A Place Where Families Can Just Be

There's an anxiety unique to parents of SEND children. The website said the play space was welcoming and inclusive, but will the staff actually know what that means and what accommodations are available? Will the other parents stare when your child plays differently, or doesn't want to join in at all? And will your other child get a chance to enjoy themselves before you all have to leave early?

Autism Bedfordshire's Stay & Play sessions are designed to be different; a calm, supported environment where autistic children aged 3–12 can play without judgement, and where the whole family can just be.

R's mum knew the difference before she found them. "You feel the whole world is against you when mainstream, neurotypical activities aren't always so inclusive, adaptable or understanding."

Her husband, Steven, has MS. There aren't many places he can take R on his own and feel safe doing it. The Stay & Play sessions are one of them. "With the support of the team," she said, "it's been really fantastic."

R rarely settles in clubs or activities. But every Saturday morning at these sessions, he walks in and decides to stay.

The sessions run at MK Springers on Saturday mornings, two groups, two hours each, carefully planned around what autistic children actually need. Arts and crafts, toys and games, soft play, sensory stations, and bouncy castles have quickly become firm favourites.

Siblings are welcomed as participants in their own right, and parents have space to talk, swap tips and feel understood. Many describe this peer support as a lifeline.

Families pay £5 per session. The true cost is £34. Donors and funders, including MK Community Foundation, cover the difference, making it possible for families already navigating a great deal to come and find a bit of calm.

The need was well documented. Families across Milton Keynes had been telling Autism Bedfordshire about the shortage of social and play opportunities genuinely designed for autistic children, not just labelled as inclusive, but built around what that actually means. After an 18-month consultation, including discussions with the Think Autism Partnership Board and feedback through the Milton Keynes Local Offer, the charity piloted sessions in September 2024 and launched formally in November.

Fifteen sessions in, the group has new enquiries every week. Autism Bedfordshire’s co-ordinator has been out across Milton Keynes, visiting schools, family centres, and attending local networks, making sure the families who need it find it. Many arrive and discover, for the first time, a range of support services they didn’t know were available to them.

“The quiet room was a great help to Riley — and he loved the bouncy castle. Vestibular movement and sensory play is a really big hit for him.”

“Emilia has been talking about it all afternoon and has been so regulated since. She can’t wait to come back.”

Looking ahead, Autism Bedfordshire wants to open a second group in Bletchley, invest in larger sensory play equipment, and build a core of local volunteers, including autistic adults, to help keep the groups sustainable. The need is there. The model works. And with the right support behind it, it will keep growing.

The Stay & Play sessions are one of several projects MK Community Foundation has funded with Autism Bedfordshire in Milton Keynes. The most recent is Wanted Fun, a fortnightly youth club for autistic young people aged 10–17, launching soon at Hedgerows Family Centre in Netherfield. For older autistic young people who, for many, have nowhere to go outside of school or home, it fills another gap that has long needed filling.

Funding for the Stay & Play sessions was made possible in part by The Cumming Fund and the YiS Legacy Fund.