropriate for any children in the school with ASD. Some might easily be able to cope with the same equipment as everyone else, while others might find it too difficult and feel isolated from their friends as a result. It is important therefore to choose equipment that offers a range of different challenges.

Coordination and balance can also be practised by using a range of other equipment. Fun and games playground markings are ideal for developing these physical skills.

Quiet spaces

To offer relief from sensory overload, it is helpful to provide a quiet space where children with autism can take some much-needed time out. Indeed, lots of other children crave these sorts of spaces too. The most effective way to achieve this is to create a calming nature area: a place that has natural greenery, somewhere to sit and where the hustle and bustle of the rest of the playground are out of sight – and preferably out of earshot.

Unfortunately, not all schools have a lawned area separate from the playground or have the staff to supervise it. An alternative for the many schools that lack these types of spaces is to create a quiet zone using plant-covered trellises to separate the zone from the rest of the playground. You can then install wooden seating, shelters or huts, together with planters and artificial grass, to create a space that offers sanctuary and respite.

Use the correct surfacing

Children with autism may have difficulty walking and running in the playground and can be more at risk of tripping and falling. Schools should consider installing flat, smooth surfaces as these can be easier to walk on and give children with ASD more confidence to navigate the playground. Wetpour surfacing, made from recycled rubber, is ideal as it is both flat and provides cushioning should a pupil trip or fall. As it’s made of rubber, it also provides more grip on the shoes during wet or snowy weather.

Encourage social interaction

As children with ASD can find it difficult to interact socially, to prevent them from feeling isolated, it is important that a playground offers activities that make it easier to play together. Larger apparatus, such as play towers, play boats and climbing frames are ideal for this as groups of children can play together and it makes it easier for children to start by playing on their own and then, if they feel comfortable, join in with others.

Other equipment that assists social interaction includes sports and games markings, messy play areas and anything that inspires role play.

Conclusion

With 71% of children with autism attending mainstream schools, it is important that their needs are addressed not just in the classroom but in the playground too. Hopefully, the information here will help you create an autism-friendly school playground.

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