Rush and Autism Western Cape team up to create inclusive play spaces

Over the past few years, the nonprofit organisation Autism Western Cape has been collaborating with local businesses that facilitate play spaces for children to run special events for young people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Their belief is that inclusive play is not about changing the child, but adapting environments so that every visitor has the opportunity to participate, feel safe and experience joy.

Their most recent event, held on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, during Autism Awareness Month, saw about 200 children aged between three and 16 visiting Rush, an indoor play park in Claremont, Cape Town. In the lead-up to the open day, Autism Western Cape provided specialised autism training for the Rush staff.

Rayne Alexander brought her six-year-old daughter to the event. She noted that she usually took her daughter out of school for a day when bringing her to shared play areas, to ensure there were not too many other children in the space.

“[My daughter] very much struggles with staying in her space. With the trampolines, it’s just a free-for-all in her mind – she can jump from one to the other. Meanwhile, other children, neurotypical children, are less likely to be that open with sharing their space and that freedom,” she explained.

However, she described the open day held by Autism Western Cape and Rush as “fantastic”, with “wonderfully trained” staff who catered to the children’s needs while still ensuring the play activities were run safely.

“They were incredible. I don’t know if they specifically hire people who are just so kind with children, but the way they responded and played and interacted [was great],” said Alexander.

“The management were on the floor the entire time, making sure they were keeping an eye on everything.”

Accessible play

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological difference that affects how individuals communicate, interact and experience the world, with the term “spectrum” reflecting the wide range of strengths, differences and support needs among autistic persons, according to Autism Western Cape. It is a lifelong condition, and is not an illness or disease.

In SA, approximately one in 31 children are diagnosed with ASD.

Reflecting on Autism Western Cape’s efforts to run autism-friendly events, the nonprofit’s general manager, Anna-Beth Aylward, said: “What we’ve seen is that parents don’t feel comfortable taking their children to these places, because they feel their children are being judged. If a child has a meltdown, other parents will just say, ‘Oh, look at your naughty child.’ That’s when we saw the need.

“We are working on the entertainment industry, to train them so that they know about autism and know the difference between being naughty, throwing a tantrum and a meltdown.”

Aside from social benefits, play – and in particular activities like trampolining – can offer meaningful developmental support for children on the autism spectrum, according to Autism Western Cape. Trampoline-based activities can improve balance, coordination and motor skills; support sensory processing; enhance mood through the release of endorphins; and offer an alternative, engaging platform for learning and focus.

In preparing the Rush staff for the open day, Autism Western Cape provided training around the different challenges a person with autism might experience when it came to behaviour, communication, social skills and sensory issues, said Aylward. They also provided guidance on how to support children who were overwhelmed or experiencing a meltdown.

“With the sensory challenges, we tell them how [the children] get overstimulated or understimulated through their eyes, ears and all their senses, and what you can do to make life easier for them,” said Aylward.

She added that there was a need to “move from awareness to acceptance” when it came to how communities supported people living with ASD.

Safe spaces

Richard Poulton, the national brand manager for Rush, told Daily Maverick that it was the third year in which the play park had hosted an autism-friendly event with Autism Western Cape.

“There’s a lot of judgement and stuff that happens, especially with autism. It’s not always easily identifiable. So, we’re very much about families and kids and safe spaces. We’ve got access control, and all of our teams are first aid trained, and now we’ve got autism awareness training,” he said.

“The training was very much around how to identify who might be autistic… and then how best to deal with somebody that is on the spectrum. It helped our teams to really understand that sometimes verbal communication might not work, but there are some other avenues to explore to make sure that everybody is feeling comfortable, having fun, and obviously being safe.”

On the day of the event, the music was switched off at Rush to reduce stimulation. “Calming tents” and sensory toys were also provided for the children who got overwhelmed, said Poulton.

Similar open days have been held at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, where children with ASD and their parents can access the establishment for an hour before it opens to the general public, and choose to stay for as long as they like.

Network of support

The Autism Western Cape events are not only an opportunity for the children to access inclusive play spaces, but also a chance for parents and caregivers to connect and share experiences, according to Aylward.

“We have the theory [but] we don’t have the lived experience that these parents live with 24 hours a day, so they can give each other practical advice that really works,” she noted.

Alexander echoed this sentiment, describing the Autism Western Cape events as “enlightening”. She added that while every autistic person’s journey was different, parents had the opportunity to exchange similar experiences and share stories.

“I’ve learned a lot in the community that you can’t find on Google, you can’t find on Chat GPT. You have to hear it directly from another parent. And these events are very much a comfort. I think it just gives you a little bit of strength. Like, ‘Okay, we can do it,’” she said.

On her message to other parents, Alexander added: “It’s so hard, especially when you get that initial diagnosis… but don’t be afraid because your child is so beautiful – every child is so beautiful – and it doesn’t change who your child is.” DM